Don't You Deserve To Achieve Big?

This week I drove to downtown Atlanta to hear my colleague JoAnn Corley, President of The Human Sphere, deliver a keynote to about 600 Human Resource professionals. JoAnn’s topic was on building your personal brand at work, why it matters and how to do it. Along the way, JoAnn addressed something that’s key to building your brand—the need for us to inspire ourselves to do exceptional work and to bring about positive change in the workplace. You might be thinking, “That’s nice, but why are you sharing this with me?

Too many employees look to their boss or senior management to inspire them. I tell my clients to empower themselves and to be the ultimate source of endless inspiration. If you have a boss or a company culture that is inspiring, your job of inspiring yourself is much easier. However, the reality is, you are responsible for your own inspiration and motivation. Now, more than ever, you need to know how to inspire yourself to unleash your greatness.

How do you do that? Here are my three tips:

Be visionary:
You need a vision that is meaningful; something that inspires you. It will get you through the setbacks and disappointments that are part of life. Your vision will also motivate you to grow and unleash your potential. You can make a difference at work and elsewhere. What do you want to become, achieve and how do you want to contribute? What’s your vision?

Feed your mind and spirit:
What we focus on and give our attention to shapes our thinking, then our thinking stirs our emotions, and finally, our emotions lead to our choices and behaviors. Decide today you will give yourself the mental and emotional fuel you need to inspire yourself to take action to bring your vision to life. Listen to something on the way to work or read something in the morning or evening that inspires you to be the significant, powerful and worthy person you are.

Challenge yourself:
We aren’t meant to go through life feeling safe, certain and comfortable. I’m not saying we don’t need some security—I’m saying too much of it dulls our senses. To inspire yourself, think about your vision for your life, look in the mirror and say (with unconditional positive regard) “I dare you!” Challenge yourself to be more audacious than you thought possible. Inspire yourself.

-Alan Allard, Executive Coach