6 Ways to Step into Your Power
I’d been procrastinating getting started on a chunky project for a while. Every day, I watched the kick-off of this project move from today’s to-do list…to tomorrow’s. Then…to next week’s. 🙈
After about 3 weeks of blocking off time in my calendar and then disregarding that time block for something ‘more important’ I started toying with the idea of not doing the project at all. That wasn’t really realistic though. I needed to just bite the bullet. Orrrrr, I thought…maybe what I need is to find a way to do this that FEELS easier.
So that day, I didn’t block of time to get started on the project. Instead, I blocked off time to get honest with myself about WHY I wasn’t doing it. I pulled out a bunch of my own coaching tools on myself. And lo and behold, I found myself not just DOING the thing, but working in flow, with a sense of excitement, creativity and fun. All this, where before there had only been a sense of obligation and dread.
What happened? It wasn’t magic. I consciously, methodically even, stepped into my own power using some of the practices I’ve seen work time and again with myself, my clients and the most powerful self-leaders I know. And as a result, I’m going to have some fun updates to share with you very soon!
I couldn’t resist a little teaser of what’s to come soon!
In the meantime though, I thought I’d share a few ways ANYONE can step into their power. Here they are for the next time you are feeling drained…
6 Things Strong Self-Leaders Do (routinely, and according to me!)
They create space for themselves. Not just their to-do’s, or even their top priorities. For themselves. This really is the practical piece that makes all the rest of the practices below possible. So just another great reason to carve out time for reflection, whatever that looks like for you. My top tip: Start small. Building the habit is more powerful than quantity of time.
They practice ‘radical curiosity’. As Brene Brown says: The best, most transformational leaders do not have all the answers, they simply ask great questions. So here’s one for you to try on for size: How am I complicit in creating the conditions I say I don’t want? (Ooof, I know.)
They challenge their own perceptions. Some simple powerful questions to try here could be: What story am I telling myself here? What could be a different belief?
They are aware of (and allow) their emotions. Here’s the question: What am I feeling? (Note: not ‘how’. And notice there’s no follow up question asking you to figure out why, to judge whether it’s a reasonable emotion or to start in on a solution for ‘fixing’ that emotion. Just the one question and sit with the answers that come back. (Ooof, also difficult.)
They know their core values and check-in with them often. When we are feeling drained, it always means that we are in some way, operating outside of alignment with our core values. Uncovering these is a WHOLE newsletter in of itself - I wrote it a while back! My PSA on this one is this this: our values change. Revisit them routinely to make sure you aren’t aligning your actions and decisions to a set of values owned by a previous version of yourself.
They trust their gut. My thoughts on this can also be found in an oldie-but-goodie newsletter of it’s own. A new question I’m loving in this area though is: What feels warm here?
On the whole, these practices set you up to be able to see that you are at CHOICE, and to make those choices consciously rather than running on autopilot. They reduce your need for external validation and/or instruction.
And when you’re doing all of those things, you are acting as CEO of your career and life. In short, you are back in your power.
CURIOSITY PROMPTS
Six practices is a lot of practices. To make meaningful progress on building habits around these, you could:
Evaluate yourself on each of the practices above on a scale of 1-10. (1=I never do this / 10 = I always do this.)
With this info in mind, use your gut (already practicing #6!) to choose just ONE practice to focus on.
Identify just one thing related to your chosen practice that you’d like to do more or or do differently and take the first step towards that practice immediately.
WORK WITH ME
I support female leaders to hone their authentic leadership style and write the next bold chapter of work and life. It's the most rewarding work of my career to date, and because I have some big life stuff coming up, I’m currently revamping how I go about this work.
Stay tuned for more on that!
In all curiousness,
Joy
P.S. If/when the spirit ever moves you or you have questions - always feel free to get in touch and let me know what’s coming up for you!
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