Stop Giving Your Power Away!

You will scratch me under the chin; I Have the Power!

You want more and better in your life, right? Then STOP giving your power away.

“What do you mean giving my power away? I’m doing my job,” my friend, Serena, said.

“I hear you. For many of us, it’s really subtle in how we’re losing time, energy and focus to the ‘trivial many’ when we would do better in focusing on the Vital Few,” I replied.

We’ll use the N.O.W. process:

N – nurture your wisdom
O – overcome a mood
W – wake up to a “disempowering fixation”

1. Nurture your wisdom

What is the wise thing to do in a situation? You’ll often know the best course of action when you make space to pause, reflect and respond.

Some of us give our power away by saying “yes” too quickly.

Just today, a couple of PR people from publishers asked me to review some books by writing articles at one of my blogs. I immediately replied that I’d study their materials as soon as I could.

Still, I did not agree to reviewing the books too fast.

I’m really busy working with clients and leading teams in the United Kingdom, India and the United States of America.

I make good choices. How? I give myself “thinkspace.” I give myself the space and time to think through–and then make a good choice.

Another way to nurture your wisdom is to get access to much of the best thinking and case histories as possible. I consult my own coaches and mentors, and I read up to 81 books each year.

As an Executive Coach, I know my clients rely on me to serve in a number of roles as coach, business consultant, brand strategist, speech coach, and mentor. I need to be at the top of my game to help them with their game.

Finally, nurture your wisdom by removing certain distractions. That is, take good care yourself: enough sleep, exercise, good nutrition and breaks to refresh yourself.

2. Overcome a mood

Many of us give away our power to a current mood we’re in.

For example, I’ve written more than 2 million words (and 28 books). How? I do NOT wait to be in the mood to write. I sit down and start writing. For the first 5 minutes, I may feel that I’m writing garbage but I press on.

I develop patterns of high productivity, and I assist my clients to develop their own positive patterns.

“Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” –  Madeleine L’Engle

“A professional is someone who can do his best work when he doesn’t feel like it.” – Alistair Cooke

Do not let a disempowering mood take away your power.

Do something to shift your mood.

During workshops, I teach audience members to use a power-move and power-phrase. For example, when I am tired, but still need to do some writing, I tap my fist on my thigh and say, “I CAN do this!”

By the time I ascend the stairs to the second floor of my home, I’m ready to get right to work.

Now it’s your turn.

How can you shift from a disempowering mood? What music energizes you? Or if you feel high strung: What music calms you down and soothes you?

Would taking a brief walk help you clear your mind?

3. Wake up to a “disempowering fixation”

Sometimes as I help clients build a brand up from “zero,” I see the client get fixated on something.

For example, some clients get stuck on doing perfect graphics for an ebook or CD cover.

I share with them this idea: “Making your first ebook is part of ‘making the running shoes’ and ‘we need you to get running.’”

For many clients with a new brand, they really need to get out there and do the marketing and selling—and not wait for “the perfect business card.”

Unfortunately, because it’s more fun or simply easier, a number of people get stuck in a “disempowering fixation.” Waiting until one has the perfect business card can be a disempowering fixation.

For example, someone who owns a company might get stuck in what is called an “occupational hobby.” Let’s say Stephanie started as a graphic designer, but now she runs a company with six employees. It’s better for her to concentrate on getting new clients instead of tinkering with Photoshop.

Do not let some fixation or even addiction take away your power.

Face reality and identify what is Most Important for you to do.

How do you discover what is most important? Often, it’s something you dread doing.

My phrase is: What you dread moves you ahead.

For example, you may dread updating your resume. But what is most important for your career?—updating your resume.

What’s the solution? Use the practice of “Worst First.” That is, you do the worst task early when you’re fresh. If you need to update your resume, work on it early in your day.

You have the choice to do better in life.

Pay close attention. Where are you giving your power away?

Remember the N.O.W. process:

N – nurture your wisdom
O – overcome a mood
W – wake up to a “disempowering fixation”

Doing better often is not about doing more, it’s about dropping what does NOT work.

Nurture your power.

**********BREAKING NEWS!***************************

Tom Marcoux speaks and provides in-person processes
in North Hollywood, California
October 14, 2015. See 1.3 min. video:

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Warmly,

Tom

Tom Marcoux