Framework'it

It is easy to get stuck at a point in life.

Think of being lost in a forest and all you can see are the trees around you.

Then you notice a rock outcrop protruding well above the forest canopy. You climb to the top and can now scope out the territory and set a direction.

So how do we create a “vantage point” in real life, allowing us to scope out the territory and set a course?

We can use frameworks.

A framework puts things in perspective and context. Think of it as a short narrative that sketches out your current position and allows you to see more nuanced and further out. It requires a perspective beyond yourself from which you can construct a bigger picture.

Frameworks can be used to serve you – that's the idea.

Let's take a few examples:

Stuck position:
I hate my well-paid job.

Framework'ed:
My education and career path have led to a job I've grown tired of. However, my well-paid job can buy me future options, that I otherwise would not have had. It is just a job and not my destiny. With a solid plan, and my good income, I have the ability to design a much better next chapter. I am grateful for that.

Stuck position:
I am tired of paying down debt. It's wearing on me.

Framework'ed:
I've made some mistakes with money and been careless in the past, but by paying down debts I am freeing up future paychecks otherwise confiscated to service those debts. I am un-mortgaging my future time and building financial freedom step by step.

Stuck position:
Starting my business is frustrating, like climbing uphill all the time.

Framework’ed:
I am climbing - not descending. Starting up a business is like pushing on a heavy flywheel - in the beginning, it only moves very slowly until momentum is built. What would the long-term cost be of not pursuing the freedom of my own business?

….you get the drift.

Don't get stuck. Build a framework or reframe an existinging that serves you better. See the big picture and remember:

“It is the stories we tell us self that ultimately become our life's trajectory.

Happy framework'ing, Tom