The Sanford Berenberg Experience: Message of the Day

Good Morning,

Have you ever noticed that when we take a step away from what we are comfortable with and move to something new that we find most of our challenges? This past week I changed from a laptop back to a desktop computer. The three year old laptop was running slowly and the number of USB items needing to be connected to the PC exceeded the number of available ports making it seem like a game of musical chairs for peripherals. The happy computer relationship was having its issues.

Anyway, there was a time when I stopped using the laptop and still could not use the desktop for most of my normal activities. This in-between time was a bit stressful. I am no stranger to setting up PC’s and am often the Tech Support rep of choice for my family and friends. Yet, in this in-between time, a lot of normal every day activities were not being completed, and those that were being done had to be done differently than what I was used to, making the production a bit less than efficient than normal.

It was only when I got the new desktop up to running a majority of my necessary programs, all the peripherals found an open and willing port, the necessary drivers were installed and tested, that I passed out of the in-between time and started to get back on with my normal daily routines. Although moving from a 15 inch laptop monitor to a 20 inch LCD screen with 70,000:1 contrast ratio has seen an increase in visits to YouTube to watch Skillet and Fireflight videos (I am listening to one now as I edit this message).

This in-between time is found in everyone’s lives. Some folks are old pro’s and embrace those uneasy times knowing it will all work out, and yet others forego any changes whatsoever to avoid even entering the in-between time. You know them, they are the ones who are still trying to find ways to get their Office 95 products to work on Windows 7.

The in-between can be between two different events, or two different courses of action, or even between two decisions. Whenever we look back and forth between two or more different courses of action or thoughts, we have entered the in-between. It is also during this in-between time where we make the most mistakes and act the most unlike ourselves. Because we enter this gray area of the being in-between what we know and are familiar with, we try to move quickly to get back to a comfort zone, and often do so with knee-jerk decisions.

Some folks love pushing people into the in-between area during negotiations, arguments and discussions entirely due to the weakened state we operate in when we moving from our comfort zones. In fact, the computer I purchased came at a discounted price due to a manager of the store I purchased it at being pushing into the in-between. It was closing time, actually, I walked into the store 3 minutes to closing with a price-match request, complete with competitor flier in hand. The model was very close, with one different sub-letter. The Manager had to decide if he was going to invest the time to explain to me that even though all the model numbers in the ad, and on the box in his store matched there was a difference in models, or if he was going to move on with his normal daily shutdown routines. Being in that in-between area, he decided not to argue and gave me the price match price, and got on with his store closing procedures.

Knowing that we are more vulnerable and apt to make mistakes or less than optimum decisions during the in-between times, it only makes sense that prepare ourselves to resist the knee-jerk reactions and be able to act in a manner according to our nature and values. A good way to do this is to understand how we do react during those in-between times. When I get into these transitions, or in-between times, my mind picks up pace to prepare the greater range of decisions I may have to make. This status sometimes looks like I am acting ‘hyper’, and if I do not stay on top of it, I do get a bit hyper. Years ago, when I did not know this about myself, I would inevitably end up being hyper and doing silly and at times, stupid things.

Getting to know myself better, has allowed me to be better prepared during the in-between times that happen to us on a weekly, daily and sometimes hourly basis.

How do you respond to moving into the in-between times in your day to day life?

Enjoy!

Sanford Berenberg
Sanford@berenberg.net
http://www.berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/
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