The Little Voice on Your Shoulder
Happy New Year! I can’t believe we are into another year. Seems like yesterday I was looking at excitement into 2017 and now its come and gone. What a year it has been. There are have been excitements. Challenges. New adventures. Stresses. Travel. New opportunities. New connections. It's been a whirlwind and I am excited to see what this year will hold!
I ended 2017 meeting with a client, who has made a great impact on me over the last year. He and I have been on a journey together and its been a fun ride. During the end of our engagement, I gave him an assignment. It was to put the initials W.W.L.D somewhere in his office. He looked at me funny and I said it stands for What Would Lisa Do! I said he could also chose W.W.L.S (what would Lisa say) if he wanted. My hope was to help him remember the things we worked on during our engagement. I wanted to leave a piece of my coaching with him when I was gone, as reminder.
He is not the first, nor will he be the last, client I share this technique with. I am often telling clients to think about what I may say in a situation or where I would guide them when problem solving. These techniques are meant to have them working on their goals even when I am not there. This way, they can implement the strategies and techniques we practice.
There are times where we need the advice of people in our lives, even when they aren’t there.
I am no exception. There are always little voices on my shoulder guiding me and helping me reach my goals. Whose voice that is depends on what I am trying to conquer.
Recently, I have been trying to work on my own development and I have a group of women in my life that have been critical in my journey. Some day’s when I find myself spinning, I pause and think about them. I visualize what they would say to me in that moment. I even picture their faces talking to me. I can almost hear their exact voices giving me advice! It has really helped point me in a direction towards my goals. I may make a choice that I remember one of them telling me about or I may phrase something differently when viewed through their lens. Either way, I am moving forward. Toward my goals. Using my tribe along the way, even when they are not with me.
If you have ever been in a workshop with me or been a coaching client, you will hear me say that awareness is critical to our development. I believe this to my core. To me, it is the foundation of all development. Being aware and mindful to situations, work, relationships, etc. can help us grow and develop. Awareness of those in your life that help support you is just as important. Who do you lean on? Whose advice do you seek out?
How can you leverage their advice when they aren’t there. Maybe visualizing what they would say is a strategy to try. Even writing a note, like my client did, will be the visual reminder you need to pause and think about how that person would guide you. I am always looking for new techniques or tips to use and share. If you have any, please share below-I would love to know!
Working on your development can be stressful and challenging. There are ups and downs. And there are many people in our life we lean on for support. When you find your self stuck or struggling with somethings, whose voice can you call upon to help you move forward?
To your growth, development and amazing potential,
Lisa
