Moving the Strike Zone
“Most everything that you want is just outside your comfort zone.”
- Jack Canfield
Baseball season is upon us in the United States. It reminds me of a time when my daughter was an All-State high school softball pitcher. During one game with an intense rival, her team lost, and she was the losing pitcher. As we processed the game, she told me that what took her off course was that the umpire changed the strike zone. When I shared that comment with a colleague (who was ribbing me about the loss) he asked, “aren’t we supposed to adjust when the strike zone changes?” That response has stuck with me over the years as it’s a great question. Isn’t this what is happening with our VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous) worlds? Our comfort zones are being stretched every day.
Let’s take a look at the comparison between baseball and VUCA worlds.
The Fast Ball
For most people, life does move too fast. We are overcommitted at work and at home with precious little time for ourselves to maintain our balance. We don’t have time to nourish our bodies or for the activities that feed our souls. Rather we seem to be chasing the ever-changing brass ring that we believe will lead us to happiness. We tell ourselves that if we slow down others will pass us up and gain the very things we want.
In their book, "Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Finding Peace in a Frantic World", Williams and Penman present mindfulness as a practical tool for managing stress, anxiety, depression and slowing down. The term “mindfulness" emphasizes the importance of cultivating present-moment awareness and developing a non-judgmental attitude toward one's thoughts and feelings. Through guided meditations, exercises, and practical advice, the authors share a step-by-step guide to incorporating mindfulness into daily lives and finding peace amidst the busyness of modern life.
The Curve Ball
We make and live by plans and many times those plans are disrupted by life events. Curves are the storms in our lives from the big ones like losing jobs, serious illness and ending relationships to flat tires, common colds, and dealing with relationship problems. With the curve balls, it’s important to examine what we are saying about the curve. We will find our stories in the curves. Our stories empower or disempower us. They provide us with a list of excuses about why we cannot overcome the storms. They take us closer to what’s most important or they derail us. To overcome the storms, we must develop resilience.
In her book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance," Duckworth explores the factors that contribute to a person's ability to persevere in the face of challenges and setbacks. She emphasizes the importance of developing a growth mindset, setting clear goals, and cultivating a sense of purpose as key components of grit. Duckworth's research suggests that individuals who possess grit are better equipped to withstand adversity and bounce back from failures. They can maintain focus and determination even when faced with obstacles, setbacks, or criticism.
The Change-Up
While the curve and change-up are similar, the change-up will explore how change in all of its various forms impacts us. Do you find yourself locked into the same behaviors and same routines even though you know you need to make changes? Facing needed changes brings up the very worst fears in us. If we don’t change, we know what we have. Changing requires us to walk into the unknown. Depending upon how much we resist change, the list of disadvantages to making change can greatly outweigh the advantages, giving us reasons to remain stuck. We may not like the feeling of being stuck but at least we know what we have.
Several authors have provided insights into change. William Bridges in "Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes” emphasizes the psychological and emotional processes involved in moving from one stage or situation to another and offers practical advice for managing transition periods effectively. Susan Jeffers addresses the fear of change and uncertainty in her book "Feel the Fear...and Do It Anyway." In the book, she offers practical strategies for overcoming anxiety and building confidence in the face of change, encouraging readers to take risks and embrace new experiences. Finally, Daniel Pink in “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us," focuses on the factors that influence human motivation, including our response to change. He discusses how autonomy, mastery, and purpose can help individuals adapt to and thrive in rapidly changing environments.
The Rise Ball
The rise ball starts low and continues to rise. Rise balls represent our successes. Do we continue to believe in limitless potential or do we place obstacles in our own paths. There is a quote I have heard often that states “Argue for your limitations, and they become yours”. Do you argue for your limitations or are you exploring ways to move beyond them. Hendricks in “The Big Leap” discusses what he calls “upper limit problems” which are essentially barriers that individuals often create unconsciously to limit their success and happiness. He shares that these upper limits are rooted in deep-seated beliefs about unworthiness, guilt, and fear of failure or success. They can manifest in various forms, such as procrastination, self-doubt, conflicts in relationships, or engaging in self-destructive behaviors. It is through addressing the “upper limit problems” and breaking free from self-imposed limitations, that individuals can rise to their full potential and experience greater levels of happiness, success, and well-being in all areas of life.
The Umpire
The umpire represents our own inner critic. The inner critic is an internal voice or narrative that often manifests as self-criticism, doubt, or judgment toward oneself. It's that voice in your head that tends to be hypercritical, focusing on perceived flaws, mistakes, or shortcomings. This critical inner voice can undermine self-confidence, create feelings of inadequacy, and lead to anxiety and self-doubt.
Brene' Brown's books, "The Gifts of Imperfection" and "Daring Greatly," focus on vulnerability and shame and speak to the inner critic. She shares ideas on how to recognize and challenge the self-critical voice to cultivate a more authentic and wholehearted life. Kristin Neff also provides guidance about the inner critic in her book "Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself". The book shares practical exercises and techniques for quieting the inner critic and cultivating self-compassion. While the inner critic can serve as a protective mechanism in certain situations, such as helping us recognize areas for improvement, it becomes problematic when it dominates our thoughts and undermines our self-esteem and well-being.
The Fans
Fans can energize us or drain us. Have you ever noticed how certain people draw others to them. They are typically upbeat, charismatic, positive and energizing. They leave us excited about our own potential and possibilities. In his books "The Happiness Advantage and “Big Potential," Shawn Achor shares the significant impact that positive relationships can have on overall well-being and success. He advocates for the importance of cultivating positive social connections and surrounding oneself with people who uplift and inspire. The transformative power of positive relationships and the importance of surrounding oneself with individuals who encourage personal development, growth, and happiness cannot be ignored.
The analogy of a baseball or softball game represents the different speeds and locations of the pitches, the fans, and the umpires which can take us out of our comfort zone into life’s challenges. When life moves the strike zone on us, we have at least two options for reacting to the movement; to see the storms as a challenge that we can overcome or as a challenge that takes us out of the game. However, we can create options for success in navigating through storms by making different choices. We always have choices and even if we don’t make the best choices in the beginning of a challenge, we can always rethink the challenge and successfully move through it!