Judgment has gotten a really bad reputation lately. Often, we use it to tear people down. We use it against others and even ourselves. But it’s not the act of judgment that’s the problem, it’s the stuff we heap on top of it.
Let’s say you do something and then think to yourself, “I could have done that a better way.” That’s a judgment and there’s nothing wrong with it.
The problem comes when you go from thinking, “There was a better way to handle that,” to, “I’m such an idiot for not handling that better” or “I’ll NEVER be good at this.”
Instead of judging the action, we judge the person.
Using Judgment for Good
We need to start looking at judgment in a more positive light. When we judge, we discern, assess, evaluate and make decisions. Anyone running a business knows that being able to make a decision wisely and fairly is one of the most important skills you can possess.
Judgment can be used kindly and judiciously. It can be used to grow and shape our business and ourselves.
We often surrender our right to judge because we don’t want to seem harsh or critical. What happens then is that we end up judging ourselves too much and the situation not nearly enough.
Judging doesn’t mean condemning
Learn to separate judgment from condemnation and use it to grow and shape rather than tear down and wither.
How Do You Know if You’re Growing and Shaping?
Think of this sort of like pruning a bush. When you prune well you can’t even really see that anything has changed except that the bush looks more alive and open. The plant is still the plant. It retains its shape and integrity.
Pruning is not about hacking the plant severely or leaving it lopsided. It’s about simply taking out the pieces that aren’t healthy or that are not growing in a direction that’s going to benefit the plant overall.
So when you find yourself judging, notice what you’re judging. Are you judging someone’s decision, or them as a person? Are you making a judgment about something that’s in your control/influence, or are you hung up in something that you can’t change, like the past?
Ask yourself, does this act of judgment enhance you and your business by bringing needed clarity and realignment, or is it leaving you feeling flattened and hopeless?
How you can you bring more light and focus into situations that require a judgment call? Chime in by leaving a comment below.