Brilliant post Mark, you had me with the imagery with the bath. 😂
The Region Beta Paradox is a very interesting concept, that activation energy required to make a change can relate to many areas of our lives. But do you think you can form false crises by overindulging in this concept?
I personally create my own urgency, whether it be through deadlines or noticing an abstract shift in direction, values, morals, etc. which then forces me to prioritise making a change. But sometimes this can be exhausting and when unable to make a change due to things out of my control, I may compound upon a feeling of helplessness. Nonetheless, generally being self-aware of settling for mediocrity or procrastinating from taking necessary action would probably have a net benefit in a variety of situations.
How do you see yourself striking a balance between keeping circumstances constant until outcomes are achieved and making significant changes to your outlook, circumstances or problems you face?
"do you think you can form false crises by overindulging in this concept?"
No. I think if you identify something worth acting on it's because you have found evidence worth acting on. If you're someone who has been missing the point so long, I don't think it's likely that you'll jump to a false conclusion.
"How do you see yourself striking a balance between keeping circumstances constant until outcomes are achieved and making significant changes to your outlook, circumstances or problems you face?"
Is trying the same thing over and over giving you positive results? If Yes then there's no problem, carry on, if no, try something different.
Appreciate your response. I guess it is a case of reflecting on the indicators and making changes accordingly.
Thank you for sharing actionable solutions and considerations to be aware of. They simply the concept in a way in which it can be applied to various scenarios.
That reminds me of a friend who stayed in a job he didn’t like, despite having so much more to offer. When I asked him why he didn’t leave, he said, “Because this is the devil I know.” Essentially, he felt it was easier to stick with the situation he understood, even if it wasn’t ideal, rather than risk stepping into the unknown, where things might be worse.
Very well done with the theme of the challenge. I like the concept of creating urgency. So many of us do better under some kind of pressure or deadline. Thank you. Love, Virg
Thanks Virg, I function much better with a deadline and a sense of urgency, sometimes self imposed deadlines work for me, sometimes I know in the back of my mind if I miss them, nothing happens so it’s good to have accountability somewhere.
I think that’s where the idea of involving a trusted friend or family member in the mix is helpful, someone you can tell your plans to, who can see things from an outsiders perspective and keep you on track. Not everyone has that type of person though, or maybe with some decisions doesn’t want to open themselves up like that.
"Change happens when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change." That's such a great quote 👏🏻 It's so tempting to just stay in our comfort zone and settle for mediocrity, but when we zoom out and think of what our life would look like in 10 years if we kept doing the same routine, we have to ask ourselves: "Is this really how I want to live?"
I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone and took the risk to pursue my dream even if it's scary—I know my 33-year-old self will thank me for it 🥹
We can never really know if the choices we make will turn out for the best, but if it feels like you're doing the right thing, right now, that's the best we can do, time has to do the rest.
If it's scary Alea, you're probably doing it right!
Break ups are real hiccups but once you're out of that nasty sqeaky chair. Life really gets to wonders. You just typed quite a chapter on tipping point. I'm learning a lot from you Sir.
I would like to read about how to back down from toxic endeavors typed by your genius tapping fingers. Some people procrastinate while others goes to toxic lengths to achieve something which shouldn't be achieved in the first place.
Thanks Sara, I aim to teach only myself, but if a by product is that others get to see the same things I do and learn from it that is a massive bonus.
As for the second part, that’s my new homework assignment, I’ll have a think on that Miss Scribble and hopefully when it’s time to hand the homework in, the dog won’t have eaten it!'
My short answer to that though, it that the hardest part is probably just realising that it’s occurring, if you don’t know you’re engaging in something toxic, then you don’t know that the best thing you could do would be to back away.
Just to be clear that I’m on the right track would you say the question to be answered is: “How can someone recognise when they're pursuing a goal that's not worth achieving and back away from it in a healthy way?”
Thank you so much for this brilliant article, Mark. I can relate to many things myself in your example about the sneaky chair, including relationships, in contexts that are shockingly similar to yours. Waiting until the breaking point arrives to make a decision is apparently a very human tendency, and having ADHD seems to take that to a whole other level. Developing the ability to detect these thresholds as early as possible is such an important skill. I will definitely be more aware of these!
I think that ADHD'ers tendency to procrastinate something where we are within region beta might make it even more of a challenge. Take my seeking a diagnosis as an example, once I had suspected I had ADHD and sought diagnosis I was sat in self imposed limbo for three months, having the forms in hand, yet never having life be so bad that I was urged into action to fill them out. I did a little bit here and there but it took me so long to sit down and just fill them out.
It's not always the large things like relationships, how many chairs do we have in our lives that we just accept because the effort involved in doing something about them is too much.
I didn't know exactly about region beta but I could relate to it. It was little hard to grasp first but your examples made it more clear. Well explained Mark, I strongly support that nobody should wait for a setback, and even get inspired by looking how people are wasting their lives 🙌
Thanks for reading Mayank, I'm glad it made it more clear. It's hard sometimes to explain what the person who coined it meant when you only want to use a specific part of it. I.e. living a bad situation until you're jolted out, and I think it's so important that we don't live like that when there's so much more to be had.
Thanks for allowing me to use your image. I thought it fit so well and that your omelette was in region beta until your wife tasted it, that being the tipping point to cross the threshold of action.
I’d never heard of the Region Beta Paradox before. Thank you for sharing it here! It’s an insightful concept, and I love how it ties into the resilience theme I often explore. Again, very inspirational, Mark. Thanks for this!
Great article here Mark and you got quite personal here, I enjoyed reading that! I’ve been meaning to write about The Tipping Point too and this has given me some ideas! Thanks for writing and sharing
Breaking Free from a military career that had traumatised me, left me unable to define or speak about my stressors. A later I inherited my dream - a large house. I rented out six spare rooms to students and found myself surrounded not by macho men but by intellectuals, which was a tipping point. I slowly learned very different perspectives, including all of the five ways of moving forward that you suggest here, Mark. I have held them as a template for over half a century.
Ergo, I can vouch for the wisdom they carry. I am thankful to report that two of those students and their families became dear freinds....... and still are.
That's great you were able to do such a massive 180 from the military, and that the path inheriting the house set you on helped shape who you are today.
I like that you said you've used that as a template for so long, I find that a template of framework for things we wish to repeat to be very helpful, both mentally and physically.
Thanks for reading Maurice and thanks for sharing one of your own tipping points.
Thanks Mark. I think that we encounter many Tipping Point in life. We flounder with each one for a while, often making a less than sensible change. Eventually we see this, and learn before we leap. That the best T.(i)P. methinks
Brilliant post Mark, you had me with the imagery with the bath. 😂
The Region Beta Paradox is a very interesting concept, that activation energy required to make a change can relate to many areas of our lives. But do you think you can form false crises by overindulging in this concept?
I personally create my own urgency, whether it be through deadlines or noticing an abstract shift in direction, values, morals, etc. which then forces me to prioritise making a change. But sometimes this can be exhausting and when unable to make a change due to things out of my control, I may compound upon a feeling of helplessness. Nonetheless, generally being self-aware of settling for mediocrity or procrastinating from taking necessary action would probably have a net benefit in a variety of situations.
How do you see yourself striking a balance between keeping circumstances constant until outcomes are achieved and making significant changes to your outlook, circumstances or problems you face?
Thanks Malick.
"do you think you can form false crises by overindulging in this concept?"
No. I think if you identify something worth acting on it's because you have found evidence worth acting on. If you're someone who has been missing the point so long, I don't think it's likely that you'll jump to a false conclusion.
"How do you see yourself striking a balance between keeping circumstances constant until outcomes are achieved and making significant changes to your outlook, circumstances or problems you face?"
Is trying the same thing over and over giving you positive results? If Yes then there's no problem, carry on, if no, try something different.
Appreciate your response. I guess it is a case of reflecting on the indicators and making changes accordingly.
Thank you for sharing actionable solutions and considerations to be aware of. They simply the concept in a way in which it can be applied to various scenarios.
That reminds me of a friend who stayed in a job he didn’t like, despite having so much more to offer. When I asked him why he didn’t leave, he said, “Because this is the devil I know.” Essentially, he felt it was easier to stick with the situation he understood, even if it wasn’t ideal, rather than risk stepping into the unknown, where things might be worse.
Definitely been there, the grass isn't always greener... But what if it is?!
Very well done with the theme of the challenge. I like the concept of creating urgency. So many of us do better under some kind of pressure or deadline. Thank you. Love, Virg
Thanks Virg, I function much better with a deadline and a sense of urgency, sometimes self imposed deadlines work for me, sometimes I know in the back of my mind if I miss them, nothing happens so it’s good to have accountability somewhere.
I think that’s where the idea of involving a trusted friend or family member in the mix is helpful, someone you can tell your plans to, who can see things from an outsiders perspective and keep you on track. Not everyone has that type of person though, or maybe with some decisions doesn’t want to open themselves up like that.
"Change happens when the pain of staying the same outweighs the pain of change." That's such a great quote 👏🏻 It's so tempting to just stay in our comfort zone and settle for mediocrity, but when we zoom out and think of what our life would look like in 10 years if we kept doing the same routine, we have to ask ourselves: "Is this really how I want to live?"
I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone and took the risk to pursue my dream even if it's scary—I know my 33-year-old self will thank me for it 🥹
We can never really know if the choices we make will turn out for the best, but if it feels like you're doing the right thing, right now, that's the best we can do, time has to do the rest.
If it's scary Alea, you're probably doing it right!
Thanks for reading ☺️
Break ups are real hiccups but once you're out of that nasty sqeaky chair. Life really gets to wonders. You just typed quite a chapter on tipping point. I'm learning a lot from you Sir.
I would like to read about how to back down from toxic endeavors typed by your genius tapping fingers. Some people procrastinate while others goes to toxic lengths to achieve something which shouldn't be achieved in the first place.
Thanks Sara, I aim to teach only myself, but if a by product is that others get to see the same things I do and learn from it that is a massive bonus.
As for the second part, that’s my new homework assignment, I’ll have a think on that Miss Scribble and hopefully when it’s time to hand the homework in, the dog won’t have eaten it!'
My short answer to that though, it that the hardest part is probably just realising that it’s occurring, if you don’t know you’re engaging in something toxic, then you don’t know that the best thing you could do would be to back away.
Just to be clear that I’m on the right track would you say the question to be answered is: “How can someone recognise when they're pursuing a goal that's not worth achieving and back away from it in a healthy way?”
Yesss that's the question good Sir.
Thank you so much for this brilliant article, Mark. I can relate to many things myself in your example about the sneaky chair, including relationships, in contexts that are shockingly similar to yours. Waiting until the breaking point arrives to make a decision is apparently a very human tendency, and having ADHD seems to take that to a whole other level. Developing the ability to detect these thresholds as early as possible is such an important skill. I will definitely be more aware of these!
I think that ADHD'ers tendency to procrastinate something where we are within region beta might make it even more of a challenge. Take my seeking a diagnosis as an example, once I had suspected I had ADHD and sought diagnosis I was sat in self imposed limbo for three months, having the forms in hand, yet never having life be so bad that I was urged into action to fill them out. I did a little bit here and there but it took me so long to sit down and just fill them out.
It's not always the large things like relationships, how many chairs do we have in our lives that we just accept because the effort involved in doing something about them is too much.
Thanks for reading.
I didn't know exactly about region beta but I could relate to it. It was little hard to grasp first but your examples made it more clear. Well explained Mark, I strongly support that nobody should wait for a setback, and even get inspired by looking how people are wasting their lives 🙌
Thanks for reading Mayank, I'm glad it made it more clear. It's hard sometimes to explain what the person who coined it meant when you only want to use a specific part of it. I.e. living a bad situation until you're jolted out, and I think it's so important that we don't live like that when there's so much more to be had.
Thank you so much for including me here. Appreciated. :)
Thanks for allowing me to use your image. I thought it fit so well and that your omelette was in region beta until your wife tasted it, that being the tipping point to cross the threshold of action.
I’d never heard of the Region Beta Paradox before. Thank you for sharing it here! It’s an insightful concept, and I love how it ties into the resilience theme I often explore. Again, very inspirational, Mark. Thanks for this!
Thanks for reading Dom
Great article here Mark and you got quite personal here, I enjoyed reading that! I’ve been meaning to write about The Tipping Point too and this has given me some ideas! Thanks for writing and sharing
Thank you Stefano, I look forward to your take.
Breaking Free from a military career that had traumatised me, left me unable to define or speak about my stressors. A later I inherited my dream - a large house. I rented out six spare rooms to students and found myself surrounded not by macho men but by intellectuals, which was a tipping point. I slowly learned very different perspectives, including all of the five ways of moving forward that you suggest here, Mark. I have held them as a template for over half a century.
Ergo, I can vouch for the wisdom they carry. I am thankful to report that two of those students and their families became dear freinds....... and still are.
That's great you were able to do such a massive 180 from the military, and that the path inheriting the house set you on helped shape who you are today.
I like that you said you've used that as a template for so long, I find that a template of framework for things we wish to repeat to be very helpful, both mentally and physically.
Thanks for reading Maurice and thanks for sharing one of your own tipping points.
Thanks Mark. I think that we encounter many Tipping Point in life. We flounder with each one for a while, often making a less than sensible change. Eventually we see this, and learn before we leap. That the best T.(i)P. methinks