Skip to main content

How can I get better today? The answer – Implement E+R=O

The equation that changed my life and can change yours. This is the basics of E+R=O. We do not control the Events in our life nor do we control the Outcomes (if we did control the outcomes, why are we not all in Hawaii right now sipping on drinks with little umbrellas in them), but we do control how we Respond to the Events in our life. And the better we respond, the more influence we can have over the Outcomes that we want to achieve.

What does it look like in life?

Let’s say a careless driver pulls out in front of you. You have 2 choices at that point. Respond with discipline (intentional, on purpose, skillful) or with default (impulsive, resistant, on autopilot). Let’s go down both roads. Without thought (default) we become upset, blood pressure rises, driving skills drop, emotions rise and our outcome is driving that is more at risk of accident. Let’s say we Respond with discipline and say to ourselves, I am going to give them a pass, they didn’t see me or they may be in a rush to get to hospital to see a loved one. The outcome is no big emotional change, the heart rate stays steady, and focus is still on driving safely. Our chance of an accident is less.

The R Factor has 6 steps (which we will go into more detail later) which step 1 is PAUSE. Pause so you can respond with discipline and thought. Our impulsive responses are not always the best. Anyone ever said something to one of your children that you wish you could take back, sure you have – we all have. Learning to pause and think about the outcome you wish to have helps us respond with more intent and can help our chances of having a more positive outcome.

Applying E+R=O is a lifetime event. Work, athletics, family, etc are a constant flow of events. We will never be perfect but this equation will help us be better. Lets practice a better R today!

For more information on the R Factor. Follow Brian Kight on twitter @tbriankight or on instagram @tbriankight and visit his website www.tbriankight.com He is the master of E+R=O. You can sign up for his Daily Discipline email at bk@dailydiscipline.com it is fabulous.

Leave a Reply