Bridge the gap anywhere, anytime.

Bridging the gap is something you may hear more commonly used in sporting circles where a team has the advantage over another the term bridging the gap may be mentioned in conversation. Bridging can also be commonly heard to describe an exercise that is used to increase core strength. Not a commonly used method of bridging at Lifestyle Improvers training sessions and please don't try this at home.

The context bridging is used in this article has nothing to do with any of those references at all but does refer to a useful tool you can utilise to increase the quality of choices and decisions you make everyday in your life. However achieving this outcome will need conscious effort, it won't just happen automatically.

To become a more effective and adaptable human being you would be well advised to look for ways to counter any inefficiencies you may have that cause you to make choices and decisions that aren't pulling you closer to your dreams or desires. Things like looking for excuses or someone to blame every time something goes wrong (as they will) or reaching for that can of heavily sugared cool drink when you are thirsty. Those scenarios are very basic but for the purpose of this article they will serve a purpose. In both scenarios there is an occurrence (something going wrong and getting thirsty) also a response (blaming someone or making an excuse and drinking a heavily sugared cool drink) but the most important point I want to highlight is the gap between the two. This gap always presents; sometimes it's shorter than others but it always presents. Once you start developing an awareness of the occurrences that constantly pop up in your life, you can then start the important process of bridging that gap and hopefully reducing the impact of the occurrence by internally systematising a response.

Follow this process to see if we can bridge the gap between occurrence and response.

1. Identify Occurrences: This is fundamental, because not being aware of the occurrences that present the most challenge to you and your goals means you will never have the ability to change any destructive actions that you may be unconsciously participating in that are undermining your desires to achieve outcomes.


2. Wait, Listen to and then Trust your Instincts: Learning this action in itself will teach you to start slowing down and listening to the dialogue that is going on inside your cranium. It will also show you that not making decisions immediately won't mean the difference between life or death - in the majority of cases!!!


3. Choose responses based on consequence and intuition: Attach a consequence to every choice you make due to an occurrence. If you listen to your intuition and then place consequences to your choices then you become fully aware of the direction you are deciding to head because of those decisions you are making.


4. Own Your Response: If the outcome turns foul or golden, be true to yourself and claim responsibility. This way if the outcome wasn't ideal you will learn from it and do it differently next time and move on. And if the result was good reward yourself so you keep acting in this manner and aspiring for a reward.

This is the way you can bridge the gap between occurrence and response whether it be work, relationships or lifestyle. It doesn't matter where you apply it the formula still stays the same.