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Igniting Leaders, Inspiring Revolutions

Archives for November 2021

Great leaders practice journaling and self reflection

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I’m often asked what leaders can do to improve their leadership, confidence and teamwork. And for me, I would always recommend a habit that many leaders love to hate! Not many of us, in the fast paced, increasingly noisy, anxiety driven world that we live in can handle sitting quietly for 5, 10 or 15 minutes a day with the aim of thinking about our own thoughts and behaviours. Self reflection is something we all have access to. You can get started with just a notepad and pen.

Self reflection can help you understand your emotions, strengths and weaknesses and can help you identify your values and goals. By reflecting on your behaviour and experiences you can learn what drives you and what kind of impact you are having on the people you lead.

Your integrity and confidence will also develop and grow with consistent self reflection practices. Reviewing your past decisions and actions can lead to better decision making in the future with a lot less self doubt.

The results of ongoing self reflection are impressive. It’s definitely worth taking note! But do you have the discipline?

Why self reflection is important for leaders

Self reflection gives you time and space to consider your actions and beliefs for the benefit of learning. It’s a way of documenting what’s happening around you and using this understanding to create meaning for the purpose of learning.

It’s a stop. A pause. A breath. Amongst all the busyness, action and noise. Observe yourself and others to create understanding, plans and meaning for the future.

It’s an opportunity to stand back for a moment and observe yourself. Self reflection is a brilliant quality in successful leaders – their ability to observe their own behaviour – almost as if observing another person. Most people will do it after a meeting, event or interaction. Super-practiced leaders learn to self-observe in each moment.

But it’s simple enough to begin after a meeting, event or an interaction. Consider questions such as:

“How would other people perceive my actions?”

“How did I participate in that team meeting?”

“How did I show up?”

“How did I react and answer questions from others?”

“Was I open to the ideas and discussion or did I shut the conversation down?”

Reflect actively, selectively, constantly, and don’t be afraid to do it in front of the people you lead. Just as important – take time to help others reflect on what they are doing well, and help them identify how they can increase their skill sets to work more effectively towards their goals.

Self reflection is a skill like anything else, so it does take practice.

Good journaling develops from asking good questions

Many people are almost scared to sit in front of a blank piece of paper and wonder what to write about. It is a common barrier to journaling.

“You review the past to assess the present and then determine what actions are necessary to change your future. You take what you know and apply it to how you want to grow. Thus, the power of journaling.” ~ Melissa Steginus

A simple way to start is to brainstorm questions to ask yourself. They could be the same questions that you use every day, week or month to consider. You can also include exploratory questions to get you thinking and being creative.

A great daily question, which was highlighted in the book, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being by Dr Martin Seligman, can be as simple as:

“What went well today and why?”

Other daily questions could be:

“Did I accomplish what I set out to do today?”

“What did I learn from today?”

“What are my priorities?”

Ask questions to inspire possibilities, creativity and insights

In Think Like Da Vinci by Michael Gelb, he shares that Leonardo Da Vinci used notebooks to record everything! From ideas, impressions, observations and thoughts from scholars he admired, jokes and fables, philosophical musings and prophecies, pens for inventions, painting and doodling to personal finance records and letters. Seven thousand pages of Da Vinci’s notebooks existed. Michael Gelb shares that we can develop our sense of curiosity through journaling.

He suggests the 100 questions exercise. Create a list of 100 questions that you could muse on. It could be about anything. How to have more fun? How to love more? What is the meaning of life?

Create this list in one sitting and quickly. When you’ve finished your list, he suggests you review your list for themes and then find the top ten questions that intrigue you and pique the most interest. Use this as the basis of your journaling practice.

Here are the top ten questions Michael Gelb suggests as a catalyst for personal growth and fulfilment:

“When am I most naturally myself? What people, places, and activities allow me to feel most fully myself?”

“What’s one thing I could stop doing, start doing, or do differently, starting today that would most improve the quality of my life?”

“What is my greatest talent?“

“How can I get paid for doing what I love?”

“Who are my most inspiring role models?”

“How can I best be of service to others?”

“What is my heart’s deepest desire?”

“How am I perceived by: my closed friend, my worst enemy, my boss, my children, my co-workers, etc?”

“What are the blessings of my life?”

“What legacy would l like to leave?”

Many strategies for journaling

Asking questions of yourself is an easy way to start but there are other options too. Many highly productive people have also used a technique from Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way called Morning Pages.

Morning Pages is simply three pages of long hand, stream-of-consciousness writing first thing in the morning. The idea is to pick up the pen and not to put it down until you have done your three pages. You write whatever is in your head, even if you start off with writing…I don’t know what to write!

The purpose of morning pages, Julia says, is “once we get those muddy, maddening, confusing thoughts [nebulous worries, jitters, and preoccupations] on the page, we face our day with clearer eyes.”

There are plenty of methods and suggestions, but there are no real rules for journaling. Find what sparks your interest and run with it. You might want to go out and buy yourself a fancy, leather bound notebook and make a real ritual of your journaling. Maybe you want to just pop a notebook and pen by your bed to record those last minute thoughts before sleeping. Or maybe you’re a voice memo, index card or word doc. kind of journaler. It doesn’t matter how you journal, just that you do!

Writing online vs writing by hand

A common question when it comes to journaling is:

“Should I hand write it or can I just type away on the computer?”

Some people might find it easier to journal on the computer – Google docs, WordPress, Medium or even Microsoft Word give you easy ways to type away your thoughts and reflections. Not to mention an easy way to store your thoughts and reflections!

But there are potential downsides of digital journaling. It may just be too easy to click over to Facebook or your latest email that pops into your inbox. We spend so much time in front of screens these days that any opportunity to take habits offline might be worth considering.

There are also many benefits to writing by hand. Loads of studies have shown the diverse benefits of handwriting in relation to memory, creativity, learning and expressing ideas.

Many studies have found that you connect more with words written by hand and that your brain can focus, understand and learn more from words that are written rather than typed.

There is something satisfying about opening up and using a nicely bound journal. It’s personal, it’s therapeutic, and it may make you feel like a writer in the 1920’s in Paris!

I’m going to let you decide which one works for you. I want you to think about which one you will actually do. Ultimately, the important thing is not how you do it, just that you DO IT! Will typing make it easier for you? Or are you keen to explore the benefits of handwriting?

Making it a Habit

So how do you make it a habit that you stick to? It’s all about the routines you use! Here are a couple of ideas for you to mix and match to find what might work best for you.

Last 10 minutes of your work day

Before you go to bed

Every Sunday night

A day once a quarter

Here are a few more tips to get you journaling:

  • Start small and keep your expectations realistic
  • Schedule journaling time into your day or week
  • Use different methods till you find one that resonates with you
  • Don’t stress about writing every single day
  • Where possible, always carry your journal with you
  • Keep it simple – just write!

When can you schedule it in? Is there another habit you can pair up with journaling? Self awareness is such a foundational skill for any leader. Self reflection and journaling will help your self awareness soar!

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The world needs more purpose-driven people. But where do you start? This inspiring guide will give you powerful insights to find and refine your own purpose in life.
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10 Challenges to Step Up in 2022

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So it’s at this time of the year, we are pondering how to make the most of the year ahead. What habits can stay and which ones need to go! What habits do you need to adopt to ensure you are living your best life.

As James Clear says in his book, Atomic Habits, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”

The fascinating realisation is you choose who you want to be. Every action you take is a step forward in a direction. What direction do you wish to go? Which path do you want to take? In today’s blog post we are exploring small actions, habits and mindsets to optimise how you spend your time!

Here’s my top ten personal challenges!

 

1. GOALS – Make a bucket list of 100 goals you’d like to achieve in your lifetime

So, let’s get clear on what we want to do with our lives. Think about all that you have done till now. Are there opportunities you may have missed? Experiences you want?

Can you list 100 goals that you’d like to achieve in your lifetime? This is often called a bucket list. Think about life as experiences – what experiences would you like to have?

Salsa dancing? Bungee jumping? Learn french? Be part of a book club?

How often do you step back and think about this? We are creatures of comfort, and our operating mode would prefer to do things that are familiar rather than explore something new. So we have to continually encourage ourselves to explore new things!

If you struggle with creating your 100 – think about certain themes in your life, for example, what’s 10 adventures you would like to have, 10 hobbies you would like to try, 10 goals you could do with friends, 10 things you would like to learn more about? Your list will only be limited by your imagination. Still struggling to reach 100 goals? Google other people’s bucket lists!

Don’t hold back, no goal is too big or too small!

 

2. ATTENTION – Unplug and tune into you

In today’s world– this is a HUGE one. Make this year the year you reclaim your attention.

Social media, app notifications, emails – these modern day conveniences erode your attention and willpower. How much time do you spend on your phone? How many times are you distracted with a notification? What do you do when you first wake up in the morning or straight before you go to bed at night?

Some of the biggest technology companies in the world are becoming world experts in developing addictions! This is not good for us.. It trains our brains to look for distractions instead of focusing on what’s really important. When we purposefully avoid boredom we miss out on the benefits of stillness and solitude which can boost our mental health, creativity and lead to a greater appreciation of others.

How many great ideas do you come up with whilst scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching YouTube?

It is in moments of boredom, reveals Manoush Zomorodi in her book Bored and Brilliant, that our brain shifts toward creative thinking. When bored, our minds are free to wander and dream, cycling through old memories and reflecting on the present and the future.

As Manoush says, “to think original thoughts, we must put a stop to constant stimulation.” So put down your phone and let your thoughts and ideas run free!

Just 25 minutes a day can equal 2 years of your life!

Think of the time you could regain in your life and put it towards achieving one of your 100 goals instead!

3. RESILIENCE – Take a cold shower

Hate the cold? That’s the whole point! If you want to build your sense of resilience, you need to do the things you hate. You can start with the act of taking a cold shower.

Cold exposure has been shown to have numerous health benefits such as improving your immune system, decreasing depression or help with weight loss – which is really great, but not the reason why we are doing it.

Physiological effects of a cold shower include increased heart rate, higher blood pressure and an elevated respiratory rate, all of which can make us feel more alert which creates a sense of invigoration which might even lead to us being more physically active.

The simple act of having a cold shower helps develop our ability to deal with discomfort. The more we practice dealing with discomfort, the more everyday annoyances won’t bother us anymore. We practice with cold showers so we can build our courage for the important moments in life that are uncomfortable.

Start with just 30 seconds at the end of your shower, increasing these bursts each time until you can manage 5 – 10 minutes at a time. The feeling of invigoration will be immediate – give it a go!

4. COURAGE – Face your fears and be bold

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

So the cold showers are building our courage – now it’s time to push out of those comfort zones and be bold.

Make a list of the boldest moves you could make. Think about the things that really scare you. Reaching out to that person who you admire, attending a conference, speaking in front of an audience, taking on a physical challenge, trying a new hobby.

Dr Stan Beechman, author of Elite Teams writes that fear is keeping you from reaching your potential. Conquering fear should be your primary goal in life.
What fears do you have?

The more you expose yourself to the things you fear, the less anxious they will make you. If the thought of speaking in public makes your palms sweat and your insides churn, start small by speaking up in a meeting, practice speeches in front of family and friends, and take a public speaking class.

Imagine the worst thing that could happen if you do something that scares you – is it really that bad? If we can nurture ourselves through negative emotions and experiences we open ourselves to growth and expose ourselves to otherwise unforeseen opportunities.

Face your fears and unlock your full potential!

5. RELATIONSHIPS – Find people who inspire you

Crowd your life with people who inspire you.

You can start easily with books and podcasts. Then find meetups, events or communities. Invest time in developing the relationships in your life.

Friendships are important to our mental and emotional wellbeing and studies have revealed that healthy social relationships can even lengthen our lives. Even having just one or two strong, healthy relationships can have a positive effect on your health.

Friendships take time and effort. In the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Jeffrey Hall, professor of Communication Studies, suggested that it’s all about the time we invest. His results showed that it takes 40 to 60 hours to form a casual friendship, 80 to 100 hours to be upgraded to being a friend, and about 200 hours to become “good friends”.

An evolutionary psychologist Robin Dunbar, proposed the social brain hypothesis that predicts there is a limit to the number of people we can maintain friendships with. We have the capacity to maintain approximately 150 relationships. Considering the time it takes to form friendships and that our available time is finite, make sure the time you invest is well directed.

Let’s start clocking up time with people who bring out the best in us!

6. GIVING – Find ways to give back

There are so many ways we can play our part in creating a better world – we can give our money, time, expertise or resources. Stand up for something. Recognise the challenges in our world and do something about it. Get informed. Get together with others and get doing something different because of it.
Our world needs change makers. You can be that change maker.

What’s a cause that is truly meaningful to you? Perhaps it’s something that lights the fire in your belly – gets you angry or annoyed. Find an organisation that matters to you and donate your skills for a couple of hours. Maybe you are good at organising and you can help them organise their space, or maybe you have great writing skills and you can help them with their newsletter. Mahatma Gandhi stated “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”.

When people think of giving they often think of monetary contributions but giving can be as simple as offering friendship or a shoulder to lean on to someone in need. Perpetuate a cycle of giving that inspires those around you and be a part of making the world a better place. Perhaps it’s time for you to find your first community board position?

7. SELF AWARENESS – Create a list of journaling questions

Michael Gelb in his book, Think like Da Vinci explores the habits and rituals of the great Leonardo Da Vinci. In his one short lifetime, Leonardo Da Vinci was creative, a scientist, a town planner and an inventor just to name a few. Da Vinci journaled about everything – his ideas, his learning, his findings and more.

Channel your inner Da Vinci and create your curiosity list. Start by writing down a question that you can ponder in your journal.

  • Am I in the right job or career?
  • How can I use my strengths more everyday?
  • What does love look like to me?
  • How can I be fearless?

Just keep brainstorming questions until you get to 100 – try to do this in one sitting! Then review your list and group them into patterns or similarities. Once you’ve done that, see if you can choose 10 power questions to keep handy when you are journaling.

Da Vinci was far from alone in his habits, Beethoven, Marie Curie and Winston Churchill all journaled to but journaling is no longer considered old fashioned so join the likes of Richard Branson, Oprah and Lady Gaga and get your journaling on!

You can never again have the excuse….but I don’t know what to journal about!

8. STRENGTHS – Hone your superpowers

Do you truly understand, foster and utilise your strengths?

Your innate talents combined with your knowledge and skills, creates your strengths. These are your superpowers.

In order to hone your strengths you need to identify what they are. Your true superpowers are those things you truly enjoy doing. You might not be particularly good at doing these things yet, but you feel engaged and satisfied when pursuing them. Once you identify these practices you enjoy wholeheartedly, just keep doing them and developing them. One of the most influential psychologists of the twentieth century once said “A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself.”

Focus on building mastery in your areas of strength. Are you a technical expert, a connector, an entrepreneur, a pace setter? Whatever you are, double down on your areas of strength.

“We fail to realize that mastery is not about perfection. It’s about a process, a journey. The master is the one who stays on the path day after day, year after year. The master is the one who is willing to try, and fail, and try again, for as long as he or she lives.”
~ George Leonard from Mastery

In what ways, can you keep on the path of your mastery and develop your superpowers this year?

9. FOCUS – Break up with complaining

Why not make this the year that you stop complaining!

Do you enjoy a good whine? I think everyone does. But how much do you do it everyday? It can be quite surprising how easily we can fall into complaining all the time!

Time to break the habit.

Will Bowen, author of A Complaint Free World came up with a simple challenge….

“Begin to wear the bracelet on either wrist. When you catch yourself complaining, gossiping, or criticizing, move the bracelet to the other wrist.” The aim is to keep the bracelet on the same wrist for 21 consecutive days.

If you hear someone else who is wearing a purple bracelet complain, it’s okay to point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm; BUT if you’re going to do this, you must move your bracelet first! Because you’re complaining about their complaining.

Stay with it. It may take many months to reach 21 consecutive days. The average is 4 to 8 months.

What a challenge!

Why should we kick the complaining habit? There are many reasons:

  • Complaining induces our stress response which is not good for our brains.
  • Complaining makes it hard to see the possibilities and open our minds.
  • Pessimists report worse physical and mental health than optimists.

This is a great challenge to first be aware of how much you complain and then complete the challenge to erase it from your conversation.

10. VISION – Expand your thinking to the decade ahead!

Instead of thinking about where you want to be and do this year, why not think about where you want to be in 10 years time? What age will you be? What will you be doing? What do you hope you will be doing and what do you want your life to look like?

Commit to the long term. We are a very short term-focused society, our fast developing technology has spoilt us and means we like things instantly. Have you noticed?

Peter Diamandis, author of Bold, bucks the trend here with his challenge – what’s your 25-year commitment? He says, imagine publicly making a 25 year commitment to something you’re passionate about?

Committing to a long term goal will provide you with an opportunity to keep learning. It will allow you to try things out, make mistakes and figure out what works.

Write your commitment down and stick it on your fridge, your closet door, even in your bathroom. Keep it in the front of your mind and take every opportunity to work toward it.

There is great power in this type of long term thinking to make a greater impact in our lives and in society. So what’s your 25 year commitment?

Well that’s it – my top 10 challenges to help you improve your 2022 and beyond. What do you think?

Get this Free Guide: 6 POWERFUL SECRETS TO FIND YOUR HIGHEST PURPOSE IN LIFE

The world needs more purpose-driven people. But where do you start? This inspiring guide will give you powerful insights to find and refine your own purpose in life.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Four practical experiences to clarify your purpose

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For years I’ve been helping people uncover a truly meaningful purpose in life.  There are a number of truly wonderful reflective (research based) activities you can do to demystify purpose, break it down, understand it and start to form it for yourself. This is your life’s work to keep focused on it and refine it to give you meaning in your life.

I love it so much that I developed a 3-month online program called the Greater Good Collective, where I walk through these reflective activities as well as practical challenges to get you not only thinking and reflecting but talking with others, stretching yourself and doing stuff – to help you uncover your purpose in life!

In this post, I wanted to share four practical activities that will help you in your journey to purpose as they have done in mine.

1. Volunteer

“If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.” – Kofi Annan, seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Volunteering has been the BIGGEST pathway to purpose for me. I started volunteering as a ten year old in my school environment club and I’ve never stopped. The picture to the right is me at my first international conference representing my community project and country!

It’s allowed me to see the challenges in the world and focus on how I can contribute to them. It’s given me a platform to develop my skills and master my strengths. It’s offered me the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with some incredible people from around the world! The list goes on.

Finding a cause that is not focused on you but other people (or animals or our environment) taps into a deep force of energy in our lives.

How to start?

  1. There are many websites that can connect you with volunteering opportunities. If you have no idea where to start – try a few out to see what really connects and engages you.
  2. See if your family, friends or workplace are involved in any volunteering projects.
  3. Get a group of friends together and find a place to volunteer as a group.

 

2. Travel abounds

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustav Flaubert, French novelist.

Whether it’s a regional town in Western Australia, a very large city in China or the regional communities of Italy, my travels have taught me so much and maybe most importantly it’s taught me that how I live is not the only way to live.

There is a huge world out there. Taking the time to explore how people live their lives gives us a greater understanding of our own culture, values and norms. It highlights our own worldview and hopefully allows us to gently uncover how you came to that worldview.

Another way that you can do this in your own backyard is to meet people who are different to you. Perhaps from a different culture or religion. Attend multicultural festivals, eat at different restaurants, explore the different cultural museums. In Western Australia (my home town), we have the incredible Museum for Freedom and Tolerance facilitating powerful experiences to break down barriers and invite curiosity and learning.

How to start?

  1. Be a tourist in your own city.
  2. Learn about another culture.
  3. Pick up a novel that takes you to another place.

 

3. Experience (or create your own) art

“Art is something that makes you breathe with a different kind of happiness.” – Anni Albers, German-born American textile artist and printmaker.

We are all artists, remember that! Music, art, theatre, comedy or dance to name just a few.

These experiences get us out of our heads and into our bodies. It’s an opportunity to truly be in the present moment – without worrying about the past or the future. To just be! This is the transformative power of the arts.

Art gives us a safe place to challenge boundaries and learn through being part of an absorbing experience. The creativity of art gives us inspiration in our own lives and helps us fully tap into the human experience.

I love how art organisations are continually stepping up and giving us transforming experiences to share with our friends and family. I can highly recommend Perth Symphony Orchestra and the WA Ballet in my hometown.

How to start?

  1. Go visit the Art Gallery, see a play, go to a concert or comedy show.
  2. Get into art yourself – sign up for an art class, dance class or do some improv!
  3. Listen to different music than you usually would – jazz, African, hip hop or classical.

 

4. Revel in Nature

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” – Rachel Carson, marine biologist, author, and conservationist.

There was nothing like hiking up the mountain to Tiger’s Nest (Paro Takstang) to the sacred Buddhist site and temple located on the cliffside of Paro Valley in Bhutan (see the pic above at the halfway point to Tiger’s Nest which you can see in the distance on the side of the cliff). The natural environment has a transformative power to invigorate. The good thing is you don’t even need to go to Bhutan to experience this. The beach, stars, trees, waterways and connection to animals can do this for us too.

Nature improves our mental health. It helps us to think clearly. It encourages us to breathe deeply. My friend Erika runs beautiful walking tours in Margaret River and around the world.

Nature creates this space for mindfulness. It encourages movement and increases the use of our senses – touch, smell, sound and sight.

The trouble is that we are too disconnected from nature in modern society. We forget about its transformative nature. We wonder why we lack clarity when we are cooped up in buildings all day every day.

How to start?

  1. Watch a sunrise or sunset. Observe the rhythms of nature.
  2. Find a short walk or hike close to home.
  3. Find your natural environment happy place – is it at the beach, under the trees, near a river, the outback, in a park or out under the stars.

 

Get started today

And this is just four practical experiences to help you find and live your true purpose in life! These practical experiences can support and inspire the self reflection and awareness needed to define your purpose in life.

 

Get this Free Guide: 6 POWERFUL SECRETS TO FIND YOUR HIGHEST PURPOSE IN LIFE

The world needs more purpose-driven people. But where do you start? This inspiring guide will give you powerful insights to find and refine your own purpose in life.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.