Enjoying difficult situations

A simple, but powerful exercise we did during the session I just talked about went like this:

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In pairs, we took turns saying, "I enjoy difficult situations more when I _______."

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We went back and forth with our partners, for about five minutes. Each time, we filled the blank with something new. The approach is both a creative exercise and an exercise in taking agency.

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If you have a partner to do this with, great. If not, do it by yourself.

• Set a timer for five minutes.

  
  

• Write down as many options as you can that fill in that blank:

  "I enjoy difficult situations more when I _______."

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But it's not a race or contest. Just let your brain (or heart, or gut) fill in the blank for you, without forcing it. You'll be surprised at the endless number of things can end that thought.

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And each one gives us a new tool, approach, or mindset to making our work more enjoyable.