Last week, I had the opportunity to enjoy an evening of relaxation in Charleston, SC following the successful deliver of a Leadership Workshop for one of my very best clients.
At the recommendation of the concierge of my pretty fancy hotel, I strolled through this charming town to a well known local seafood grill where I counted my blessings in a blissful state of culinary indulgence (enhanced, no doubt, by some very good wine) followed by a ridiculously good night's sleep.
This mini-celebration came after months of workshop preparation, which included a healthy dose of self-discipline and confidence as well as an unhealthy dose of fear-based mental gymnastics. Fighting GAIL's (GAIL Sheet) is exhausting!
As I polished off the last praline, I thought about how I could remember this success in such a way so as to use it to keep the GAIL's in check when I embark on my next project.
Here's what I came up with:
While basking in the glow of the evening with full on anabolic energy, if I could articulate what might have either limited me, held me back, or diverted my attention from knowing I would reach this place there's a good chance I could uncover some insights that would help me reach even higher levels of success in the future.
And so, my gift to you this week is a coaching exercise that is just slightly unconventional...especially around this time of abundance. Give it a shot and see what it does for you.
EXERCISE:
What I am UNGRATEFUL for this year
- I am ungrateful for my Gremlins - those personal inner critical voices that seem to know just what to feed my brain to zap my confidence.
SPECIFICALLY (list them):
- I am ungrateful for the Limiting Beliefs I some times have about myself, and my capabilities that discreetly creep into my thoughts.
SPECIFICALLY (list them):
-
I am ungrateful for the Assumptions I some times make that unconsciously cloud and distort the way I see situations, people, or opportunities.
SPECIFICALLY (list them):
-
I am ungrateful for every time I embraced my own subjective Interpretations of people or situations for more than a minute before getting the facts to know the truth and reality:
SPECIFCIALLY (list them)
Once complete, see what it feels like looking at this list versus the list of things you are grateful for this year. Where will you more consciously choose to expend your mental energy going forward?
My answer: shrimp, pralines, & thread count.
