What do you find inspirational in terms of your personal growth? Here are a few related posts you may have missed.
“Throw your heart over the fence and the rest will follow.”
“More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren’t so busy denying them.”
“Learning never exhausts the mind.”
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How would you like to….
If these attributes sound pretty good, you just might want to take up the sport of ping pong!
I am currently in Florida, with a terrific group of very active folks who help each other improve all these abilities, six days a week.
Where do you have a sincere desire to improve a particular skill?
Who are the people who challenge and stretch you beyond your current capabilities?
How can and will you make the time to associate with these people more often?
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What are your most important goals for 2022? To what degree have you progressed toward them and how do you feel about your efforts?
How do you expect to feel when you reach the end of your journey and stand on the peaks of your achievements? What then?
Another goal and then another. How is it possible to remain energized and not be let down soon after we actually hold the prize?
Numerous experts on personal and professional development suggest we focus on growth versus goals. This shift in perspective supports us in gaining satisfaction from our efforts and milestones along our paths instead of just the pots of gold at our journey’s end.
Where would adopting a growth versus a goal mindset enhance your motivation, momentum, and levels of success?
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I consider myself a lifelong learner and make the inclusion of daily learning experiences a top priority. I crave new ideas so much that many of my daily rituals and habits include them.
Unlike Leonardo, however, my capacity to learn gets a bit weary over time. I’ve noticed that when I visit museums, read for extended periods, or watch educational TV programs, I reach a limit and need a break to rest my mind with an alternative activity, or even a nap.
Fortunately, my mind recovers fairly quickly and I am ready once again to sponge up and apply new learning in quick order!
What topics and areas of learning energize you the most? How often do you exercise your mind to expand your capacities for growth and personal development? Where do you need short breaks to renew and recharge between these efforts?
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Golf has become one of the go-to sports given COVID-19 and our need for social distancing. Being in the fresh air and walking or riding in a golf cart solo allows players to enjoy natural beauty, be with friends, and engage in a game that can never quite be mastered.
I recently heard the story of a fan watching legendary golfer Hale Irwin practicing on the range following one of his many career wins, where he shared today’s quote. Clearly he was driven by the desire within most of us for the goal of continuous improvement and personal mastery.
Where can and will you continue to practice and apply your most committed efforts to take an aspect of your life from good to great?
Please share this intention with a coach or two who would be delighted to support your efforts to get better.
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Imagine that you are a lobster that is not on the menu of some local restaurant.
You are swimming in the ocean, doing what lobsters do.
To get to be a two pound or larger crustacean, you had to molt many times. Over the years, you broke out of your shell due to your continuous growth.
What constraining or limiting factors did you have to leave behind to reach this point?
What parts of yourself will need to grow – and what parts must be shed – to become the person you will be tomorrow?
What would you rather be doing at this very moment? Hopefully you love learning, personal growth/development feels more like play than work, and reading The Quotable Coach every morning is an enjoyable and rewarding minute of your day.
What are the areas of your life in which you expend considerable effort because those activities fill you up rather than bring you down?
When I first began coaching, I was introduced to the word “toleration” by Thomas Leonard of Coach University. Simply defined, tolerations are things that bug us, sap our energy, and could be eliminated. Although some people have a sense of pride and even feel noble about carrying many of these burdens, there can be a considerable price to pay.
Where and how can you bring more fulfillment and satisfaction into your work and life? What are some of the tolerations you can reduce or eliminate to lead a more enjoyable life?
Consider picking up a copy of Thomas Leonard’s book, The Portable Coach to learn more about this technique.
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How much time each day do you spend reading for enjoyment and personal growth? For many people the answer may be, “Not much,” with the add-on phrase, “Who has the time?”
If this is the case for you, or even if reading is a significant part of your daily routine, I suggest a wonderful smile-inducing book called, Be the Sun Not the Salt by Dr. Harry D. Cohen.
A key concept he shares is the idea of being heliotropic, which is the tendency for all living systems to be drawn to the energy that sustains its life. Throughout the 71 pages of this book, I hope you will find yourself nodding and smiling at its many nuggets of wisdom.
How and in what ways can you be more heliotropic and a more positive influence on others in your life?
Consider sharing a big genuine smile with others as a good place to start.
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Having a bias for being right and making others wrong seems to be one of the fundamental challenges facing the majority of people throughout history. Although most of us prefer to consider ourselves self-aware and open-minded, we often fall into the trap of seeing the mistakes of others far more often than viewing our own shortcomings.
Instead of closing our eyes to our own responsibilities for certain failures, what if we could shift our perspective from one of embarrassment and shame to one of learning and growth? How would this support the courage it takes to be vulnerable in those moments we fall short in our efforts?
Where and on what life issue are you, or perhaps someone you know, in denial about a significant mistake? What would be the benefit if you or they would more frequently embrace the life changing magic and important lessons in such situations?
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If you happen to be a passionate advocate for your personal growth and development, you’ve probably heard of Tony Robbins.
Since the late 70s, he has impacted millions of people through his seminars, self-help books, and infomercials. He and his numerous companies earn about $6 billion in annual sales.
I recently watched his “I am Not Your Guru” documentary, which highlights his 6-day “Date with Destiny” event, in which 2,500 participants invested about $5,000 each in their own reinvention efforts toward a happier, more fulfilling life.
Fundamental to each participant’s quest was the generation of breakthrough thoughts and actions well beyond the personal maps and mental models that limit all of us.
In my opinion, he delivered on his promise and earned every penny.
Where and in what ways it is time to leave your own predictable life and venture off the maps that seem to limit your horizons?
What specific changes can you implement immediately to shift your thinking, modify a habit, or alter a daily routine to begin this reinvention process today?