“Sunday Negotiation Insight”
“You, Your Best Life, Your Happy Place”
What makes you happy, or to put it another way, what does it take for you to be in your happy place? When people are asked that question the response is usually infused with gushing adjectives that describe what they envision to be their ‘best life or happy place’. Then I pose the question, what are you doing to make that description your reality. Sometimes I’m amazed when the reply is, oh, that’s only a dream; I could never really make that my life.
So I ask you, what’s your ‘best life, your happy place’ and where are you today as it relates to achieving it? If all you ever do is talk about it, that’s all it will be, just talk.
In order to achieve a dream, a goal, the future that you want, you first need to identify why it’s important to you and then what you’ll do to make it happen. It takes action! So, I ask again, what’s your best life and what are you really willing to do to turn talk into action? If you want it, you have to plan for it. Then you have to work your plan, as you’ve planned your work. Once you recognize progress, keep the momentum going. It’s that momentum that will allow you to stride faster even when you have to glide. Then, one day you’ll wake up and realize that you’ve been on a journey that now bears the fruit of your efforts and planning. You’ve reached your goal. Then, it’ll be time to repeat the process, because you were put on earth to grow. So, reach your highest heights and then reach higher … and everything will be right with the world.
What does this have to do with negotiations?
During a negotiation, you can become embattled in the negotiation process and forget the goal you set. When such occurs, it’s usually due to you losing focus on the goal. In essence, you lose your point of happiness. Don’t take this lightly. We’ve all done things that we were sorry for later simply because we were not in our happy place when we committed the ill act we engaged in.
To prevent yourself from being pulled away from your happy place in your negotiations, stay focused on the goal. Don’t look at the opposing negotiator as an object of scorn, and remember, no matter if the outcome is not to your benefit, you’ll live to see another day. At bare minimum you’ll learn from the experience and do better in future negotiations … and everything will be right with the world.
Remember, you’re always negotiating!