I wonder at times if we don’t dig ourselves in a hole spending so much time focusing on the things we don’t want to happen at our co-ops.

Decreased sales, increased expenses, callouts, turnover, poor service and on and on.

Don’t get me wrong, I know we need to draw clear lines on where things are going south and come up with plans. What I’m saying is, we can get a little overwhelmed always looking in that direction when it would serve us more if we would turn our gaze around and flow attention and energy to what we do want. 

It might seem like a subtle difference, but one way, we are running around reacting and the other way, we are reaching out and creating.

One way, we’re spending our time trying to solve and corral problems, the other way, we’re moving forward into a space where problems recede.

Yes, I know this may sound a little idealistic – I work in a co-op too – I get it.

Yet, here is the thing, I think we can get way out of balance playing whack-a-mole all day with all the things that capture our attention. We end up getting all tangled up in dramas, having meetings without achievable action steps, follow-ups without purpose, and lots of discussions that don’t lead anywhere other than to describe and analyze the situation we find ourselves in.   

And the worst part is that all this battling what we don’t want takes our attention away from creating clear goals, a plan for execution, and most importantly preserving bandwidth and a laser focus for impact on what we do want.

I really believe that some of our salvation might just lie in simple new creative visions that need space to emerge. Being careful to protect our time, attention, and energy. Being mindful of the distractions of whack-a-mole.     

What I see is that we are so often stressed and hassled with our problems – trying to get a stranglehold on them – that we have no time or energy to look forward, when often that looking forward and moving toward a new horizon is actually what will make our problems manageable.

I feel we often have to ask ourselves what the heart-felt vision is that we have for our co-op.  And do we have the faith that it is possible and the bravery to let it draw us to it no matter how small and halting our steps.

Are we moving forward with a certain excitement, even joy, at what we are cultivating and creating even though we may feel a bit shaky, vulnerable, and challenged.

Do we see our co-op’s strengths and the mighty potential we have or are we lost in beliefs that we are not doing enough and need to shore up deficiencies. There is a big difference in this mindset.

Problems and chaos can often give us a sense of security in their familiarity and distractions.

Taking ourselves out of the noise to a place of clarity to walk steadily and consistently forward toward what we want gives a strong foundation with which to handle all the craziness we deal with day to day.

Think about it. What do you want and walk that way.