The Coach Approach

Choose Wisely the Tenants of Your Mental Real Estate

In my reflections this week, I have been drawn to the idea that our predominant thoughts give rise to our actions which in turn create results.  If you take out the middleman, our thoughts create our outcomes.  I noticed some results which were not in line with my intentions and wondered what was going on.  So I went to work on some mental housekeeping.  What was I thinking about when I didn't even know I was thinking?

It can be a big job being the landlord of your mental real estate.  Science tells us we have some 60,000 thoughts per day.  How are we going to manage all that and have a life too?

What I noticed was that right before going to sleep and immediately upon waking up, my mind went to my worries, troubles, and problems.  Even though I was consciously trying to visualize some of my intended outcomes or set my intentions for the day, these two worthwhile practices were being sabotaged by focusing my attention on what I DIDN'T want.   

Quite frankly, I was surprised at how frequently and totally I gave up my mental real estate when I thought I was pretty well trained in the art of mental real estate management.  If I were a yogi or a well-trained meditator, this would have been a good time to empty my mind and just focus on my breath. 

But I am a coach not a yogi.  So I dipped into my coaching tool box and pulled out a SMART goal and repeated it to myself every time I noticed myself churning.  A smart goal is a very specific outcome you are trying to achieve.  I used a goal for a big business project I am working on so I could use my mental real estate for some creative support.  This allowed me to put my attention on something I was trying to create more of rather than let my attention go to something I wanted to create less of.

Energy flows where attention goes.  So, check in on your mental real estate and make sure you are managing the tenants wisely. 

Kind regards,

Lora

Lora Banks, CPCC

lora@TheCoachApproach.net

The Coach Approach, LLC

A Strategy for Getting Past Obstacles to Your Success

Lately, I have been working on what my mom refers to as the "bucket list" - a list of things you want to do before you die.  Its a motivator, a goal setting strategy and a good way to get in touch with what generates the juice in your life.

I noticed that when I am working on a stretch goal, the obstacles to success seem to come out of nowhere.  For instance, I began my fitness journey to six pack abs (on my bucket list). I was doing great until one of my favorite girlfriends showed up unexpectedly on a Friday night.  We wined and dined until late into the evening.  Wine wasn't on my powerfood list.  I hired a personal trainer.  We worked out once and the next session I had to cancel because one of my kids was home sick.  The following session we miscommunicated on the time and only had 30 minutes to work out. And so it went.

What do YOU do with bad news?

"All other creatures on earth are bound throughout their lives by a fixed pattern of instinct from which they cannot escape.  YOU are bound only by the pattern you set up in your mind."

                                          Napoleon Hill in "Grow Rich with Peace of Mind"

The headlines are full of it - interest rates, real estate, recession, earnings reports.  If my coaching calls are any indication, there is a little bit of angst and uncertainty out there right now and plenty of fuel for the fire.

So what do YOU do with bad news?  When I traded stocks, you could literally feel the tension in the room when the market was expected to gap down at the opening bell.  Traders would predictably respond with anxiety, a heightened sense of preparedness, and a "hunker down for more bad news" demeanor.