Written by: Nancy Hovde, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The motto in my coaching business and personal life is, ask yourself if what you are doing today is taking you closer to where you want to be tomorrow? I believe this is an important motivation motto for everyone from leaders, entrepreneurs, business executives, students, and all individuals who wish to stay on track with their goals and intentions.
Are your actions supporting you to feel your best, think your best, perform your best and be your best so that you can live your optimal life?
Sometimes roadblocks, challenges, or even a major crisis, such as the global pandemic, can cause uncertainty, discouragement, or feeling blocked from moving successfully forward with our intentions. This can happen even when we have committed to applying the best of our efforts, and suddenly something out of our control throws us off track.
A little over a year ago, when the pandemic was just starting, my clients had just started on their New Year Intentions. They were experiencing momentum and motivation from January 1st up until about the middle of March. Then things changed when nearly every state and country were in some form of lockdown. Clients shared their uncertainty which led them to become discouraged. The lockdowns were leaving them hesitant. Instead of feeling the unlimited motivation that had been encouraging their positive intentions and changes before the lockdowns, they shared they were now feeling uncertain, inhibited, and limited with how they could achieve their goals for positive change.
Maybe you felt like this, too? I know I had my moments when thoughts would cross my mind about hunkering down, avoid taking any risks, and wait things out. But guess what? I know that choosing any of those options most likely would lead to feeling despair, more uncertainty, and getting stuck in a rut, which will only be harder and harder to get out of.
Sometimes, there is no major crisis, and yet, you know you want to feel empowered and have clarity with the positive changes you wish to create, but you are feeling blocked, confused, and hesitant. We need to pinpoint why. Get to the root cause of why you are blocked and feeling uncertain or stuck. Most of the time, there is always at least one fear or limited belief preventing us from moving forward. Being aware of any hidden fears you have about living your optimal life can bring awareness. When you embrace those fears long enough to understand the cause, we can then dissolve those fears and choose empowerment to go for what we truly want.
When clients come to me feeling uncertain, blocked, or discouraged, we work through the process and address the issue(s) holistically. We create awareness about how our feeling of uncertainty affects the Mind/Body/Soul:
Physically, we feel frozen. Maybe we feel more tired than usual, and all we can think about is getting more sleep. Physical activity can help get us out of a rut or feeling stuck. Just moving the body is moving the stagnant energy. Get moving! Go for a walk, clean out a drawer or closet.
Mentally, we may feel bored or feeling overwhelmed. Like you’ve tried everything, and nothing is working, lack of clarity on what you even want or what the next steps should be.
Soul, we feel unfulfilled and like there is more to life, more meaning, purpose. You may have a strong nagging feeling that there is something more for you, that your life should have more fulfillment, more meaning. But you have no clue what that could be or how to discover it.
Once we understand how uncertainty affects the Mind/Body/Soul, I generally use what I refer to as Reflection for Awareness, Clarity, and Accountability. Throughout this process, we put a really strong focus on everything in the past six to 12 months that was positive. For many of my clients, this can be a more challenging stretch, considering the pandemic that started last year and is still present. So, we have to really dig deep here. The Reflection for Awareness, Clarity, and Accountability process is as follows:
The first is awareness. Create a list of everything you can recall in the past six to 12 months that really worked out well for you. This could be with your health/wellness goals, your career or business, any new endeavors, hobbies, activities, new interests, your home environment, relationships, and any area of your life you noticed positive change or improvements. Then, reflect on what was it about these things that actually worked? What was it about them that made them so positive or successful? Was it certain action steps you were consistent with? Was it old beliefs, outdated patterns, or unhealthy habits you let go of and replaced with more nourishing, positive, and inspiring beliefs, habits, and new routines? List whatever you feel was truly positive and beneficial for your wellbeing and your success. This transitions into the next step.
The second step is clarity. Now, it is time to be real honest with what didn’t go well. This part of the process will provide clarity that will help us create the right action steps. Of course, I know for many of us, the first thing we can all put at the top of our list of what didn’t go well would be the pandemic. I did this, too, then realized the importance of focusing on other things as well, those things that may have held us back or tripped us up with our goals. Sometimes we trip ourselves up with having limited beliefs or negative self-talk. What do you need to stop doing? How can you make a positive change or improvement to get to where you are now to where you would like to be?
Yes, we can all blame the pandemic for tripping up our goals, intentions, dreams, and plans. However, if we truly want to keep moving successfully forward, we’ve got to accept where we are and begin to work within smaller steps if needed.
Lastly, the third step is accountability. Hold yourself accountable. Look for opportunities and create action steps. Once we have clarity on what we want, we can begin to create a plan of action. Typically, many of us will sit down at our desks with a laptop or pen and paper to reflect on setting new intentions for positive change. If it works for you, then I encourage you to continue. However, in speaking for myself and a number of clients, getting outdoors, in nature, to reflect can work very effectively as well. In any case, take some time to reflect on the above tips. Allow this insight you’ve reflected on to create those positive changes and new intentions over the next several weeks and months. Embrace having simple but clear goals. Having an action plan is what helps to feel empowered along the way, as well as seeing the successful desired results.
If you would like support and encouragement with those positive changes you wish to create, please contact me.
Nancy Hovde, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Nancy is a leading Life Empowerment Coach who has combined her professional background, credentials, personal experience, knowledge, and insight to inspire and motivate those who wish to create positive change. For over 15 years, she has empowered clients who desire positive change with career/life purpose, personal growth, or wellness goals. Nancy will help you discover how true change can happen when we use our time and resources to develop our minds and spirits, examine our values, and let go of issues that hold us back. She inspires and guides clients to live their optimal life through her books, blog posts, articles, and coaching services. Nancy is the author of Uber Empowerment and Uber Empowerment Quotes: 500 Inspirational Quotes for Knowledge, Insight & Wisdom. Her credentials include Certified Life Coach, B.A. Interpersonal Communication, Stress Management Specialist, Behavior Change Specialist, and Certified Personal Trainer.
