April 2018 – Productivity Success Cake

Change is scary. It is. No one likes to stand on the edge, assessing the major drop-off between where we are right now and what direction we are supposed to go next. However, change is good – and it is happening anyway, whether you like it or not.

Now that you’ve worked on growing your inner strength, it’s time to embrace change and use it to get outer results.

What is the one thing in your life that will make you give up everything else? No vague statements like ‘I want to do something meaningful’ or ‘I want to make a difference’. Drill down until you clarify what life (or professional) goals are really important for you – where do you want to be in 5 years’ time? Are these any loose ends you want to cut? Is there anything you’ve always dreamed of doing but never had the courage to really try?

If you don’t know where to start, maybe you can try to implement these six core actions.

Define your path to get results

Make a specific, measurable, realistic, and time-bound list of everything you want to achieve, either in your personal or professional life. Keep it short, ideally 5-6 things that are the most important for you. Set small goals each day in order to achieve them. If you break things down and work towards them little by little you will not allow yourself to think “it’s too much, I can’t do it”.

Protect your boundaries

Once you know what you want, you have to be strong enough to protect your boundaries, respect your priorities, and make sure you understand what compromises you may need to accept to succeed and grow.

Commit yourself 110%

Commit yourself to achieve the results you want without doubt or reservation. This doesn’t mean that you should continue on your course blindly, crashing into the rocks without modifying your course. Work hard and give everything you have, but at the same time remain flexible and avoid overly attaching to one particular vision or outcome. Don’t hide your head in the sand. Instead, work to fill the gaps in your knowledge and ability.

Master powerful communication

You know the “why” behind what you are doing, so now create a captivating story. Speak about your visions and accomplishments in an engaging way that excites people to help and work alongside you without putting them off.

Nurture empowered relationships

No person is an island. You can’t achieve your goals alone, so invest time and energy in building two-way beneficial relationships, solid bonds and energizing partnerships that will last over time. If you build your relationships on trust, honesty and integrity, it is more likely that you will develop an empowering, engaged community that paves the way for success.

Many people concentrate most of their time on their outer growth. They work hard to be recognized for their achievements. They progress in their career and reach a status thinking that they will finally feel fulfilled and achieve a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes they call this happiness.

The problem is that life is full of issues – stress, losses, vulnerabilities, pain. Some are out there in the world, such as financial concerns, relationship problems, losing a job. Others are physical like injuries or illnesses. And some others reside in our minds – anxiety, depression, low self-esteem. To complicate things, sometimes it happens than more than one issue comes at the same time (oh, joy!). One time, I talked to a man who needed a little help decluttering his overwhelmed mind. I suggested that he prioritize his life in terms of what he valued. For example, in my life, my top 3 values are: 1. My health 2. My kids 3. My work. He said that everything was all jumbled in his mind. If this is true for you….please talk with me…you might be right on the verge of a breakdown!

What you really need to take back control of your life is a strong inner core. The journey is made by ups and downs. In life, as in business, challenges can become obstacles and opportunities can turn into triumphs. Guess who’s the only constant? YOU. To effectively deal with issues, we need resources. Easy, right? So, your next question is – where do I find these resources? Guess again… Inside of YOU of course!

That’s your inner strength, all the good stuff you have in yourself.

Capabilities such as mindfulness, emotional intelligence or resilience;
Positive emotions like gratitude, love, self-compassion;
Attitudes like openness, confidence or determination;
Virtues like, generosity, courage, wisdom.

Let’s do some housekeeping now. Go and find these great qualities you have buried inside yourself, dust them off and let them shine. Here are a few steps you can follow to nurture your inner growth.

Know who you are

Your personality is the foundation of your power, while insecurity can kill your inner strength. Invest some time in understanding who you are, what makes you happy, what is really important for you. Remember, the path to success (or happiness) really depends on the variables we use to describe what ‘success’ (or ‘happiness’) is for us.

Identify your strengths

All of us are born with unique capabilities and skills, and the way to build one’s strength is to focus on these specific skills and work to enhance them further. Give yourself time to recognise the tools you have to direct the life you want to lead.

Take control of your body

Use your body to strengthen your soul. Physical and mental strength work in synergy and feed each other. Follow a balanced diet, sleep 7 hours a night, exercise, dress to make you feel good. If you feel good when you look in the mirror, you will start your day with confidence.

Create a positive circle

Make an effort to be surrounded by positive people, who make you feel good, energized and motivated. Spend time with others who are strong inside, celebrate you and feed positive energy into your life. Limit any time around negative people or energy.

Ask yourself “why”

Whatever you do, do it purposefully. Cultivate the things that make you feel accomplished and fulfilled. Make an effort to do something meaningful so that you feel you make a difference in what you do. When you decide, commit and then act. Being strong requires an efficient use of energies.

Inner growth comes from the knowledge that you have the equipment and tools to handle life’s challenges. Building inner strength is a lifelong task. If done right, not only will it pay off when difficulty arises, it will become a habit, and eventually a part of your identity. Yes, you can!