One of the key components to getting into “The Zone” and staying there is understanding and mastering Cause & Effect.
There is a lot to this subject and it is a bit technical. However, master this and you are sure to experience a transformation in your results!
What is Cause & Effect? Everything that happens is an Effect that was Caused by something. Nothing occurs without something else Causing it to happen. For example, a glass that was sitting on the table does not fall onto the floor by itself. A person walking by may bump the table, Causing the glass to fall off the table, onto the floor, and breaking into pieces.
In this example, the EFFECT was the broken glass. The CA– USE was the person who placed the glass too close to the edge of the table, which then combined with the person walking by. Often times, we get upset and angry at the EFFECT — and never really identify the CA– USE. Blaming the person who walked by and bumped the glass doesn’t solve the problem. Yelling at them, punishing them, getting them back later… all achieve nothing as the TRUE CA– USE has not been identified. Since the CA– USE in this example was the person when they placed the glass on the edge of the table, the person walking by only played into it and therefore was the SECONDARY CA– USE.
Without the true Cause being identified, no lasting change is possible. For most of us, when something happens that we don’t want, don’t like, or detest, we blame the SECONDARY CA– USE rather than the TRUE CA– USE. And we can make all the changes to Secondary Causes we like – only to discover that our results remain unchanged.
If you want lasting change in any area, identify the TRUE CA– USES and change them. What is the TRUE CA– USE of the financial crisis? If you are experiencing financial difficulties or investment losses, what is the True Cause? Think about it. Have you identified Primary Causes or are you focusing on Secondary Causes?
The challenge for most people is that they spend a good deal of time being at Effect and not often being at Cause of their life, career, relationships, health, etc. Designing and living your ideal life requires you to be at Cause. Being at Cause simply means making decisions and operating from the perspective of Causing or SOURCING what you want, versus accepting the Effects of others.
In order to be at Cause, you must be able to be at Cause and at Effect. Sounds confusing, but in fact it is quite simple:
- When you avoid being at CA– USE, you automatically put yourself at EFFECT. If you run away from something, you are at the Effect of the thing you are running away from.
- When you are at Effect, it Causes you to be in REACTION to what is happening to you. Reacting to things that happen to you is very different from RESPONDING. Responding has you being at Cause.
- If you just want to be Cause and avoid Effect, you automatically put yourself at EFFECT.
- As a leader you are at Cause, on the other hand, as a follower, you are at Effect. This is why a lot of people don’t want to follow others — they don’t want to be at Effect of them. Choosing who you follow puts you at Cause over the Effect of the person you are following! (now that is a dichotomy!)
The bottom line is that in order to be in The Zone, we need to master being CA– USE, and being EFFECT. Being Effect means being able and willing to experience anything. Sounds tough, but that is where true freedom is.
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Leadership Advocate and Co-Founder of the Goldzone Group. I help leaders to master the new rules of leadership for the new economy. Over the past 30 years, I have visited more than 500 cities in 54 countries to explore, learn from, and help many of the world’s leading companies, leaders, and luminaries in science, technology, health, finance, and entrepreneurship.