Today is January 12 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is "How often do you let anger derail you?” Since navigating the chaos can often result in frustration, it’s important to examine your relationship with anger. In the 2005 film The Upside of Anger Evan Rachel Wood’s character said “Anger and resentment can stop you in your tracks. It can change you, turn you, mold you and shape you into something you're not. The only upside to anger, then is the person you become… hopefully the person you become is someone who wakes up one day and realizes they're not afraid to take the journey…and that anger leaves a new chance at acceptance, and the promise of calm in its wake.” 

Today is January 11 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is "How many rejections could you tolerate?After operating Starbucks for 15 years, the original owners sold the small coffee shop with just six stores to former manager Howard Schultz with a vision to expand across the globe. It was during this time that Howard Schultz went searching for investors who believed in his vision. Of the 242 investors Schultz talked over, 217 rejected him. As Schultz observed "I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see and pursuing that vision."

Today is January 10 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is: "How often do you focus on the process?" Those who navigate the chaos like cartoonist Scot Adams understand the value of focusing on the process. In his 2013 book How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life, Adams highlights two important aspects of his success: “Good ideas have no value because the world already has too many of them. The market rewards execution, not ideas;” and “Goals are for losers. Focus on the process.” As Thomas Edison observed "The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn't like to do." 

Today is January 9 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is: "How often do you experience cognitive disequilibrium?"  According to psychology professor Nevitt Sanford, the experience of cognitive disequilibrium produces feelings of internal dissonance that manifests itself as uncertainty, and sometimes as conflict and even threat. “But it is the experience of such dissonance that opens up the possibility for learning and growth because it nudges individuals into confronting and considering new ways of understanding, thinking, and acting that help to unsettle the old and integrate it with the new.” How often do you experience cognitive disequilibrium? 

Today is January 8 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is "Do you let something kill you or do you take action?" People who navigate the chaos like 80 year old English film director and producer Ridley Scott take action. When Scott decided to re-film 22 scenes in his movie All the Money in the World, he had only nine days. Scott made the decision following the news on disgraced Kevin Spacey. Christopher Plummer agreed to take Spacey’s role. Scott said “You can sit there and let something kill you, or you can take action. I took action.” How often do you sit there and let something kill you compared to taking action? 

Today is January 7 and the Navigate the Chaos question to consider is "How often are you offering what others need?" In How Will You Measure Your Life, Clayton Christensen shares the story of a fast-food restaurant chain that hired his research company to understand why 40 percent of milkshakes were purchased in the morning. His research uncovered that people with long morning commutes to work preferred the milkshake over other breakfast options. The milkshake filled a very distinct need for these people. This milkshake story reminds us that we may be offering one thing (bagels, cereal, or fruit) but those around us are actually looking for something else; a milkshake.

Today is January 6 and the Navigate the Chaos question is "Is it possible to do the impossible?"  Those who navigate the chaos understand anything is possible. For example, it is possible to conduct an orchestra without a baton. Due to an injury to his right arm when he was 16, Kurt Masur, the music director emeritus of the New York Philharmonic, spent his career conducting orchestras without a baton. St. Francis of Assisi noted "Start by doing what is necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you're doing the impossible." 

Today is January 5 and the Navigate the Chaos question is "How often do you allow serendipity in your life?" Serendipity is defined as the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Researchers Deborah G. Betsworth and Jo-Ida C. Hansen asked 237 adults if their careers were influenced by serendipitous events. The results indicated that 63 percent of men and 57 percent of women felt that their careers were influenced by serendipitous events. As scientist Luis Echegoyen said “Serendipity is the norm.” 

Today is January 4 and the Navigate the Chaos question is How long will you wait? Brazilian author Paulo Coelho experienced three decades of obstacles to become a successful writer. At 41 years of age Coelho published The Alchemist, a story about a young shepherd who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure, would eventually become an international best-seller. According to Coelho, “One day you will wake up and there won't be any more time to do the things you've always wanted. DO IT NOW." How many obstacles would you overcome to translate your dreams into reality?

Today is January 3 and the Navigate the Chaos question is: How close to the sun will you fly?  In Greek Mythology Icarus was the Son of Daedalus who dared to fly near the sun on wings of feathers and wax. The feathers came loose and Icarus plunged to his death. The cautionary tale is for people not to fly too high or risk failure. But is this the right approach all of the time? Roman philosopher Seneca noted “It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.” How often does the difficulty of a task prevent you from moving forward? How close to the sun will you fly?