Team You

Are you where you want to be in your current project, current job, or present life situation?  If you answered no, then you probably have some goals you are working on or at least a vision of where you want to be.

So how do you get from where you presently are to where you want to be?  One of the top ways that I encourage all my clients to try is to build up what I call “Team You”.

Starting “Team You”

1. Grab a piece of paper, put your name in the middle of the paper, and circle it.  From that center circle draw five or six lines outward, and put a circle at the end of each line.
2. In those circles write the names of the people you turn to for advice, counsel, or guidance.  These are the people in your life whom you see as your mentors, coaches or advisors - the people you know you can turn to and who will be objective with you about the goals you have set and about your progress.  These are the people in your life who will be honest with you as you try to attain the next level.
3. Once you have those 5 or 6 key people written down, then you can implement the 5-Week Experiment.

The 5-Week Experiment

• Pick one of those key people that you placed in your circles and check in with them once a week for the next five weeks.  You may meet them for coffee, exchange emails, or schedule a regular phone call or video conference.
• Share with them your goals, the steps you have created to achieve your goals, and how you’re making progress each week.
• The idea is to keep yourself accountable, as you work toward your goal, with accurate and honest feedback.  This gives them the opportunity to help you take the right steps, and we all need a little help.

Why do I recommend five weeks?

You want to give your experiment some parameters that give a start and an end to the process.  Not only will this help you focus on your goal, but it will let your advisor know that you are not going to keep calling them indefinitely.  It also lets them know that you place a high value on this time and on their guidance.

Try this 5 week experiment of “Team You”, and you will find yourself closer to achieving the next level you desire.

Just How Significant is Pacing and Personal Improvement?

How often I have observed people who decide to take action in personal improvement and suddenly they’re consumed, they become engaged, filled with excitement, ready to begin with the plan and off they go!

Choose One Thing

Here’s an idea for pacing and personal improvement when engaged in making your best better.  Choose something that you want to change.  Think about what’s coming toward you.  What skills will you need to learn in twelve, twenty four, thirty six months?  Will you have to adjust your mind set to get there?

Where Do You Need Better Pacing

Once you’ve decided where you’re headed there are three types of work involved in pacing yourself to that destination.  In order to pace yourself you need to identfy how much of each kind of work you have. Take out your journal/notebook, and make THREE lists (with +40 items each):

1. Things you need to Think/Reflect on
2. Outcomes and Projects you are responsible to Manage
3. The Tasks you need to Do

I’m very much looking forward to hearing how the reading is going; do let me know, from time to time!