Now that vision is out of your head and onto paper or its technological equivalent, what do you do with it? That grand exercise you undertook has yielded fruit and your excitement is palpable. Purpose and mission as well as action steps are the obvious next place to go. But let’s keep this at the 30,000 foot level and recognize the importance and power the vision statement brings. For a solo-prenuer, the next step is …
Creating a vision that you are able to communicate requires space and effort. I find it helpful to have a few tools to get the creative juices flowing. These tools help coax that internal picture (vision) out of my head and become something specific that I move toward every day (purpose). Recently I enjoyed a pleasant reminder of how powerful a written vision can be and it came because of technology. I purchased a Surface …
My work with clients, both personally and professionally, often centers around vision. Some people know exactly what theirs is while many struggle to even define vision. Perhaps that is because we use other words to attempt to describe what is an internal picture. Consider these definitions, courtesy of Merriam Webster: Vision is something that you imagine: a picture that you see in your mind. Purpose is the reason why something is done or used: the …
“What time is it?” “Do you have the time?” “May I take just a moment of your time?” These are some of the many phrases we hear associated with the ticking of the clock. Most cause us some level of anxiety and a reACTION of “Oh, my goodness, look at the time!” or “I don’t have time for that (or anything else!).” What is it about time that causes so much angst? Time is simply a …
I am often asked if my coaching client base is predominantly women. I am not sure what prompts this question but the answer is usually surprising to the asker. It is no. I have coached more men than women by a small but meaningful margin. The sobering statistic that I have noticed from my unscientific, but based on real-life observations research, is that women fail to take the steps necessary to prepare and promote themselves. …
I’ve been writing a lot about confidence over the past few months. There is a reason for that. I believe it is the key to success for anyone for anything they want to achieve. For most of my life, that is the gift I have wanted to give people, the gift of confidence. The thing is, that is not a gift I can give anyone. It is a gift you give yourself. The closest I can …
It takes a lot of courage and confidence to pick yourself. Most of us don’t do it. Comfortable where we are, it is too much to risk to put our hand up or poke our head out. We wait for someone else to say you are ready, step up, you can do it. While it is great to have supporters, or the buzzword today, a sponsor, it still only comes down to one person…you. So …
That requires confidence doesn’t it? To raise your hand and say “I can,” “I want to,” “I will” is risky business. You just might fail and how embarrassing would that be. Think about all those times when inspiration or a great idea struck or a commitment was requested of you and you almost said yes. What stopped you from following through? Perhaps you considered the other obligations and commitments you have and recognized that your …
How can you increase your confidence? Is there a book or course “How to Increase Confidence in 30 Days?” More than likely there is, yet I challenge you to set your own course for increasing confidence. As a young person, and still to this day, I would love to have the ability to give the gift of confidence to people. Yet that is not possible. I cannot bestow on anyone that level of faith in …
This question came from a participant in one of my strengths workshops. “Are certain strengths or characteristics common in leaders?” Many questions along this same line have been asked about leadership over the years. What do you think the answer is? Are leaders born or made? What are the characteristics of great leaders? Can you learn to become a better leader? These are all versions of the same question and a natural one to ask. …
We admire them from afar and close-up, wondering how they have mastered this ability. Calmly and powerfully their influence touches us and so many others. Yet this influence is not controlling, dominating or belittling. It is refreshing, inspiring, and uplifting. And we wonder how did they become so great? What does it take to be a leader of that caliber? Definitions give us a place to start. To lead is to guide on a way …
Have you ever had one of those dreams (nightmares!) where you show up for class only to discover there is a test that day that you either did not know about or completely forgot? Fear and panic set in as you realize you are far from prepared. What you need most at this moment, besides a wake-up call, is sorely missing. That’s the funny thing about confidence, we usually only notice it when it is …
Continuing with George Leonard’s book Mastery, the fourth key is intentionality. In the book, Mr. Leonard defines intentionality with words such as character, willpower, attitude, imaging, the mental game. He goes on to describe the power of visualization in performance with many examples coming from the world of sports. If you have ever practiced visualization you know the power and impact it can have. Visualization is not simply mental rehearsal, it is feeling and experiencing …
We continue to work through the 5 Keys of Mastery. Last week was about Practice and it involves more than you think. So what role does Surrender play in Mastery? Waving white flags or your dog’ s underbelly is not what is being referenced here, rather it is to yield to the instruction and the demands of your discipline. Are you willing to look the part of the fool as you try something new? To …
As we progress along this review of the Five Keys to Mastery from George Leonard’s book Mastery, we transition from instruction to practice. In its simplest definition, practice is the verb that captures the act of performing the instruction received over and over again. Practice has a deeper meaning as well and here it captures the integration of the path you are traveling into your life. What does this mean? I am an equestrian and have …
The Masters golf tournament provides a great example of talent in action. The name of the tournament represents what it means to the sport of golf and its participants. What does it mean to be a master of something? How do we get to that state of Mastery? Perhaps a better understanding comes from looking at the stages to Mastery. Edit TALENT STRENGTH MASTERY Natural ability or aptitude State of being strong-physical power …
From the beginning he led. Four rounds of the most competitive golf and Jordan Spieth remained in the lead at the end of each, the first wire-to-wire Masters win since Raymond Floyd’s in 1976. He won not by a little but by a lot, tying Tiger Woods’ 1997 score record at 18-under, setting a record for the most birdies during the Masters by making 28, and became the second-youngest person to win the Masters. What …
Last week’s message suggested that you should be looking for a magic mirror to help you see who you are and how you can make the change you want to see. I hate to bust the fairy tale bubble but you are mature enough to take it. There is no magic mirror. Then how do you discover the truth about who you are? Begin with the knowledge of your uniqueness. You are truly one-in a …
Mirror, mirror on the wall… I am not who I see at all. This is not quite the fairy tale line* we all know. In the fairy tale, the reflection gives the answer that is sought, for a period of time, and then the answer changes when true beauty is seen. What if you could find a mirror that speaks the truth about you? When you want something different in your life, for something to …
At a recent dinner with a friend, she expressed that maybe after 20 plus years of working in her field perhaps she wanted to do something different. That it would energize her and be fun to explore another side of life both professionally and personally. But how would she reinvent herself? What would be the steps? Of greater concern, how would she replace the income she had become accustomed to? Another professional colleague asked a …