In his memoir, Joe Schmidt – the former coach of Ireland men’s rugby team – opens a chapter on Mindset with the following remarks: ‘Viktor Frankl said that “Between stimulus and response, there is a space”, and in that space, we have the power of choice. In other words, much of what happens in life might be beyond our control, but our reaction to it determines how it impacts upon us. A positive mindset is a good starting point when you’re in that ‘space’ and about to respond to a difficult situation.’
In managing change, attitude or mindset, is key. For Schmidt, as for Victor Frankl, there is always an element of choice. No matter how difficult the circumstances, we can always choose our attitude. It is not surprising then that Paul O’Connell, the Munster and Ireland rugby captain, wrote in his memoir The Battle: ‘One of the first things I took from Joe Schmidt was that he saw it as his job to make sure players turned up with the right attitude. One of the first points he made to us in camp was ‘Win the moment in front of your face.’ I wrote it down in my notebook. He’d meant it in a rugby context – don’t worry about what happened five minutes ago, just focus on your next job; win that moment and move on to the next one with the right attitude. It struck a chord with me and I realised I could apply it to every part of my preparation for rugby. It was a simple idea and I find it helpful in getting myself right.’
Speaking at the recent Bealtaine event, Invisibility: The New Superpower, writer Anne Griffin had her own version of ‘Win the moment in front of your face’. Her mantra for managing a challenging health condition was ‘Just do this one thing’. Repeating the phrase aloud to herself, she told the audience, facilitated a more positive mindset. It enabled her to focus on the task at hand, or the ‘next job’, as Paul O’Connell put it, taking things one step at a time.
Attitude, mindset, focus are all vital elements in managing change. Only dig deeper and you realise, when it comes to attitude or mindset having a sense of purpose helps. As Rose Anne Kenny, the founding Principal Investigator of TILDA (the Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing) expressed it, ‘Having purpose is a psychological strength.’ Here purpose can be linked with will, in the context of the old maxim, ‘Where there’s a will, there’s a way.’ If we are really determined to do something, we can find a way to accomplish it, particularly in the face of difficulties, obstacles or adversity. Purpose, you might say, fortifies attitude. It fuels our resolve, our determination to keep going, or – in Brendan Kennelly’s words – to ‘begin again’: ‘Though we live in a world that dreams of ending / that always seems about to give in / Something that will not acknowledge conclusion / insists that we forever begin.’
What is this something that defies conclusion, that insists ‘we forever begin’ (to adapt Kennelly’s poem)? Or, alternatively, what is this ‘something inside so strong’, to echo Labi Siffre’s celebrated song? How I answer the question may offer a clue as to what tips are most helpful for me in managing change. Perhaps the most useful are those that activate my will, trigger my sense of purpose. For instance, If service in the community matters, I can become a volunteer. If a sense of belonging helps, I can join a choir, club or group that engages my hobbies or interests (music, dance, singing, drama, hill-walking, swimming). If spirituality or faith is important to me, I can draw from that well. If love of nature sustains, I can spend time outdoors. Often small actions have unforeseen effects, just as one slight shift of a kaleidoscope can alter the whole pattern.
When it comes to attitude, mindset, purpose, will, it could be said that the biggest influencers are our habits, routines and daily practices. As one motivational poster stated: ‘You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of success is found in your daily routine.’ It’s not the one-off insight but the habitual practice that makes all the difference. The challenge then is self-awareness, knowing when it is time to readjust, make a change, adopt a new habit. As Portia Nelson expressed it in her wonderful poem, ‘Autobiography in Five Short Chapters’:
Chapter One
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost…I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter Two.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I’m in the same place.
But it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter Three.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I fall in…it’s a habit…but my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter Four.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter Five.
I walk down a different street.
