5 Ways to Summon Your Best Self at Work

Focus on your best and forget the rest.

This statement I have repeated relentlessly to my 3 daughters as they competed in their chosen sport or academic challenges over the years.

It's such a simple statement, but yet super difficult to achieve if we are not in the right headspace.

A now retired client of mine, during a coaching session a few years ago, recommended the book, The Power of Positive Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale. In one of the chapters, the author discusses the power of essentially leading with your heart and your body will follow (if I may paraphrase).

Our work is not at all that different. When we are motivated, even when we don't quite have all the answers, if we push forward, one can usually figure out the answer, meet the goal or solve the problem.

When your confidence in your abilities are wavering, ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. What challenges have I survived at work in the past 12-18 months?

2. What strengths or skills did I use to over come those challenges?

3. Am I empowered and/or brave enough to push forward using my strengths/skills listed in #2. Why? Why not?

When you want something bad enough in your career, you will find a path forward.

BUT...

• You have to have courage.

• You have summon your strengths.

• You have to make a plan.

You have to have a plan for when you hit bumps in the journey, project, etc., too.

To expect ZERO bumps in your career journey is unrealistic.

To expect YOUR TIMELINE to be your co-workers, clients or future employer's timeline is a false expectation and will be a 'bump' in your plan, for example.

When I walked away from corporate America 22 years ago, I learned that I had to focus on what I could control:

• My Time

• Marketing My Value

• Sharpening My Strengths

Which strengths do you want to sharpen in the next month?

Don't know? Not sure.

Here are a few resources you can use to assess your skills, talents and strengths so you can summon your very best... and forget the rest.

1. Get Conative. Take the Kolbe A index.

2. Identify your skills, interests and transferable skills using the O-net.

Think about what you are prepared to:

• Change

• Sacrifice

• Make happen

If you or a team member are struggling with a next career move, how to be a better leader or professional, let's chat. I'm here to listen. Are you ready?

Schedule your complimentary career development call here now.