How do I structure an effective transformation process?
How much do I have to deal with the uncomfortable?

Those are important questions to ask. If you want to change a situation in your life, there’s no way around looking under the carpet and cleaning up.. But does it bring results to only look at the problem? Or do you need to focus on the good stuff as well? What is a good measure for moving between negative and positive until you realize that the problems are only gold nuggets in disguise?

So here’s the number: 10-90.

Focus 10 percent on the obstacle or shadow, and 90 percent on the goal or positive.

I am borrowing this number from Richard Rudd. (You can check out what he does on his website. Quite interesting to see the DNA connected to the I Ching.) He recommends to focus 10 percent on the shadow and 90 percent on the potential or goal.

This recommendation also makes sense when you consider the fundamental principle of life: ‘energy follows attention.’

If you focus all your energy on the problem, the problem will get bigger. And the way out of the pattern becomes even more difficult. Obsessing over your problem won’t solve it. (Have you tried that? I sure did for many years.)

One important step in changing a problem is acknowledging its existence. That’s possibly all of the 10 percent you need. And then you move from acknowledgement towards your goal. You focus on the gems emerging from the shadow.

I hope you find the numbers I’ve shared in this and the last post useful. Let me know if you use them and what your experiences are.

Do you have other questions? If you have subjects you’d like me to address, drop me a line.