In suicide counselling I used to struggle to make progress.
Over time it got easier to break through plateaus – like this…
- Write down what I’m struggling with, e.g., ‘I struggle when people ask me for advice’.
- Make it a how or what question, e.g, ‘How do I answer when people ask directly for advice?’
- Set a timer to 90 seconds and write out 5 different answers as quickly as possible (key – allow them to suck!)
- Pick the best one and use it to articulate my struggle with more detail, e.g., ‘I struggle to acknowledge and validate people while also correcting their expectations about what advice I can give’.
- Reflect on the contrast between the best and worst.
Through iteration I’ll overcome multiple hurdles.
Done correctly the question gets more precise, after a few reps it might look like; ‘How do I answer appropriately when people ask for advice, given that a) they’ve stated their need, b) I’m not in the correct role to fill that need, c) their expectations are misaligned with the service I’m here to offer d) I could potentially connect them to the right service but not unless e) I maintain connection and trust long enough to do so?’
To break through my current plateau, I articulate it.
