Find a role model to speak with and learn how they ‘do what do they well’.
Tag Archive for 'change catalyst'
How can we flow with the river? If we need to swim against the flow, where is the current slowest?
I am free to choose the action I take and I am responsible for the outcomes
I recently was invited to speak at the 10 year celebration of Toastmasters in China. The first club to charter in China put on a wonderful show with almost 300 attending. I shared some insights into life changes and leadership through the metaphors of three heros. Today, I have enclosed a link to the first hero: The Change Catalyst.
Click to play the 9 minutes 47 seconds video:
Even the most successful people get stuck in a rut. Your motivation and energy levels drop. You allow negative emotions to seep into your life. Your temper becomes shorter. You can’t see the point of life. And so on.
So what can you do to get out of your rut?
The key to making a change in your life is.. to make a change in your life. Break your routine. Take a new route to work in the morning. Travel on the subway or take a taxi if you usually drive. Do something different. Take a walk after work instead of going to the bar. Take the family out to dinner if you usually eat at home. Buy your loved one a small gift. The purpose here is to break the routine, the monotony of your current routine which is not serving you.
Speed up or slow down. If you are slipping into a depressed state of mind, you may notice that your energy levels drop. You watch TV more, you go to bed earlier and sleep longer. Speed things up. Take some exercise in the morning or after work. Have 15 minute bursts of activity around the house - perhaps clean up a pile of papers, sort through old magazines or clean the garage.
If you are feeling burned out, slow down. Spend 10 minutes each day in silence. Pray or meditate or simply think about your goals. Reduce your inputs. Turn your mobile phone to vibrate and turn off your computer’s email alert. Put your calls through to voice mail. Insert these 10 minute breaks into your day until you feel calmer and more in control.
Start with your head. Dream about a wonderful place you would like to be now. Fill your mind with these beautiful images rather than negative emotions. Take out your year planner and pencil in a get-away week where you will be able to take a full break to recharge, rest and recover. By creating this destination, you have made a roadmap for yourself and given yourself a way to get out of your current rut.
Getting stuck in a rut is only a temporary blip for a Change Catalyst. Keep future and goal focused and progress- however small - will start to move you forward. I am available to coach you through life’s obstacles. Contact me whenever you help out of your rut.
I have been interested in triathlons since 2006 and have competed in several Olympic distance and one half ironman . I am an “age grouper” - a non professional athlete whose main aim is to finish in one piece. At the professional end of this sport, you find some of the most impressive endurance athletes in the world. If you have never seen a professional triathlon race go and see one. It’s inspiring to see someone hammer a race for 8 or 9 hours at top speeds.
However, it’s amazing when you see someone come on to the scene and totally smash the professional field. British triathlete Chrissie Wellington did just this in 2007 when she won the “Olympics of Ironman races” - the tough Kona race in Hawaii. This year she retained her title and despite losing 20 minutes with a flat tire, won with ease. In short, she is a future legend of the sport. More incredible (in a sport of big egos), she is grounded and humble. But is she an overnight success?
In a recent interview with the Guardian newspaper, Chrissie shared her background which include some great learning points for us all.
What do you dream about?
As a child, Chrissie always wanted to run the London marathon and by pursuing this dream got on the road to endurance training. Dream first, action next.
What obstacles are you willing to go through?
During her training she was hit by a car,almost drowned in her first triathlon and didn’t finish the swim and even when she joined a team, her professional team mates rejected her because of her inexperience in the sport. She also rode through sandstorms and snowstorms in Nepal. What are willing to go through to reach your dream?
What do you do with ease that others struggle with?
During a posting in Nepal she joined a group of mountain biking rides. Chrissie remembered,”I’d be talking away and no one else would be able to. These were high-altitude sherpas, incredibly strong, incredibly determined and genetically predisposed to be quite talented at these kinds of altitudes.”
Are you aware of your strengths? What can you do with ease that others struggle with?
Do you have a coach?
Despite her natural talent, Chrissie progress accelerated once she joined with a top coach. Joining other professionals was the catalyst to her winning races.
Are you building mental strength?
“Ironman is as much a mental game as it is a physical game,” said Chrissie after retaining her Kona crown. Isn’t that true of many things in life especially when we are faced with tough economic conditions. Are you in good mental shape - or like some of Chrissie’s competitors - are you admitting defeat before the race has begun. Start doing the hard tasks than (you) and your competitors don’t do. Build a tough task into your weekly routine. After five years of talking about it, I finally bit the bullet and hired a coach to help me author my latest book The One Minute Presenter this year. The 6 months was extremely tough mentally but the process taught me a lot about myself, being an author and about building a team in the publishing industry.
Learn from Chrissie. Overnight successes in the media, never are. They are the result of a dream, hard work, a coach and a support team. What is your dream for 2009? If you need someone to help you make your change happen, call The Change Catalyst.
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