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Focusing is a procedure for turning intuitions, hunches (such as those described in the book “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell) or feelings into creative outcomes by accessing both the right and left brain processes at the same time. Focusing enables you to systematically generate reliable hunches by blending logic and data with intuition. Focusing is a whole brain process. We do this, literally, by paying attention to how we hold the “whole” of something in our bodies and we resonate between left brain symbolising and logic and right brain intuition and big picture. We can do this by ourselves but it works best when we have someone listen for us and reflect back the essence of what we are saying. What comes out of this process is a paradigm shift. You have all experienced paradigm shifts yourselves and seen them in the classroom; it usually comes with deeply expressive comment like:
A-haaa Oh yeah I just got it I get it now Yep, that’s it exactly
Take a moment, now, to go back to a time when you used one of those phrases. How did it feel? Can you recall how it felt in your body? My guess is that you can get back in touch with that memory as movements that encompass a paradigm shift, or creative move are usually processed in both our brains and our bodies simultaneously.
I am trying out Focusing with decision making. Below I have written the instructions as if you are doing this as your own listener and writing your response. It may flow differently with a listener.
This CALMER Decisions process is adapted from a process taught by Ann Weiser Cornell. For more on her work with decisions, check out www.focusingresources.com.)
CALMER Decisions
How many decisions do you make a day, in an hour in your personal life or work? How many do you feel good about? How many do you feel align with your values or the values of the company/organisation? How many actually draw on the depth of your experience…the experience that comes as a “just knowing all about something” – beyond just the data, rules or procedures in front of you or the theory of how it should be? How many decisions can you make and then let them go because you know they are sound and somehow synchronised with the whole environment in which they are made?
STEP 1: CLEARING
Choose a decision you would like to work with
Set it out in options:
Shall I…………………………………….. or
Shall I…………………………………….. or
Shall I…………………………………….. etc
Put off the desire to make the decision just now. You may need to just acknowledge this desire and place it to one side.
Notice how you feel about having to make a decision. Something in you may not want to make the decisions, or you may be worried about making the wrong choice, you may be overwhelmed by too much information, or you may feel frustrated by or tired of making decisions.
As each reaction or feeling comes up; acknowledge it or say hello to it and put it to one side – you might find somewhere, metaphorically, to place it where either it feels ok &/or you feel ok.
Note the quality of the clearer space as each concern is both acknowledged and put somewhere just right for you and it.
STEP 2: ATTENDING
Noticing what we know and what we don’t know:
Start with the sentence: “I don’t know…………………………. and then complete it with “but this much I do know………………..”
Keep repeating this sentence until you feel lighter or a sense of ease in your body. If you think you have reached the end but something is not quite comfortable or complete – wait- rest there at that fuzzy, unclear, uncertain edge. Stop looking for a moment and see what comes next. Allow it to come to you. Ask the question and wait for the answer without effort or searching. You may like to make notes at this point…just briefly jotting down the crux of the “somethings” that come…being careful to avoid getting caught up in the desire to move to planning or strategies.
Repeat this process for each option.
Take a moment now to notice if any impatience about getting the decision made is coming up for you; or maybe a part that feels guilty for not knowing the exact answer; or maybe a part that believes that there is no answer. Acknowledge these in a friendly way, accepting their role as your “inner risk management committee or solution-makers” and place them to one side for the moment. If any of these committee members finds it difficult to be placed to one side ask them “what does it want for you or the decision right now?” and allow it to answer. You don’t need to argue with the answer or justify anything; just acknowledge its point of view and ask it step aside for the moment.
STEP 3: LISTENING
Go back to your most important words or images and circle them in your notes; these are words that seem to hold the most energy or connection for you. Ask, inside, if there is something more, wait for what comes after the first round of words or images and note down what "more" comes. This may add to or modify your original “circled” words.
Check each one of them…let them resonate in your body for fit. When you get a good “fit” you will experience a shift or slight change in how your body is holding all about this decision or situation. A knot in your belly may loosen, you may shrug your shoulders instinctively letting them soften, you may smile or even laugh. As you experience your felt shift the words may change or your sense of the decision may move.
You may like to note which words, images, metaphors, feelings etc brought the felt shift.
STEP 4: MOVING & EXPRESSING
Sense into these important words or images and see if they have a sentence that express them in their own unique way. If, as you write the sentence you hear a little voice say "no, that's not it" or a sensation of tension comes (even if it is vague) pay attention there and wait for it to let you know the sentence that does express it.
Note down what comes; even linguistically incorrect or strange sentences hold a richness of creativity that cannot be captured by clichés or standard phrases. Be prepared to write a “rough” sentence.
Underline the key word or crux of the sentence.
Repeat this with any other decision options you identified at the beginning of the exercise.
With each sentence write down one instance all about this sentence – when it happened or what you noticed or what seems right about it. Repeat with any other decision options you identified at the beginning of the exercise. Notice if there are any relationships between the facets or examples you have given. Notice if there are any relationships or patterns that were not seen in the first sentences. Write down the new information that has come from crossing all the facets and the cruxes of the sentences.
STEP 5: RECEIVING
Receive anything more that comes from this process and until your decision comes to you….for that is the quality CALMER decisions …they resolve naturally…you don’t need to make them…they make themselves. Receive this decision allowing the whole of it to settle into your mind-body - not rushing to implement or strategise - taking time to thank and appreciate.
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