None of us would ever want to admit it, but all of us have chosen comfortable activity over effective actions at some time in our work life.

“Well, I know that I should start making more new contacts instead of continuing to work these old prospects, but I have enough going to keep up for another week or two.”

“I know we should cut costs and increase sales, but I’ll address that another day.”

“There’s no need to expend a lot of effort in this economy; I’ll wait for better times.”

“I’m too busy to even think about priorities right now!”

The above statements are examples of the game we play. It is a game where comfortable activity usually takes priority over effective actions. The question is why do we do it?

The answer… comfort zones!

We all have comfort zones that we have developed to protect us and make us feel safe. The problem is that these comfort zones are usually in opposition to effective actions. As example, if you have a difficult but productive task to perform, your natural human instinct is to postpone or procrastinate. A difficult task threatens your instinctive drive for safety. The effective action of completing the task is in opposition to your comfort zone of safety. That is why we all procrastinate, at times.

All leaders along with those under their charge must face these contradictions of choice everyday. We build our comfort zones over long periods of time, and they are reinforced by habit. How do you change bad habits? You change bad habits by replacing them with more effective habits. It’s the same process.

One of the best tools we have been given to avoid comforts zones that no longer serve our best interest is the “Power of Choice.” Effective leaders view their Godgiven freedom to choose as a personal power. They, in turn, use that power to counteract comfort zones of safety and make effective choices. Effective choices serve both the common good of the organization and the best interest of the effective leader.

Making effective, daily choices is a learned skill. Just like a consistent golf shot, that skill requires a development process. LMI has over forty years of experience in helping leaders develop the skill and ability of making effective daily choices. To learn more about how this process may apply to you and your organization, give us a call.