Every moment of our life, we are taking action. Some actions are conscious while others (like breathing) are taken without our full attention. Not taking any action is also an action. And, every action has an outcome.
The goal of this post
When taking an action, generally, we have a fair idea of the outcome. We have some expectations about the outcome, and we have perceived the benefits of the outcome.
At times, the outcome is as per our expectations ⌣ and so we are motivated to continue the action.
But many times, we do not get the desired outcomes. And this could be a difficult situation.
Let us start our journey by taking the example of this blog.
I have taken the action of writing this blog. Now, the outcome of this action could be
1. That this article is liked by the audience and it adds to my credibility as a Blogger
2. That the article simply goes unnoticed. A few people read it, but it does not create any impact.
3. That the article receives negative reviews and this pushes down my motivation to become a blogger.
Through this post, I aim to propose the Spiritual Quotient (SQ) as an effective tool to handle situation where our motivation is low as the outcome of the action is not as per our expectations. The SQ can help us not only handle such situation but also bounce back.
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Before we go ahead and understand the significance of the Spiritual Quotient in Success, we have to understand the equation of Action and the Outcome.
Understanding the Equation of Action
To take any action, we need 3 things
1. Skills
2. Tools/Resources - These could be both human and non-human resources
2. Energy
The metric used to measure how capable are we to take an action is known to us as
IQ - The Intelligence Quotient
IQ helps us in taking action. A good IQ means you are better equipped, you have analytical capabilities, and you have the required skills to complete the action.
But, because we are not alone in this world, many times we need to work with others to complete an action. Also, our actions have an impact on others and others' actions have an impact on ours.
So, the other skill that we require to take action is the EQ - The Emotional Quotient
EQ helps us in interacting with our fellow humans to carry on with the action
Going back to my example of writing this blog post, my action is the blog post.
And the expected outcome is that the blogpost would be liked by you, my readers. I expect it to have a positive impact on your lives and so I hope that you will like it and share it with your friends and family. And thus my reader base will grow.
Till the time, your actions are bearing fruits as per your expectations. It is all good.
If my audience base grows, I taste some degree of success and that motivates me to continue writing.
What is the need for a Spiritual Quotient?
But when the action results in an outcome we have not expected, things start becoming challenging.
Now, it becomes difficult to continue with the action as you start losing motivation, you start losing confidence, and you start wondering what it is that you are doing wrong.
So even after trying for a few years, If I do not manage to grow a substantial base of readers, I would wonder if I should continue with my blog or not. Isn't it?
My blog is just an example. It could be any action that we take.
To continue taking an action, we need some idea of what is there in the future? Are we on the right path? What are the adjustments and enhancements that we need to do before we take the next step? We need some clarity and some direction. Isn't it?
And at times, this clarity, this direction is just not there. It is missing. It is not available how hard you try.
And many of us simply give up, and we stop taking action.
This means, probably we let go off the opportunity to achieve our goals and dreams, we let go off the opportunity to exploit our full potential and create a positive impact.
I say, in this kind of situation, where there is no clarity, there is no sense of direction, and there is no motivation to continue further, we need the next skill. That is the Spiritual Quotient (SQ).
SQ - Spiritual Quotient helps us in dealing with outcomes that are not as per our expectations.
SQ allows you to introspect and put things into the right perspective.
Without a strong SQ, it is possible that the unexpected outcome fogs your mind and you end in a spiral of negative thoughts - resulting eventually in depression.
The perspective that we need to use to evaluate your action and its outcome is that you and your life are bigger than any action and the associated outcome.
And this is because the outcome of action follows this equation
Outcome = Your action + Unknown variables
How Spiritual Quotient helps us to bounce back
And we need to appreciate and accept the significance of these Unknown variables. That is the whole idea of the Spiritual quotient.
You are no longer driven by your Ego thinking that your action only determines the outcome. You accept the fact that the outcome of your action is impacted by variables that are unknown to you and are not in your control.
This perspective helps you to deal with unexpected outcomes. You are aware of the fact that there are other things at play. You are no longer afraid to lose. All you could do this to learn from the outcome and improve your skills and capabilities.
The fear of losing is no longer occupying your mind space. And so your mental energy is free and it can be channelized on the action and nothing else. Thus with each iteration, your action is becoming better and better.
But making this perspective a thinking habit is easier said than done. A strong SQ helps us in building this thinking habit.
Summary
If your SQ is weak, it impacts the EQ and IQ and thus ensures the outcome of our actions is generally not as per our expectations.
A strong SQ helps you in dealing with unexpected outcomes. It makes you flexible enough to change your route and continue your journey. The flexibility allows your IQ and EQ to be widened and thus continue on your journey with the renewed IQ and EQ.
Do let me know your feedback. Feel free to share your personal experiences and how you dealt with them. Do not hesitate to share this article with your friends and family if you think it is worthy.
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