Ever since the Corona pandemic was declared, it feels like the whole world has been talking about a crisis. Every day we’re met with news about case numbers, measures, consequences — and without a doubt, the circumstances have hit many people hard.
It’s far from my intention here to debate political or societal positions, or to judge particular schools of thought or personal decisions.
My aim with this piece is simply to offer new impulses and encourage reflection…
How is it that, under seemingly identical circumstances, some people experience the current times as a crisis while others don’t? That some lose everything while others come out ahead? Is it just bad luck for some and good luck for others?
Looking more closely at the concept of crisis, it becomes clear that crisis isn’t the exception — it’s the normal state. And when I say that, I’m not talking about the so-called “new normal,” a trend term that’s on everyone’s lips. I mean ordinary everyday situations, which we each evaluate differently depending on whether or not we already have action routines available that give us the ability to master them. That’s what determines whether, and which, situations we experience as a crisis. Accordingly, the very same situation can be experienced by some as a crisis and by others as “normal.”
Let’s ask a few questions and look at some examples, to get us thinking and to open up the chance to reorganize our own thoughts:
Isn’t it true that when we come into the world, we can barely do anything, compared to what we’re capable of as we grow older — because we’re in a constant process of learning?
We’ve acquired much of what we know over time through trying things out, repeating them, failing, and carrying on.
Think of a toddler who first learns to crawl, then to walk. Later, food ends up everywhere until they finally manage to get the fork or spoon into their mouth. It takes quite a while before they master their parents’ language. Later still come things like riding a bike, writing, reading, and doing math.
What seems self-evident to us today was once something that really challenged us — until we could do it. Of course, we didn’t experience every single one of these situations as a crisis, because it also depends on the meaning we assign to the situation. If it’s something that doesn’t matter much to us — say, a hobby that doesn’t seem to suit us — we simply switch activities and the problem is solved. If it’s something that matters a great deal to us personally, it can quickly lead to frustration if it doesn’t work out right away. And if it’s something our very existence depends on, we quickly become overwhelmed, which can leave us feeling powerless. It’s like a loss of control that seems to leave us unable to act.
If we shift our perspective against this backdrop, it becomes clear that we only experience a situation as a crisis for as long as we lack the action routines needed to master it. That’s also why the same situation is evaluated so differently by different people, companies, and so on. For some it’s a crisis, for others it isn’t. The difference lies in the fact that the former don’t (yet) have sufficient action routines, while the latter have already acquired them.
What can we take away from this?
In situations you experience as a crisis, remind yourself that this is simply because you currently lack the necessary action routines. You probably haven’t experienced anything comparable in the past that would have let you store the relevant experience and develop routines for mastering this kind of situation. As soon as you internalize that you can master the situation by acquiring the necessary action routines, you become capable of acting again.
How can I acquire new action routines?
Sometimes it’s enough to talk with friends, acquaintances, or sparring partners who have already mastered similar situations. Drawing on their experience, you can derive actions and measures for yourself, put them into practice, then reflect on and evaluate the results, make adjustments if needed, and finally repeat the process — until a new routine emerges from it.
If no one in your circle has the necessary experience, or if it’s a situation that threatens your existence and calls for quick solutions, it makes sense to bring in a professional with the relevant expertise. Drawing on their experience, they can guide you through the process so you reach your desired goal faster.
Curious and want more?
We’re on Clubhouse daily at 8am German time — feel free to join us and enrich us with your experiences, so we can gain new perspectives together:
👆 Deep Talk Club.
We look forward to seeing you. 😊
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