Posts Tagged ‘Confidence’

29
Nov

Are you a ‘knowledge’ junkie? – Learn then take action.

Last week I popped into the Business Start Up Show at Olympia and came away with some great new connections.  I also met an old acquaintance and was excited for her as she was planning to go into business for herself.  Her challenge however, was she had become a ‘knowledge junkie’.

She is a beautiful and intelligent woman and had gained accreditation, qualification and a number of years’ experience in her industry but still felt she needed to ‘know’ more and so wasn’t going to start her business until sometimenext year. She was being held back and procrastinating because her belief was that ‘she wasn’t enough’. She needed more training.

Common sense would have us believe that we pursue an education or training so we may gain knowledge. But the truth is that knowledge in itself isn’t all that useful.  A person may know many things, but still may fail to apply that knowledge. It is only when we apply what we have learned that it becomes valuable.

The “great aim” of education is not to amass vast quantities of facts… it is to take what we know and use it to shape our lives and impact the lives of others. It is to make a difference.

Think about all the things you “know”… but haven’t put into action. We can love to learn and expand our knowledge, but it means very little if we do not use those ideas and thoughts to guide our actions.

I am hoping the next time, I bump into my friend at a Start Up show, and she’ll be telling me how her business is growing.   So the next time you hear a good idea or learn something new, consider how you can apply it to your own life.  In other words, value the education and knowledge you’ve gained… but also value putting that knowledge into action.

What education have you acquired that you can put into action, starting now?

23
Apr

7 Secrets to developing a Mindset for Business Success- Part 1

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Watching the 32nd Marathon yesterday got me thinking about what contributes to success and the impact mindset has. There’s more to attaining success than simply hard work, it requires having a mindset that will drive and sustain you in the long run.

One of the celebrity marathon runner was Nell McAndrew and I was impressed. She was brilliant finishing in 2 hours 54 Minutes-  amazing! She demonstrated determination, commitment, desire to achieve her ‘under 3 hour’ goal.  But she also highlighted a key factor for developing a success mindset, that of

Knowing your why and having a reason for it… (more…)

18
Apr

Handle Change with Grace.

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I spoke with one of my business coaching clients this week and I have to say I was immensely impressed.  He was experiencing huge changes in his business – some of his own creation and others completely unexpected and out of his control. He told me about them, expressed concern, shared the pressures they caused and then simply went onto tell me how he had already begun to work through some solutions.

  • He had recognised opportunities.
  • He was learning through the process.
  • He was focused on achieving some great positive results despite the challenges.

I was impressed and as a business coach and friend very pleased for him.

Throughout life, change will always be our constant companion. We will have changes that we make happen, and changes that are thrust upon us and are out of our control.Despite its inevitability, change still makes us feel anxious and uncertain. It’s not that we need less change in our lives, but instead, we need to learn to adjust our perspective about change so that we can effectively manage it when it happens.

Here are a few tips for handling life’s changes with grace and ease:

  • Realise that change causes stress. Therefore to minimize the stress, identify what you can control and what you cannot, and take steps to minimize what you can.
  • See the change as an opportunity rather than a bad situation.
  • Keep your eye on your long-term goals. The circumstances of the present situation can distract you from your goals. So remind yourself that things will be different once you get through the change.
  • Be open to what can be learned from the change, and ask yourself “What can this experience teach me?”

The one change you can expect is that things are going to change. Using these few simple strategies can help you smoothly navigate your next change.

So the next time you are faced with another inevitable, out of your control change – how are you going to respond?

18
Apr

Success Tip – 17 Powerful Affirmations

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Affirmations (positive statements about things already happening) are a great tool to take you along your journey of success.  In my last post I talked about ways to create your affirmations.

To help you with that process, I thought I’d give you a few examples – 17 in fact. (more…)

17
Apr

“Have a word” with yourself…7 tips for creating positive affirmations to think better

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Successful people have understood that the key to creating the change they desire in their lives, career and business is more than determined willpower-  it is also about the inner game.

Successful people “have a word”. with themselves.  They let go of negative and limiting self beliefs and instead develop a habit of creating new thinking about themselves and their situation.

Taking responsibility for negative self talk  is key to success.

Negative self talk hinders and sabotages.  It prevents us from taking positive action and leaves us comfortable in our comfort zones – often as a ‘victim’ and powerless.  However, we have the power to change that thinking that threatens to sabotage the achievement of our goals.

You need to create a mental fertile environment for your success – focusing on new thinking, build motivation and beliefs consistent with the great success you what in your outer world.

One way to do is through affirmations.  Here are some guidelines and explain on how to create and use affirmations.

7 tips to creating powerful affirmations that will change your thinking and motivate you achieving you goals.

  1. Begin with the words “I am”
  2. Use the present tense
  3. State in positive terms and make them dynamic.
  4. Keep it simple and brief
  5. Include at least one emotion and action words to make your affirmations powerful enabling the outcome you desire i.e words ending in -ing.  Imagine the emotional state you would be feeling if you had already achieved the goal. For example – celebrating, proudly, happily, excitedly, lovingly, enthusiastically, joyfully – you get the picture.
  6. Be specific.
  7. Make your affirmation about you and your behaviours.

Now the ultimate key to using affirmations is in taking action.  Affirmations will encourage, motivate and bring about a shift in thinking and your mindset – but they are a tool – a tool to create positive action.  A tool for you to make things happen and bring about positive results.  Faith without action serves no useful purpose.

So have the intent, decide, fuel that intent with emotion, affirm yourself and take action today.

13
Apr

It’s all in the Mind: The Impact of our thoughts

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Does your mind ever get the best of you?

Do you sometimes wish you could just STOP thinking so negatively?

Do you feel your mindset is messing with your success?

Well, you are not the only one.  This is perfectly normal.

Your mind is one of the most powerful tools on the planet. Every day, people use their brains to solve problems, write books, draw up blueprints for skyscrapers, invent new technologies and make money.

It is through our thoughts that we create the world we live in.  We can alter our worlds by changing our thoughts.  If we change our thoughts we can change our lives. If we become aware of and understand the potential and power for our minds – we can consciously create greater happiness, and a greater sense of freedom. It’s all in the mind. (more…)

13
Apr

Who do you think you are? Don’t be a chicken!

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I was reminded of a past client, who wasn’t sure what she should be doing with her life.  She wasn’t clear on what her ‘passion’ was.  She shared she was just doing what she had to do in a 9-5  job she hated.

I was saddened by her story as she had spent so much of her life unhappy with her situation, but I was pleased by the fact she knew now something had to change…and the time was now.

One key thing for her was to figure out who she was ‘being’ and who she wanted to become.  Here’s a great story that helped her begin that process…The story of the chicken who wasn’t… (more…)

3
Jan

Be confident – Believe it and you can achieve it!

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I was recently asked if I had always been confident. I had to admit, that I wasn’t always confident and still don’t always feel confident.  I would often wear my insecurities on my sleeve. And as a result I would sometimes be taken advantage of or not achieve a particular goal. I’d worry what other people thought of me and was greatly influenced by external factors.

I have tried to remember if I had an epiphany or heard a great motivational speech that had made a difference to my level of confidence – I couldn’t.   I realized ultimately it was about decision and what I chose to believe. I had to decide who I wanted to be and how I wanted to be for my success, achievement of my goals and to live a fulfilling life.

A recent quote by Carrie Wilkerson, strengthened my view on this.

“… Until you change your mind about who you are and whom you chose to impact and what you want to be and what you want to do, until you change your mind about it, you cannot achieve it. Until you believe it, you cannot achieve it.”

Confidence is crucial to a happy and fulfilled life.

Confidence influences all areas of your life and a healthy self-image and belief in yourself is the greatest asset you can have.

People who lack confidence and self-belief always underachieve.  They are less willing to try something new, less likely to be realise their potential and to be their best self.  They tend to be prone to stress, anxiety problems and low self-esteem is a causative factor in mental health and family breakdowns.

It doesn’t matter at what point you are starting from. What matters is that it is never too late to be the confident person you want to be – you can decide and learn to be more confident today.  Otherwise, consider the alternative.  Professor Maslow stated,

” If you deliberately plan to be less than you are capable of being, then I warn you you will be unhappy for the rest of your life.  You’ll be evading your own capabilities, your own possibilities.”

You have the power to become more confident in your life, career and business – but begin with making a decision and believing you have the power to achieve and be successful.

Choose confidence.

KAMAKA Action Tip

Here’s an exercise to help you get you focused on being the best that you can be:

Consider your skills, experience and expertise and record three “I AM’ statements, reflecting positive attributes, your skills, gifts and how you want to be known.  Compliment yourself. Remind yourself of who you are and not what you think others think about you.
3 »I AM Statements:

I AM _____________________________________________

I AM _____________________________________________

I AM _____________________________________________

“What you think, so you will become.” — Napoleon Hill

6
May

Presence: Have you got it?

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You get attention from the people around you without apparently trying.
Others respond with enthusiasm and passion.
Your views are often quoted.
People want to know what you think.
You are talked about though always with respect…

What have you got? …

Presence

I’m sure we can all name people with a certain presence and charisma whether they create a positive impact on people or not. Ghandi, Beyonce, Tony Blair (like it or not), Michelle Obama, Simon Cowell, Jose Marinhio (for the football followers) or Mr Tumble (for those of you with pre-schoolers) to name but a few.

Presence and is a connection that creates a strong powerful influence.  It’s an essential element of management and leadership for both men and women but needs to be authentic at the core. It cannot be faked, but it can be enhanced and developed. So how do you develop as a leader with presence and come out of the shadows. I’ve collated a series of tips, questions and actions to help you on your way to an authentic presence.

Tip 1: Dare to dream

Leaders with presence and charisma are individuals with a sense of purpose.  A purpose that drives them and is beyond their own gain. This purpose gives you focus and is the the one overarching goal you have at any one time, that will have the greatest impact enabling you to achieve more of your other goals.

Ask yourself this question and take action.

Question: What one thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?

This question helps you consider your why? And helps you to determine and connect to a higher purpose.

Action: Determine and write down your major definite purpose.  Your most important goal.  It needs to be clear, something you actually want, believable, achievable and congruent with your values, beliefs and your other goals can be aligned to it.

Do something every day that moves you at least one step towards your most important and definite goal.

“I am here for a purpose, and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand.  Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all, and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.” – Og Mandino

8
Feb

Women and the confidence thing – Part 3: Building your Confidence

blog-2There is sufficient reason to believe that many women doubt themselves and can be hard on themselves particularly in male dominated industries.
Self doubt, the lack self-confidence, and ‘impostor’ feelings undermine the potential to succeed and to become an influential leader with presence.

“When a man cuts himself, he throws away the razor.  When a woman cuts herself, she blames herself.” – Gail Koff (Smith D. (2000) Women at work: Leadership for the next century. Prentice Hall)

The good news is that lack of self-confidence does not however, equate to lack in leadership skills and potential and through support, coaching and a shift in thinking, confidence can be developed and acquired as with any other leadership competence area.  This one issue should not prevent women from achieving their leadership success.

Here are 10 coaching tips… towards a more confident you.  Choose one or two to begin working on, then come back for more:

  1. Remind yourself of when you achieved something who were really quite proud of.  Can you remember how that felt, what you were doing, who spoke with you and what you were thinking about yourself. Consider the skills you demonstrated, the resources you found within yourself – now list them.  But list them with as a phrase beginning with ‘I am’…for example, you won a big contract, and found your were excellent at negotiations.  Record this skills as “ I am influential.”  And so forth.  whatever you think you can do, you are probably right! (Henry Ford)
  2. Visualisation: Imagine the confident you – create firstly a mental picture and then short film of yourself as the confidence individual, business leader you perhaps have doubted.  Are you the charismatic, elegant business women who is an expert in her field – visual yourself giving a presentation or making that important telephone call.  How do you feel, what are your thinking? How do you look? Do you ‘own’ the room as you enter? What behaviours and characteristics are you demonstrating to warrant you success?
  3. Spend time with approachable, pleasant, charming confident people- it rubs off.
  4. Carry yourself with confidence – stand stall, be aware of your posture and walk with your weight firm in each step
  5. When meeting someone for the first time, offer the handshake first and  use your full name.  Be authentic, you may feel you want to demonstrate warmth at the meeting – place you hand on top of their right hand briefly as it shakes yours.  Create a rapport.
  6. Keep a journal of your achievements, and your successes, testimonials, thank you notes.  Read and review particular when you find yourself doubting yourself.
  7. When you are played a compliment – respond with eye contact and a ‘thank you’ – Avoid downplaying what you have achieved,or your efforts.
  8. Tell yourself you are confident – and say like you mean it.  Remember, ” I like myself, I like myself.”  Now add other powerful affirmations: “I am confident and I am loving it”
  9. Avoid using qualifiers or using inflections at the end of sentences.  It will appear that you doubt yourself and others will also doubt what you say.
  10. Talk back to your fearful voice in your head.  Create a new more empowered message.  You are not powerless, give yourself permission to be you, powerful and confident.

“If you hear a voice within in you say “you cannot paint”,then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Googh