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“Creating Successful Leaders”

Category Archives: Changing Your Life

November 18, 2020 Three Key Components of Self-Awareness

woman thinking

With more and more people working from home (WFH), we’re spending a whole lot more time on our own. In this atmosphere, where we’re expected to get things done without anyone looking over our shoulders, it is more crucial than ever to develop a deep understanding of yourself, your strengths, and your preferences, and your limitations. In short, it’s essential to develop a keen self-awareness.

What Are the Components of Self-Awareness?

A self-aware person understands the many facets of their personality and how they can operate at their very best. These facets include:

Strengths:

Getting to know the areas in which you excel can help you capitalize on and emphasize your skills. Your innate abilities are an asset to your work, and it pays to take advantage of them. Take the time to consider which tasks come easily to you. What are your top skills? When do others praise you? What do you enjoy doing?

Your strengths may range from IT prowess to sociability to the ability to analyze complex data. And don’t discount so-called “soft skills!” Effective communication, for instance, is key to an effective workplace.

Once you have a good grasp of your strengths, leverage them! If you know you excel at writing, lean into that part of your career. If you know you’re skilled at brainstorming new, creative ideas, don’t hold back at your next meeting! Be bold and embrace your strengths.

Limitations:

Just as it’s important to understand your strengths, so too is it important to get to know your limitations. Where do you struggle? Which assignments give you difficulty or are unenjoyable for you? When do you feel frustrated? When have you fallen short of expectations?

Begin to notice your limitations. Do you struggle, for instance, to pay attention during Zoom meetings? What can you do to stay present?

Another WFH example: Do you find it difficult to stay on task, when it’s now incredibly easy to drift off into social media land or YouTube? Recognize this limitation and strategize solutions. Would it be beneficial to block certain websites on your work computer? Is it possible to do some tasks in airplane mode, so you’re not tempted to browse the web?

When you understand your limitations, you can work to correct them.

Preferences:

Another component of self-awareness is understanding your personal preferences. We all have them. While some people thrive in the mornings, others enjoy working later at night. While some benefit from regular video check-ins, others prefer communicating by email. Some like a silent workspace, others like background music or chatter. Some prefer collaborative work, others like working solo. The list goes on.

Paying attention to your personal preferences can help you set realistic expectations for yourself and help you improve communication with others. For instance, when someone asks you to tackle an assignment by yourself, you might counter with, “I could do that, but I know from experience that I work better when I’m collaborating with others. Would this assignment warrant teamwork or, at least, an accountability partner?”

Your preferences may also include communication. Do you recognize that you are good at responding to emails, but often let voicemails linger for days, or even weeks? Communicate that preference to others!

Communicating your preferences–the way you operate, think, and communicate–can significantly help both your personal and professional relationships.

Building self-awareness can help bolster your success, lead to better relationships, and improve communication. If you’re unsure how to start improving your self-awareness, consider looking into Insights Discovery or sending me a message.

Take the time to develop your self-awareness, and see how far it will take you!

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

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November 4, 2020 There is Power in HOPE

the power of hope

If you’ve been troubled by how people have been treating each other (with so much political divisiveness and name-calling lately), don’t give up hope. Your hope is powerful, and it CAN make an enormous difference.

Even in the darkest times, we can find sparks of hope. A single candle can illuminate a dark room in the same way that a grateful thought or an inspiration can illuminate a mind. Although the science is still fresh, research is starting to find that hope is a powerful factor in lifting people out of poverty, motivating people to find work, and encouraging investment (financially, educationally, or otherwise) in the future.

In a study on poverty, the researchers found that, “families that are stressed and impoverished — trapped in cycles of poverty — can feel a hopelessness that becomes self-fulfilling. Give people reason to hope that they can achieve a better life, and that, too, can be self-fulfilling.”

Hope is self-fulfilling.

If we all decide to be hopeful about a better, brighter future, we CAN make that happen. We’ll be propelled into action and motivated to keep going, to keep trying. On the other hand, if we choose to have a defeatist attitude and believe there’s nothing good in our collective future…well, that, too, can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

When you have hope, you ask yourself constructive questions such as “What if..?” and “How will I…?” If you hold the belief that you can do something, you start seeing the paths of possibilities.

I challenge you today to think about what you’d like in your life, and what you’d like for others. Focusing on a smaller scale, ask yourself: What are my personal goals? How do I envision my future?

Then, zoom out your lens and focus on your community, or even your nation. What are your wishes for others? What are your hopes for the next generation, and the one after that? What does an ideal community or nation look like?

Start thinking about your goals and dreams as REAL possibilities, instead of wishes. By changing your mindset to a “How can I…” instead of a “I couldn’t possibly…” you’ll start finding ways to make your goals happen.

Our minds can do amazing things. If you find yours blocked by pessimistic thoughts, try focusing on the possibilities buried within the doubt. Find hope in your life and see where it can take you.

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

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October 28, 2020 Do Your Body a Favor: Relax.

Fall coffee and book

A version of this blog post was first published in 2016, but the core message resonates today more than ever. Many of my friends and acquaintances are on-edge lately, wondering how the upcoming U.S. presidential election will turn out, and what will happen in its aftermath. All that tension and fretting can definitely lead to negative health effects.

According to the Mayo Clinic, “Stress that’s left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.” It can lead to muscle tension, digestion issues, and headaches.

Stress can also affect those around us.

When we’re stressed, we tend to lash out at others more. Or, we disengage and have trouble being present. We tend to get wrapped up in our own tension when we’re stressed and therefore do not give others the full attention and consideration they deserve.

The other thing about stress…it helps nothing and no one. Your stress will not solve problems or inspire positive change. Instead of fixating on your worry or angst, try funneling it into action. A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post on that very subject, if you’d like to check it out.

How can you keep your stress at bay and become more centered, healthy, and positive? Here are a few ideas:

Breathe.

Take time to step away from stressful situations and focus on your breath. It only take a few seconds and it WORKS. If you’d like, download a meditation app on your phone (such as HeadSpace), and let it be your guide.

Exercise.

Go for a long walk, hit the gym, or ask a friend to go to yoga class. Movement gets your blood flowing and reduces stress. It also releases endorphins, which will give you a little boost of happiness.

Step Away.

Unplug from social media, put your phone on airplane mod, and turn off the TV. If bad news and social media spats are stressing you out, it’s a good idea to remove that negative stimuli for a while. Do your best to tune in in small doses–your mental health will thank you!

Treat yourself!

Pamper yourself a little. Plan to take a long bubble bath, ask your partner for a back rub, or schedule a relaxation night filled with movies, a facial mask, and tasty treats. You might also order food from your favorite restaurant and serve it on your nice dishware. Be sure to put your plans on your calendar so they actually happen.

Eat well.

Good nutrition can increase our energy, improve digestion, and reduce headaches. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine reminds us to avoid high-fat foods (like pizza and mac ‘n’ cheese) when we’re feeling stressed because “they can make us feel lethargic and less able to deal with stress.”

Practice quiet time.

Read a book, knit, bake a pie. Do something that you love and DO NOT feel guilty about taking “you time.”

Invest in yourself.

If your stress reaches serious levels, you may want to consider reaching out to a therapist or counselor to get yourself back on track. Pay attention to how you’re feeling. If this is more than “a little stress,” reach out and seek help immediately.

Your mental and physical health is directly tied to your stress levels. Don’t let the impending election drag you down! Take time to respect yourself and your wellbeing. Doing so will help set you up for success in the months to come.

Here’s to you and your health!

MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS® DISCOVERY (AND DEEPER DISCOVERY) LICENSED PRACTITIONER, AND FOUNDER OF UXL. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. 
CHECK OUT MARGARET’S ONLINE LEADERSHIP COURSE.

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