An essential skill and attribute across all domains in life is the ability to find solutions when our initial plans don’t go as expected.
For more information about integrating the framework of complementary healthcare into clinical practice to manage metabolic syndrome, reduce chronic inflammation and chronic stress, and improve health, visit www.buoyhealthcare.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
Throughout this article series, the skills, strategies, and tactics needed in order to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance have been described in detail. Across each of these domains in life, we can develop plans for how we want to pursue our goals and objectives. It is inevitable, however, that at some point, our plans will not lead to the outcomes we anticipate or expect. In such circumstances, an essential attribute and ability is to recognize the situation and find solutions so that we can make necessary adjustments.
The above described ability to find solutions is equally important within pursuits related to health and wellbeing as it is for sustainable high performance. Invariably, we will experience situations we did not plan for or scenarios in which our plans did not unfold as expected. When this occurs, if we are able to find a solution to the situation and make the necessary adjustments, we can then continue in our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. On the other hand, if we are unable, for whatever reason, to identify what needs to be adjusted or find the necessary solutions, we will be less able to fully pursue our desired outputs.
It is apparent that if we are to optimally position ourselves to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, a necessary attribute is the capacity and ability to find solutions when things are not going our way or as expected. This may occur when our initial plan is ineffective or in one way or another is in need of adjustment. If we are to reflect upon our life, we can readily understand and appreciate how this scenario can unfold within pursuits related to health and wellbeing, as well as sustainable high performance.
In order to optimally identify what needs to be adjusted and find the necessary solutions, mental agility is an essential trait. This has been discussed in past articles. In essence, mental agility is a cognitive skill and capacity that allows us to understand various perspectives and issues related to any situation we may encounter. As it pertains to finding solutions within the context of the current discussion, mental agility allows for an honest and transparent assessment of the situation. This allows us to identify what may be working and what is in need of a change. Mental agility further allows us to consider different alternatives and options and ultimately make a determination regarding specific changes to make to our initial plans. This becomes a two-step process with each step dependent upon mental agility to ultimately perform to the highest level.
With the understanding in place that mental agility is the foundational skill contributing towards our ability to find solutions to situations in which our plans are not as effective as expected, we can understand the importance of improving upon our level of mental agility. As previously discussed, mental agility is an emergent trait from anchored and grounded states. In large part, this is on the basis that it is a cognitive skill which requires the ability to consider various options and alternatives and assess the likely impact of different adjustments we may make.
As has been previously discussed, these cognitive skills and abilities ultimately are optimized through anchored and grounded states. Furthermore, it is essential to recognize that when we have shifted into protective and defensive states the necessary cognitive skills for mental agility will be less available in those situations. In addition, we are considering the importance of finding solutions when our initial plans are not effective. When this is the case, the unexpected nature of the scenario can frequently lead to significant cues along the internal, external, and relational pathways towards shifts into protective and defensive states.
Given that the situations we are considering are often associated with shifts away from anchored and grounded states, nervous system balance and, in particular, nervous system flexibility becomes an essential attribute to be able to implement. This allows for the necessary shifts back towards anchored and grounded states, thereby facilitating the utilization of the required cognitive skills to optimize mental agility. This is needed if we are to optimally perform the two step process noted above in order to find solutions to the current situations we are encountering.
The importance of nervous system balance in the optimization of mental agility to allow us to find solutions in a given moment further emphasizes the importance of implementing the necessary psychological skills and body-based practices to enhance our overall nervous system balance. As can be appreciated from the above discussion, in order to fully express mental agility it is essential that we implement strategies and tactics to enhance our overall level of nervous system balance so that we strengthen our anchored and grounded states and increase nervous system flexibility.
When we encounter situations in which our initial plans do not lead to the expected outcome or result, it is important that we implement the two-step process described above. Prior to doing so, however, it is first necessary that we perform a check-in with our biological state. If needed, tactics should be utilized to shift into anchored and grounded states. This then allows us to utilize the two-step process described above. We first attempt to honestly acknowledge the situation we are encountering and the elements of our plan which are in need of changes or adjustments. We can then determine the specific changes and adjustments to implement in order to optimize our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
For more information about integrating the framework of complementary healthcare into clinical practice to manage metabolic syndrome, reduce chronic inflammation and chronic stress, and improve health, visit www.buoyhealthcare.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.