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December 21st, 2011
Yes, YOU.
You who’s been putting off that big decision (you know the big one that requires change and transition) or that difficult conversation because you don’t want to upset the other person or don’t know how to have the conversation without it getting heated or causing an argument.
But wait, there’s you, too. Yes, YOU.
You who’s been thinking about undertaking that new project that’ll get you ahead, which you’re excited about, but you know a lot of people will be watching to see how you do and what makes you sweat.
It doesn’t matter how big or how small, there’s likely something that’s important to you right now, in some way, which you’re avoiding or putting off. You may not be clear on what to do; you may be worried about some of the potential consequences (you know, the vivid and wonderfully creative stories of worst case scenarios that you’ve had running in the back of your mind). You may simply be afraid that it won’t work out as expected, even though you really, really want it to.
That’s life. It wants to be lived. It wants you to step into the moment and actually be there; be there in the moment — present, fully engaged, playing full out! Life doesn’t have regrets, but you may if you don’t take action – if you don’t jump in and play.
Life won’t always (or even most of the time) go as expected. Big surprise. Get back up and put your confidence in the way you want to live your life, instead of life needing to be a certain way in order for you to enjoy it. The joy is in the living; it’s in the process.
Whatever part of life is waiting for you, consider what small step you could take to get it moving again. What’s one giant leap you could take? What’s something in the middle that feels right – in terms of action, progress, and process?
Stop waiting; Live on Fire!
D. Luke Iorio, CPC, PCC, ELI-MP
President & CEO
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Tags: achievement, choice, creativity, intentions, motivation, new perspective, opportunity, power of choice
Posted in D. Luke Iorio - iPEC CEO, leadership
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May 13th, 2011
Cycling up a steep hill, I was reminded of an invaluable lesson from a friend. The last few moments, the last few yards as you climb a hill on a bike, require a push. But many cyclists, when they make that push, set their sights on the exact peak of the hill (their goal) and they pedal and spin to that point. And what they invariably find is that they really start to run out of steam before they get to the peak. The hill takes pride in zapping the last bit of remaining energy from the cyclist. The cyclist will just barely make their goal, and have very little left in the tank.
However, top cyclists don’t focus on the exact goal, the exact peak. They look beyond; they pick a spot that they know is a stretch, but pushes them far past the goal most focus on. They set their sights where the hill evens out beyond the peak. Whether they can physically see it or not doesn’t matter — they know it’s there.
While others struggle to reach the top, the professional cyclist goes powering by and cruises through their goal — and having felt the ease after the peak (where most people need to stop), their legs and minds rejuvenate knowing they’ve got even more to give.
Where do you focus? Do you run to your goal or through it?
When you achieve that goal, what reserves do you have left?
How can this change in focus change your focus?
What will the payoff be?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please comment below!
Live on Fire!
D. Luke Iorio, CPC, PCC, ELI-MP
President & CEO
Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
Tags: achievement, expectations, leadership, motivation, new perspective, personal achievement, training
Posted in D. Luke Iorio - iPEC CEO, leadership
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November 3rd, 2010
By Guest Blogger and iPEC Graduate René Johnson
Lately, I have noticed a trend in speaking with my clients. I’ve been having many conversations around reminding them of the importance of experiencing more joy in the pursuit of their business goals. It may seem obvious that one should experience joy in the pursuit of success. Yet, I often find that entrepreneurs, and yes, even coaches, lose sight of this in the day to day busy-ness of juggling all the many hats they wear. So much so, that it is taken for granted or even seen as a luxury.
Being a passionate, purposeful, and service driven entrepreneur myself, I understand what it is like to have many ideas and plans and to work on many projects and goals at one time, all the while seeing many more things I would like to accomplish. Now some would say being an entrepreneur is hard work and you just need to accept it doesn’t come with a lot of joy, just a lot of sacrifice and work. Honestly, I once fell into this limiting thinking trap too. I started noticing, even though I was working really hard, I wasn’t enjoying what all this hard work was supposed to give me. And I’ll let you in on a secret, it even made me question, am I really suppose to serve, do I really have a gift to give? I knew I have gifts to give and people have benefited. But my emotionally depleted side was full of self-doubt. Crazy, right? Not really.
Without joy, you’ll end up feeling tired, unmotivated, stalled, even resentful and confused of why you are doing all this anyway. The danger here is you could give up on a perfectly good idea and someone who needs your gifts won’t get to benefit from them. You will also be sacrificing in your personal life and lacking self-care and balance, further diminishing the joy necessary to fuel your passions and see them through. This can create a vicious cycle and leave many casualties (the “wish I would have/could have done” kind) in its path.
So how important is joy in your life and work? Very! Besides the emotional benefits, feeling joy affects your productivity level. And being productive is a necessary skill to keep your passions and business alive. Productivity is the ability to produce great results per investment of your energy/time/money. And if productivity is not JOYFUL- it’s not sustainable! So my advice to you is make sure in your daily pursuit of your passions and goals, you make time to stop and experience the joy.
About René Johnson
René Johnson (formally Rioux) is a iPEC graduate. As the owner of Power Zone Coaching, and the author of “Leaving Your Comfort Zone,” René is passionate about helping others take control and achieve their bold goals while experiencing more peace and joy in the process. Her website is www.powerzonecoach.com.
Tags: accomplishment, achievement, business goals, iPEC Coaching, motivation, productivity, success, workforce engagement
Posted in Guest Bloggers
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June 10th, 2010
By Guest Blogger and iPEC Trainer, Alan Cohen
I was relaxing last Sunday morning and happened to catch a bit of the men’s final of the French Open. As a tennis fan, it was great to see one of the greats in Rafael Nadal back at the top of his game. (For your information in case you’re not a tennis fan, Nadal won his fifth French Open title, and his seventh Grand Slam overall.)
But more than it being great to see him back at the top, I got to thinking about him as an athlete and a person. Tennis is a game that requires unbelievable balance. So much of the game is getting your opponent out of position and off balance. In fact, if you ever take a little bit of time and watch the top players play, you’ll certainly be able to see what I mean. Players who are off-balance, trying to hit a shot, rarely succeed in their efforts.
There are so many features of a good, balanced shot in tennis. Just look at the photo of Nadal’s backhand. His feet provide the base for his shot. This is where every shot is made or lost. With feet in the wrong place, other parts of his body will have to make up for the un-balance.
Just like the legs provide the base, the same metaphor works in life. We get to choose where our feet are, what our base is like. A lot is written about work/life balance, and that’s all well and good, but the biggest key is simply understanding where you want your life to be. You have to understand what your base is and build from there.
In the last year, not only was Nadal battling injuries, but his family life was falling apart (his parents got a divorce). He struggled to find balance in his life and in his tournament schedule. But he’s back. He made a choice.
What about you? What choices are your facing that could help you find balance in your life?
Alan Cohen
Acts of Balance, Inc.
Executive Coaching and Public Relations Consulting
www.actsofbalance.com
Tags: Balance, change, coach training, motivation, success
Posted in Coaching and Coach Training
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February 15th, 2010
Today we celebrate Washington’s Birthday, also commonly known as Presidents Day. What a great day to recognize our first president, George Washington, and, while we are at it, recognize all those Chief Executives who came after him. While we may not always agree with some of their politics, they have often inspired and motivated us with their powerful words.
Here are a few great quotes from past presidents upon which to reflect.
George Washington: “A slender acquaintance with the world must convince every man that actions, not words, are the true criterion of the attachment of friends.”
Here Washington is speaking about integrity, knowing yourself and what you stand for, and then making decisions, presenting yourself, and acting upon those beliefs. Integrity is perhaps best demonstrated when the leader has become the message, and is not simply the messenger — meaning they truly “walk the walk.”
Abraham Lincoln: “Good things may come to those who wait, but only those things left behind by those who hustle.”
Great leaders know that progress cannot continue until decisions are made. They get clear on their decision making criteria, consciously walk through their decision making process, and know how to balance the need for more information with the opportunity that could be lost by delaying the decision.
Harry Truman… “The buck stops here.”
A lesson in responsibility: Leaders take responsibility for their own actions, and hold themselves accountable. They aren’t about finger-pointing, and they are clear about their role in every decision and issue. They “own” their part.
Ronald Reagan: “Trust but verify.”
A lesson in accountability: Accountability is not “looking over someone’s shoulder” because you don’t trust them. In ensuring that all’s been done according to plan, you can move forward to what’s next. If there’s trust, it means there’s no reason you can’t hold someone accountable, nor should they mind. They actually will view it as someone looking to support them in making sure they have followed through
with plan and purpose.
And remember, you don’t have to be a President to be a leader. A leader is the individual in an interaction who knowingly or unknowingly creates the greater influence on the other person. It’s not about whether you are a leader, it is about how well you lead! What kind of leader do you want to be?
Happy President’s Day!
Tags: become a coach, leadership, motivation, President's Day, workforce engagement
Posted in Current Affairs, Energy Leadership, Life Potentials
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