Tag: motivation

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5 Questions That Lead to Strategic Thinking

Are you feeling a bit confused by strategic thinking? You know it’s essential for your career and your business, but how do you actually do it?

Here are five questions to should ask yourself to really sharpen your strategic thinking.

  1. What do you want?

The most important thing to work out is where you want to be. Everything—goals, strategies, steps, should all be pointing to your desired destination. Do you want to be CEO, or be running your own company?

What do you want to achieve this year, in five years, ten? What are your actual goals? What’s your vision? Having goals gives you direction of what to do each day, so get it all down on paper and think big!

  1. Where are You Starting From?

Do a survey of exactly where you are right now. What skills, resources, and assets do you have? What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks in your current job or business?

Are you satisfied with life the way it is, or do you want something more? What connections do you have? Map out your network and what value you provide to them, and what they offer you. Write up your self-inventory.

  1. What do You Have the Power to Change?

Think about what is in your control at the present moment. What can you streamline or eliminate? What do you need to add, enhance, or modify to reach your goals? This can include anything from training, networking opportunities, to investment advice or strategic career planning.

  1. What do You Need to Move Ahead?

Take another look at your self-inventory. What skills, resources, knowledge, and connections do you need to get closer to success? If this is difficult or overwhelming, consider finding a mentor or executive coach who can help you to think differently and find your way.

  1. How Can I Reach My Goals and Still Enjoy Life?

Really going for success shouldn’t make for a joyless life, totally focused on getting ahead. Make sure you take time to have fun and do the things that give you pleasure. Think of what Future Successful You enjoys doing. What makes your future worth striving for?

Write down all the fun things you will do, whether it’s staying in 5-star hotels or being able to work for only half the year. Imagine driving your dream car. See yourself in your future executive suite.

See what elements of your future life you can start to incorporate in the present and build on those; a vision board is great for this.  Before you know it, you will be toasting your success.

 

If you feel stuck on finding your way and creating the life you desire, we can help. Reach out to learn more – you don’t have to do this alone!

 

 

 

 

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Monday Success Tip: Beating Resistance on Goals

Happy Monday! Now that the holidays are over, today feels like the ‘official’ start of the new year. This is typically the time to start taking action on goals that are set. Getting- and keeping – motivation is the key to following through on those set action.

But, motivation can ebb and fade. It all comes down to resistance, which can look like a time when you had  a project that you needed to complete but you procrastinate, or you don’t return a phone call or, worse, not pick up the phone. There is something going on in a deeper level that is blocking you from doing the things you either want or need to do.

It really comes down to change and moving away from the comfort zones we get into; when we want to move out of this ‘zone,’ the brain and body have a way of trying to pull you back into safety which means you will continue to think and behave the way you have.

All this does is sabotage your mood, your thinking, and your success. Eventually, it will take a toll on your money and your relationships; it’s like a vortex you go down and, without addressing it, you might not get out of.

So, how do you stop and reverse this bad habit (yes, habit)? Here are three ways to do so:

  1.  I would recommend taking time to sit in deep reflection as to what you are thinking, feeling, doing when it comes to your work (it could be any task) – do you worry you won’t have enough time, money, support; do you think it won’t be ‘good enough’ or will be rejected; are you doing this task because you think it’s important or for someone else. Answering these will get to the root of the matter – now you can do something about it
  2. Changing your mindset is critical in order to change your conscious thinking; I encourage you to write down your belief and then ask yourself if you absolutely know it to true (ala The Work). Challenging your negative beliefs will help you to see that it is your belief and not that of others. If you didn’t have that thought – what would you be?
  3. Rewrite any negatives into a positive so it becomes more motivating, compelling, and easy for your brain to accept. By bringing the unconscious thought to consciousness, it loses its appeal and opens you up to coming up with all kinds of possibilities to deal with it.

I have been using these techniques and can tell you they are effective. I also would add to put some downtime – self-care and fun – in the mix as this will also open up your creative mind and level of happiness. Both are essential to moving forward and being accomplished.

See change as positive and focus on the benefits you will received when you have that goal. This is a great way to move past any resistance and develop the habit of embracing changes in your life. Doing so makes you unstoppable.

 

Your Weekly Action Plan

Begin this week to take stock of any tasks or projects, or times, that you find you are hesitating/procrastinating/avoiding doing. Use the steps above to figure out “why” and do the exercises to stop any bad habits and begin to develop ones that will lead you to the life you desire.

 

I hope you have a successful week – If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, or in developing your action plan, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you build the career and business of your dreams!

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Choose Your Power Word(s) for 2020

Choose your words tiles

Welcome to 2020 and Happy New Year’s Eve! I hope have some plans to ring in the new year and that they include time with family and friends. How you end the year can determine how your year plays out. Starting with a good mindset is key to moving your forward and keeping the motivation high

As I’ve done in the past, it is time to choose a word to set the tone and direction for how I want my year to go; I have to admit that this year was a bit harder for some reason.

In the past, these are words I have had:

  • Determined – as opposed to intentions, I am determined to work on the goals I’ve set, both personally and professionally. Being determined is way more powerful than intending to do something so I want to send the ‘right’ message to my brain; this way, it will act on what I’ve chosen to focus on much more powerfully.
  •  Inspire – my mission is to inspire individuals to choose to be the best they can be; I see so many of my clients (and my students) who have no idea how awesome they are and that is why I want to bring their self-awareness into clarity so they can go after everything they want in their lives.
  • Believe – I’ve written on this before, which is the concept of self-efficacy; if you don’t truly believe that you can accomplish all that you say you want and desire then you have no chance of fully getting them done in the way you intended. Having full belief impels you taken action.

A few others include Carpe Diem and Do It Now! I actually have little whiteboard easels that I write on and have near my computer so I can be inspired while I work.

This year, as I mentioned, was a struggle but I’ve decided on the work ‘Emerge’ which, to me, means coming out from under any shadows I’ve hidden behind; this means doing videos (which scare me), starting a podcast, and upscaling my business.

Emerge means “to move of or away from something and come into view; to become apparent, important, or prominent” (Oxford Dictionary). I want to be all of those descriptions.

One other I would add is ‘Be a Disruptor,’ meaning to shake things up and do things differently. My desire is to reformulate how work is done  – moving away from the traditional ways and going more towards happier and higher performing workplaces. Considering engagement levels are still low, around 34% (Gallup, 2019), something needs to be done.

So those are my words for this year – now it’s time for you to set yours (if you haven’t done so). Doing this exercise will really ramp-up your motivation and effort so let’s get started!

Your Weekly Action Plan

If you haven’t, take time to sit and reflect on a word, several words, or a phrase that has deep meaning and that you would like to reflect how you live your days in this new year. Some examples include: “no excuses;’ ‘Carpe Diem (Seize the Day);” “Truth;” and “Monetize.” Once you determine your word(s) and direction write and post it where you can focus on it daily as a reminder. Keep focus on them by saying or writing them loudly every day – soon, you will have them embedded in your brain and they will become a positive habit you won’t have to think about. But your results will be extraordinary. In life, mindset matters. Be safe out there tonight!

If you need help gaining clarity on your business or career goals, or in developing your action plan, why not get some help – stop the struggle and call today to get started. I’d love to help you build the career and business of your dreams!

 

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Four Reasons to Be an Action-Taker

What’s stopping you from taking action? Is it fear? Perhaps you’re waiting for the right break instead of making your opportunities in life? Or maybe you believe you’re not smart or talented enough? These negative beliefs are holding you back.

There’s a reason why so many intelligent people fail. They tend to overthink everything and are often afraid to take risks. Negative experiences in the past can come flooding back in the present when one is not ready, or prepared for them. These beliefs result in procrastination and avoidance, which only lead to more negativity and inaction

If that’s your case, here are four powerful reasons to become an action-taker:

Get Rid of Doubts

If you don’t take action, you’ll keep wondering What if? You will struggle with self-doubt and question your decisions. The woulda- coulda- shoulda’s will eat you alive. Taking action builds experience and boosts your confidence. It also allows you to discover new resources and information that will contribute to your success.

Your Time Is Limited

Steve Jobs once said that remembering you’re going to die is the best way to stop thinking you have something to lose. Your time on this earth is limited. You never know what’s going to happen a month or a year from now on.

You might never get a second chance to rent that perfect office space in your area, go to that meeting you’ve been postponing for weeks, or apply for your dream job. Take action today! Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve!

One Thing Leads to Another

Getting started is often the hardest yet the most important step to success. No matter your plans, you must take action to bring them to life. Stop overthinking the decision as brain chemicals hit the executive function in the brain, stopping you in your tracks. Using principles such as Kaizen, where you start with the least threatening action and work your way to the next step and the next, will subvert those chemicals so your fears don’t arise.

Once you make that first step, everything else will fall into place. It may or may not work out as you hope, but it will lead to something new. Think of it as an opportunity to grow and learn.

Let’s say you want to apply for a job that sounds perfect for you, but you know you aren’t quite qualified enough. Yes, it’s scary to apply, but what’s really at stake? Even if you don’t get the job, you’ll get practice interviewing for your dream job. You’ll also get feedback on what you need to focus on to get a similar job in the future. When you start taking action, you get results.

Develop Your Skills

Whether your projects succeed or fail, there’s always a chance to learn new things. Taking action will help develop your skills, leading to greater confidence. Be sure to write down these new skills to capture them while celebrating this new learning.

The next time you want to take action on a dream, you’ll feel better prepared and have more experience. On top of that, you’ll approach things from a new perspective and confidence and won’t repeat the same mistakes in the future.

 

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Monday Morning Motivation

Here are some motivations to make your Monday more positive to set the tone for how your week will go, of which YOU have the power to create – make the best of any and all opportunities in your way (or create them) and celebrate any and all success!
 
“Visualize this thing that you want; see it, feel it, believe in it. Make it your mental blueprint and begin to build.” (Robert Collier)
“When you open yourself up and say, ‘I can do that. I can become successful. I can overcome this obstacle,’ that’s more powerful than anything in the world.” (Gerard Adams)
“There is not royal flower-strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it, for if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard.” (Madam C.J. Walker)

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