Blisscipline is finding the joy in what needs to be done. In business there are always tasks that just need to be sorted out, even if we don’t find them fun. A Facebook friend suggested that instead of blisscipline, I could just stick with the term ‘personal responsibility’ – did you feel the big clunk when I mentioned those words? A little too reminiscent of the 1980’s ‘this is serious stuff’ personal development movement for my liking!! When we look at our day with playfulness rather than seriousness, all heaviness disappears. Just the word discipline is heavy… it takes you into the wrongness of you immediately!! So what if you never had to discipline yourself or anyone else ever again? Whenever I am feeling the clunk, I ask ‘what would be fun for me right now?’ and often I will think of a new way of doing something or I can bring in a different energy that is light and blissful simply by reframing the task at hand. When I have gratitude for the result, a lot more bliss can show up!
So… blisscipline creates flow. It allows you to do what is required without your day being full of clunks, even if what you need to do is a little boring for your original, sparkly, creative self!
If we look at how we treat our team, according to traditional business wisdom they need discipline… What could happen if you apply some blisscipline instead? As a leader it is often more blissful to be the invitation to change, rather than the enforcement agency! Playing with questions allows change to be created with ease. When we come to a conclusion and we know we are right and ‘they’ are wrong, there are not a lot of possibilities for creating change. The next time you need someone to change their behaviour… rather than just playing the blame game and making them wrong, would you be willing to ask questions instead? Have you ever noticed how resistant you are to changing when someone makes you wrong?? It’s the same for the person you are talking to (especially if it’s a quiet chat with yourself)! So instead of going to the wrongness, you could ask:
- How did that work out? What could be different in future?
- What are the possibilities of us creating something different here?
- What could we change here that would make this more joyful for everyone?
- How could we make this more fun and full of ease for everyone involved?
- If we were to create a greater possibility here, what could that look like?
Do you see how easy it is to start a conversation that doesn’t make the other person wrong? Do you see how blisscipline can create a very different culture in your organisation? What if the new energies of business were all about possibilities and potentials created by and for people? When people are our first priority, bliss can be created with ease!
