Move Yourself Into Action
11.11.2022
Read time: 10 minutes
Things Are Happening Through Action.
This is a universal principle we see every day in action … or even in the lack of it.
Very few things happen in our life without us taking direct action. And those are just because some people really love us. Nevertheless, in this case, we do take care of the relationship.
At the office, it is your responsibility as a manager to put people into action and this is one of the reasons why the organization of labour has always needed managers. But probably you also noticed that, not always, you are fully successful in accomplishing this task.
At best, you build consensus and lead your team members or organization’s employees to reach that sync in which all their minds and hearts are as much as possible aligned with the organizational goals and deliver them.
At worst, there will be no progress, no shared vision, and no coagulation, anyone would go or push for another direction, at a different pace. You will feel like herding cats π±π±π±π±π±
Did this ever happen to you?
But things do not end here. Take yourself as an example. What did you promise yourself on January 1st about what you are going to accomplish in 2022?
To get that certificate? To finally find a meaningful job? To nail that promotion? To read more? To invest in your personal development? To change the city? To get out of that relationship? To finally speak in public like a pro? Or to put yourself out there for people to learn about your PMP and your project management experience and start looking at you as an expert.
How many π± are there in you?
Well, you should not yet blame too much if your list of personal objectives has not been advanced enough or at all. You are not alone. I have been several times there to know exactly what it means to be stuck.
Because before starting to put myself the right questions, I was insisting on this one: But …when to do all these things?
Moving into action is rarely about available resources.
How do I know? I tested it first-hand. Twenty years ago, I got admitted to MBA studies. Although I could not afford the tuition fee nor live in a different country for 2 years, the circumstances serendipitously coalesced for a solution (for which I am grateful until today) which was inexistent in my mental map when I started the endeavour of applying for it.
I remember my determination to enter a field where I can create a meaningful impact, overseeing processes and working with people. And my total confidence that I have everything it takes to make it a success.
And to me, it was a huge success not only in terms of graduating with distinction but also because it gave me the possibility to make a significant shift in my career and it gave me the possibility to be part of extensive organizational development with significant results and to my family the possibility to live the freedom I dreamt about.
It is not that I do not know what it takes to make a dream come true. But I, as much as many of you, get stuck. And, from within, it seems impossible to take action and move me out. I bet you know what am I talking about.
So, why don’t people take action?
Checking on what I know moved me into action, I can tell I’ve noticed that whenever these 2 things are missing, I will corner myself in that “stuck” position, and I’ll start singing “oh, poor me”.
- Clarity in respect of why I want to do something
- Certainty about my future success
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Clarity in respect of why do you want to do something
People need to have a clear why when they start doing something. They need to know how this action will make them benefit in the short or the long term.
To have and carry dear to their heart a detailed vision of the outcome, about the positive or beautiful changes they are going to bring into their life.
To see themselves happy and fulfilled in celebrating that outcome.
To be able to envision the positive impact they will produce not only on themselves but also on their loved ones, their friends, communities they care about (e.g. their company) or society at large.
Many of the items on our annual to-do list will soon fall off that list just because we have no idea how they got there.
Or because they got there for totally wrong reasons, such as external comparison or need for external validation.
It is lovely to be praised for a new achievement, isn’t it? But would you be willing or happy to sacrifice hours and hours of overtime as you will have to put in management just for a short-lived one-minute congratulations on your promotion?
Having a role model in life or profession can bring you a long way, but would you really would like to follow in every step of that person and do things for which you really do not feel any inclination or desire just because your master did them?
How would you make clear for you, this WHY?
Asking yourself questions that would help you connect at an emotional level to your objective. For example:
- What makes it so important for me, to reach this goal now?
- What do I really enjoy about the idea of doing this?
- What are the rewards I see for myself if doing it?
- How do I define success in the process of reaching my goal?
- How do I know I have reached my goals? What are the indicative signs of it?
- Who will I be once I finish accomplishing that objective?
- What's going well about me moving towards my goal?
- What's not going well about me moving towards my goal?
- Where am I stuck? Where do I feel I am not making progress?
- What needs to change for me to be fulfilled?
- In 1, 3, or 5 years, what will still be missing?
- If I would have a magic wand what would I do?
But having a clear why and letting yourself be heated by that constructive emotion of visualising your objective fulfilled, is just half of the equation.
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Certainty about your future success
Still, you can have a crystal clear vision. Unless you also have an unshakeable certainty about future success and confidence in your competence and ability to deliver, most probably you will not move a finger towards those very dear goals to you.
At this point, you may be even tempted to deny or downplay your competence, ability, prior results or contribution, especially if you are on this journey in the very exquisite and select company of your imposter self.
Seeing your competencies, abilities, and past and current results at their true value will give you a boost of confidence, will make you feel proud, will connect you with your inner patient hope and will allow you to approach positively what is to come.
Questions can help you here too.
- Where have you already made progress on this?
- What resources are available for you?
- Who can you ask for help if need be?
- Who can you turn to for knowledge?
- Who can you turn to for inspiration?
- Who can you turn to for emotional balance?
- What would need to happen?
- How will you measure your success?
My recommendation is to give it a try for yourself. Take out your list of forgotten objectives for 2022 and take the first one. Take a piece of white paper and a pen, start detailing your why and document all the evidence of your competence. How confident are you now about reaching your goal? How excited are you now about reaching your goal?
If at the end you feel “meh” instead of excited, it is ok. At least you know that objectives occurred on the list for all the wrong reasons and it does not belong to you.
In case your objective proves to be correct, feel your excitement. Let yourself be filled by the excitement. Remember every detail of why this excitement is so positively different. Become aware of your energy and your need to move toward your goals.
And take that leap of faith and move in action.
It will be sooner than you expect you will touch your goal!
And if you know to tame the cat in you, you know how to approach your people and move them into coordinated action, too.
Their success will be your success! Isn’t it exciting?
Because imperfect action is better than no action!
Reach out to schedule a strategy call and make your plan for moving into effective action.
If this letter resonates with you, send it to a friend. They deserve the best, too.
Until next time, remain safe and sage
Alina Florea
Your High-Performance and Mindset Coach
π₯π That’s pretty much all for today π₯π
SUMMARY
One reason why managers are needed is to put people in action.
Things are happening through action.
People will always set themselves into action if two conditions are met:
1. They are clear about why do they want to take that action
2. They are certain they have the inner competence or ability they need to have success
Not moving into action is never about external resources. Clarity in respect of your inner why will lead you to find ways to be resourceful.
- Managers need to know how their Thinking Saboteurs create the conditions in which, having to accept something, is perceived as a bad circumstance.
- I invite you to the next 7-week Master Your Resilience group coaching program based on Positive Intelligence which will start in November & December. At this moment I am looking for another 3 people (out of 5) eager to learn the principles and start the practice of intercepting and neutralizing their thinking saboteurs and moving them into clear and focused action. Details on the program can be found here.
- For my newsletter subscribers, I offer a limited bonus until the end of the year of 58% from the price list. Write me back in case you want to be part of my list and join the course, and I will revert asap with the discount link.
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Cheers,
Alina
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