Don Quixote is the main character in the world famous novel “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha” by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. Don Quixote does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story. His adventures start with him fighting a group of windmills which he mistakes as ferocious giants. His lance gets stuck in the sails of one of the windmills, throwing him to the ground and leaving him hurt.
I love this story and often refer to it in my life coaching sessions. We all have been like Don Quixote in certain times in our lives. When did you last waste your energy fighting a story that was completely in your mind? When did you last fight a battle you cannot win?
I advise my life coaching clients that they can save much energy and grief if they take a step back before entering a battle and asking themselves the following questions:
• Why am I doing this?
• What am I hoping to gain from this?
• What aspects of this conflict am I missing?
• What other more resourceful approaches could I take?
• Is this the best way to spend my energy and resources?
I use Enneagram assessments to help my life coaching clients understand the real drivers behind their behaviours and when those behaviours can sometimes be unproductive or even backfire. Click here to find out more about how the Enneagram and how to book an assessment. You will receive a 22 page long report with powerful information about your subconscious processes. It’s like receiving an instructions manual to how you work.
