What's the Secret?

 

Enhanced Motivation. More Confidence. Greater Focus. Better Organisational skills. More Effective Communication skills. These are the five results that the vast majority of people who use my services are seeking.

Going into 2009 we could all do with an injection of some or all of them. Whilst there are different ways of achieving results in each of these five areas, they all have one strategy in common. There is one action you can take that will enhance your motivation, confidence and focus as well as your organisational and communication skills. Want to know what it is?

Answer: Know what you want

• Knowing what you want means you are focused.
• Knowing what you want enables you to make informed decisions and plan your time based on your priorities (organisational skills.)
• Knowing what you want enables you to communicate more clearly.
• Knowing what you want and knowing why that is important to you gives you a motive, a vital ingredient in boosting motivation.
• Knowing what you want and taking action towards achieving it, means you will have earned the right to be confident in yourself and your own abilities.

Question: How can you get clear as to what it is you want?

There are three parts to the answer to this question.

1. Start with the end in mind

Imagine that you are celebrating your 100th birthday. You are given a magical gift: the ability to travel back in time and talk with the person who is reading this article. The 100-year-old you has been given the chance to help the ‘you’ of today to have a great career and, much more important, to have a great life.
The 100-year-old you knows what is really important and what isn't; what really matters and what doesn’t; what really counts and what doesn’t count at all. What advice does the wise "old you" have for the ‘you’ reading this article? Why not note down the answers focusing on both personal and professional advice.

2. Know what matters most?

At the height of the Celtic Tiger, too many people were spending money they didn’t have, to buy things they didn’t need, to impress people they didn’t like. Now that times have changed it is important that we don’t spend our time wrapped up in looking at what we don’t have, overlooking and failing to appreciate all that we do have.
You may work for a wonderful company and believe that your work and contribution is very important, but when you are celebrating your 100th birthday or approaching the end of your life, it will be your friends and family that are by your side, not your boss or colleagues. Don't get so caught up pleasing the people who don't care that you neglect the people who do care for you.

3. Fulfilling work

As we go into 2009, how fulfilled are you at work? Whose responsibility is it for you to be fulfilled at work?
As hard as this answer may seem, it is your responsibility as to whether you are fulfilled at work or not. Whilst management and co-workers have a role to play, the first place you need to look is in the mirror.

When I work with people that I would classify as fulfilled they satisfy the following three criteria;

• They find their work exciting. They love what they do and they find meaning and happiness in their work. For some their work is home-making and/or raising a family.
• They get on really well with the people they work with. Their colleagues feel like friends and family.
• Their organisation gives them the opportunity to learn and grow and do what they really want to do in life.
  

Many people go through life making their ruts more comfortable. If you are looking for something different in 2009, then it starts by doing something differently.
And think, when you are celebrating your 100 birthday wouldn’t it be better to say "I tried!" rather than, "Why didn't I give it a go?"

 

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