Successful people seem to have an endless reservoir of energy and they still have time for the fun stuff. Where do they find the extra mileage? So here it is: there is no ‘extra’ mile, there is a ‘hidden’ mile.
You want to achieve, be successful, shine and stand out. Your career is a challenge you wish to conquer and you are looking for progress and rewards. So you decided to give it more, you are committed to go the extra mile. But how much more is enough? How can you access more while you’re already giving it all?
Hidden in the gaps, the energy wasters that have crept in unnoticed. These are the energy leaks that make you feel drained after a meeting, that steal your focus and most of all they dig into your enjoyment and passion. In case you have wondered where your excitement and energy went, here is where you need to look:
Presence the Productivity Booster
Wherever you are, be there.
Sounds paradoxical, but this is the world we live in. When you are in that meeting and you rather want to finish your report, fix that problem or just drift off. Guess what? You are where you are, so be present were you are and park all the other stuff for the time being. In everything you do be intentional and you will be impactful. Set an intention for even the most dreaded meeting and focus on that. Take a deep slow breath and focus on your objective and give it all you have for this one outcome you want to achieve.
There is no need to come up with an earth moving result, keep it simple. For example you could have an intention on keeping the meeting on track or on listening for just this one opportunity to come up with a creative idea. You will be surprised with the impact you can make with only one impactful contribution. You will find that you will be more satisfied with your performance. And believe it or not satisfaction is an energy booster you will find that you have more energy left to focus on the report later on.
Vision the Hurdle Jumper
When your current reality gets tough, focus on your vision. If you keep focusing on an undesirable circumstance you get stuck and use too much energy that may not get you anywhere. It is like churning the wheel of a car, using a lot of energy and getting nowhere.
Be clear on your vision and focus on that. And here we go again: keep it simple, take small steps. Everything as extensive as it might be has been built one step at a time. For example if you are stuck with that presentation focus on you’re the desired result, experience the feeling, take a short break and start again. Use your imagination to paint the perfect picture that you wish to achieve. Don’t focus on the struggle otherwise you just get more of that.
Intuition the Premium Fuel
We all have it but do we trust it? Use your brain and trust your intuition. There are situations when there is not enough time to analyse possible options, you might be put on the spot and need an answer now. Listen to your intuition. It can give you a direction.
Most people have a very good sense of the inner voice and guidance, but they don’t trust it enough. Stay in tune during the day, become aware of your surroundings, notice your feelings and use these impressions as an additional source of information.
Consistency the Platform to Success
It is great to be motivated, but motivation is based on emotions. And we all know how these can go like a rollercoaster. So while motivation is an excellent fuel it is not a very reliable source.
So when motivation subsides you want to have behaviour in place that ensures you are staying on track. So train yourself to be consistent in your approach. Instead of putting all your effort into the one presentation or the one important report, be consistently that little bit more impactful, aware and intentional. Consistency creates trust and this will be noted around you.
Practice the Simple Steps
These are simple steps but to master these they require practice. The ‘hidden mile’ is all about focus and the practice of presence in every moment of your life. To do that all it takes a couple of slow, deep breaths. Sense your body, become aware and reduce any compulsive thinking. Thoughts have a life of their own and will take you along a garden path. Thoughts are not all there is about you, they keep you away from being aware.
Keep your intellect on stand by and use it when needed. You don’t fiddle around with your hands all the time either, you use them when you need them and in the meantime they are usually in some resting position. It is not different with your brain. Stay in tune with yourself, breath with intention and focus on the experience of the current moment. It will energise you and keep you in a relaxed but laser focused state of mind.