Life is a process....

Lately I have found myself in many discussions involving the "process".  It is amazing what fresh eyes will bring to a review.

This past week a group of us were talking about a business process, and what we ask for ....and why?  In this specific line of work, the rules governing what we CAN ask for are broad.  Basically, we can ask for anything, at any time from any one.  This all sounds well and good but the complaints I heard were that some of the information requested was not being provided.  My next question really helped us zero in on what is important.

I asked, "what are the consequences?"  Herein lies the problem.  There were no consequences.  We could ask for anything all day long but without consequences, the "ask" really was meaningless.

Choices can be fun!

We then started down the path of discussing what we REALLY need to make a decision, realizing the lack of consequences.  Thus began a new process that was less cumbersome, less frustrating and would allow us to still do the job effectively.

This leads me to think about authority and the right thing.  Many times in my almost six decades of living, I have heard conversations begin or end with  "it's my right" or "I am not breaking any rules".  You get it, words to that affect.  But just because we "can" doesn't always mean we "should".  Or that it's even right.

Life is a process.  We are not the same person we were ten years ago or maybe even last week.  A process should be ever evolving.  Not necessarily looking for short cuts, but evaluating why we do what we do and are we happy with the outcome.

Because it is all about choices.  Where we are in our life is determined by the choices we have made. Not all of our choices have been good ones, but the beauty of a process is that it can be changed. Once we take ownership of  our choices, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN.  When you say yes to one thing, are you saying no to something else?

When I was a Manager of Contracts (at the beginning of my career), I had a frank conversation with another female about my standing in the company.  She bluntly told me I had reached my "peak" due to lack of a college degree.  That was hard for me to hear, but I pondered those words.  I recognized I did not have a college degree based on choices I had made.  I then took her words to heart and decided to go back to school.  It took seven years to get my four year degree done.  (Another outcome of the same choices). Time is more difficult to allocate after you factor in working full-time and raising a family.  After a year off, I went back to school AGAIN, and this time completed my Masters Program in 2 years.

This is what I know.  Because of THOSE choices I made, a whole different level of opportunities became available to me.   It's never too late and every day is a new day to make new choices.

Until next time,
#reviewyourlifeprocess

Your pal,
Kari