Someone beautifully summed this up for me recently when they said, “Good chaos is when the grandkids visit!” Good chaos is full of life and energy and fun. It can be exhausting when it is 24/7. Ask any parent. However, in this case it is something that renews the soul! It adds to life. It does not diminish.

The old proverb states, “The stall is clean when there is no ox”. It is the same when there are no children at home. Everything may be quiet, neat and tidy but there may be no life either. In a growing business, administration will always be struggling to keep up with progress being made.

Bad chaos is all about activity which overwhelms, confuses and ultimately destroys life. This is the chaos caused by abuse and addictive substances. Behaviour that is devoid of values causes this kind of situation. When people do not learn to respect and live within agreed boundaries in relationships there will be dramas.

It also happens when a business person refuses to learn to be organised and so begins to slide into chaotic living. This is the world of unpaid bills and missed appointments. Stress levels rise when a person does not remember basic commitments and so trust and respect never get a chance to grow. Bad chaos causes relationships to remain shallow and full of suspicion. This produces a life where sleep patterns are affected, people are anxious and dwell on their fears. Bad chaos feeds into mental health issues.

Chaos goes with being a high achiever

Some people work very hard to have no chaos or change in their world. Comfort is king. They tend to live bland lives where everything is beige. These kind of people rarely live from passion. They tend to play it safe. They are never the types to change the world.

High achievers will always attract some level of chaos. There will be periods when life is chaotic; when deadlines require several weeks of late nights and early mornings; when adrenalin and coffee keeps you going.  Some even say bad chaos is the price of being an entrepreneur. The challenge for high achievers is to make sure they do not allow bad chaos to take hold and overwhelm their world.

I am passionate about working with high achievers to assist them to protect what is valuable and foundational to their life. I believe that it is possible to work hard and achieve great things, without sliding into bad chaos. The passion to fulfil a dream does not mean you have to live chaotic lives.

If you were to reflect on your life right now. Not just today or this week, but over the past 90 days or so; which kind of chaos is working in your life? It is in your power to choose.