I really believe that no one wakes up thinking, “How can I be my most disingenuous today?” But, unless we’re very intentional, it’s easy to get swept up in daily tasks without thinking much about whether or not we’re accurately expressing who, what and where we want to be.
That might seem like a tall order to be consciously and intentionally focused on living our best life but actually, it’s just one small step at a time.
As I wrote in my last post, writing your life story allows you to reflect, envision, plan, and take that next step in your heroic journey. When you take an accurate and honest assessment of yourself and connect to what and where you want to go, you act like a hero—for yourself, and others. This allows you to:
- Envision who you want to be; your best self.
- Reflect on your strengths, and how you perceive yourself: intellectually, cognitively, emotionally, physically, socially, sexually, and spiritually.
- Transform your life.
In their book, The Blueprint: 6 Practical Steps to Lift Your Leadership to New Heights (Wiley, 2020), Doug Conant and Amy Federman, provide a great tool to capture your thoughts, help you develop a plan, and take action. I wrote about the first three steps in my previous post. Once you’ve completed those first three steps, move on to the next three steps:
Step 4. Plan. Design a life: a career, a way of being, that aligns with your true self. Identify the resources and goals you need to move forward.
Step 5. Practice. Develop and practice new habits. Keep them simple. Recognize each time you use your strengths and express your values and they will come easier to you over time.
Step 6. Progress. Remember that heroes are not perfect, they work to improve and reinforce positive habits. Your heroic journey is a process that takes perseverance and setbacks are normal and expected along the way.
“You can either walk inside your story and own it, or you can stand outside your story and hustle for your worthiness.” – Brene Brown
I recommend working with a trusted mentor or coach to help you with this process because it can be hard to see the full picture when you are in the frame. When I work with my coaching clients to help them develop positive habits so they live their best life, we discuss the importance of:
- Paying attention to who you are right now and recognizing when you are your truest, best self.
- Taking action when needed to change your attitude, beliefs, and habits that require dismantling and replacing.
- Sharing your story. Your heroic journey is meant to be shared, with authenticity, gratitude, and humility.
What positive habits have you incorporated into your life?
I’d love to hear from you. You can reach me here and on LinkedIn.
