“The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed…”

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“The potential of the average person is like a huge ocean unsailed, a new continent unexplored, a world of possibilities waiting to be realized and channeled toward some great good.”

– Brian Tracy, motivational speaker and author

During my initial full-day workshop to prepare my clients for coaching, I have them do a core values exercise where they narrow down a list of 60 values down to 20, then 10, then finally 3.

A very high percentage of the time, the value of “personal growth and development” (living up to the full use of their potential) makes at least the top 10.

Exercise:

What new oceans will you be sailing and what new continents do you plan to explore in the near future? How will you channel the potential within you toward some great good?

Consider exploring the work of Peter Senge, who wrote The Fifth Discipline and The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, from which the list I use was developed:

www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Practice-Learning-Organization-ebook/dp/B000SEIFKK

www.amazon.com/Fifth-Discipline-Fieldbook-Strategies-Organization-ebook/dp/B004MPR6PQ

“Our brains become magnetized with the dominant thoughts we hold in our minds and…”

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“Our brains become magnetized with the dominant thoughts we hold in our minds and by means with which no man is familiar, these ‘magnets’ attract to us the forces, the people and the circumstances of life which harmonize with the nature of our dominant thoughts.”

– Napoleon Hill, early self-help author

I’ve broken one of my own guidelines to share this quote by Napoleon Hill. It is much longer than the quotes I normally use – and yet a fundamental premise of coaching is being willing to go outside your comfort zone, or break a pattern so a new world can emerge.

Perhaps by breaking a self-imposed rule here, I’ve simply embraced my own coaching in order to bring wise thinking to you and to others.

Exercise:

There is a new TV series on the science channel called Futurescape, narrated by James Woods:

science.discovery.com/tv-shows/futurescape

In one of the first episodes they will be reviewing research from New York University on the ability to read our thoughts.

What are your dominant thoughts and how are they manifesting in the reality of your life?

If you could simply make a switch to a more entertaining, engaging and prosperous “channel” in your life, what would the programming be?

“Don’t think of your goals – think from your goals.”

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“Don’t think of your goals – think from your goals.”

– Unknown

We are entering the holiday season and before you know it, we will be into a new year filled with promise and great opportunities. It’s that time again to reflect on what we have accomplished this year and begin the journey forward.

Quote 417Image from Flickr by Lara Cores

Regardless of how much or even how little may have been achieved, consider a new approach to goal setting for the coming year. This quote suggests that we use our goals as a magnet to attract and pull us forward in thoughts and deeds to realize them.

Exercise:

Begin with the end in mind and think from your goals and you will see the action steps and milestones more clearly than ever before.

Consider picking up a copy of Stephen Covey’s famous book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and pay particular attention to Habit #2 which is “begin with the end [goals] in mind.”

You may wish to watch this video, which starts with the above quote: vimeo.com/23265082

“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action toward your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”

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“Live your truth. Express your love. Share your enthusiasm. Take action toward your dreams. Walk your talk. Dance and sing to your music. Embrace your blessings. Make today worth remembering.”

—Dr. Steve Maraboli, behavioral scientist and author

Image from Amazon

Today’s quote packs quite a punch. It is actually eight bite-sized pieces of coaching stuck together. Take a moment to separate each of these nuggets of wisdom and see how well you are doing in each area by rating yourself on a 1 – 10 scale.

Exercise:

Select at least one of these areas you wish to enhance today and in the coming weeks, and identify a specific action or two that will take you to the next level.

Feel free to choose a second, third, etc.

“It’s not about an opening weekend. It’s about a career, building a set of films you’re proud of.”

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“It’s not about an opening weekend. It’s about a career, building a set of films you’re proud of.”

– George Clooney, actor

If you were to win an award for lifetime achievement, what would the highlight reel contain before they introduced you?

In today’s society, we seem enthralled with one hit wonders in many areas of life. We watch the hottest YouTube clips or we listen to the catchiest songs of the day. We focus on subjects that grab the headlines on the nightly news or even in our RSS feeds.

Clooney is suggesting we consider our enduring legacy as the effort and accomplishment over time that demonstrates staying power and some permanence.

Exercise:

What else do you want or need to accomplish in the year ahead to be worthy of your own lifetime achievement award?

“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. And the best time to love is now.”

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“The best use of life is love. The best expression of love is time. And the best time to love is now.”

– Rick Warren, Christian pastor and author

In the world of business and executive coaching, the subject of love is rarely discussed in great depth. In the field of life or personal coaching, it’s far more acceptable and often very welcomed.

Many coaches, including myself, believe that all coaching is life coaching, with variable degrees of focus on the areas of greatest importance. When you dig into these areas, of course, what you then discover is that foundation of love.

Exercise:

How can you stand on a foundation of love and give your time to those things you care deeply about – now?

“Everyone thinks of changing the world but no-one thinks of changing himself.”

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“Everyone thinks of changing the world but no-one thinks of changing himself.”

– Leo Tolstoy, author

I have to admit it: I never took the time to read War and Peace, or Anna Karenina, two of Tolstoy’s greatest novels. Maybe if Tolstoy was a blogger, I would be more versed in his work!

An interesting fact about him is that he was known as a moral thinker and social reformer. Some of his works are noted to have had significant impacts on individuals such as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Exercise:

What small or large changes can you make in yourself now and in the coming year that will not only change your world but perhaps also the world around you?

“Dreams are powerful reflections of your actual growth potential.”

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“Dreams are powerful reflections of your actual growth potential.”

– Denis Waitley and Reni L. Witt, authors

The vast majority of individuals who work with a coach have “personal growth and development” as a core value. They’re constantly engaged in challenging themselves (and their own current skills and abilities) in order to be a better version of themselves tomorrow.

Dreaming and envisioning a new and brighter future has an amazingly attractive power that works as a catalyst and mobilizes these individuals to passionately and courageously act in the direction of their dreams.

One of the roles and responsibilities of a coach is to elicit, cajole, tempt and even pull these visions and dreams out of their clients with powerful and provocative questions.

Exercise:

Create a list of engaging and powerful questions for yourself and those around you that will strengthen and grow your “dreaming” muscle to expand your potential to grow into your very best self.

Consider visiting my past post for a list for another exercise to help you explore your potential: www.thequotablecoach.com/potential-2/quote-from-psychologist-and-philosopher-william-james

If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself

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“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

– Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist

image of Einstein with children

Image from Encyclopedia Britannica

In the world of physics, perhaps no-one is more famous than Albert Einstein. He is best known for the formula E = mc2 where E =energy, m stands for mass and c represents the speed of light.

There is genius in simplicity, in that it brings ideas and insight into our lives. Compare programming your first VCR with the simplicity of many of our plug-and-play devices today.

Exercise:

Look up the term “Occam’s Razor” and explore how making things in your life simpler is a road toward unleashing your own genius and creating a more user-friendly, workable world.

“The gratification comes in the doing, not in the result.”

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“The gratification comes in the doing, not in the result.”

– James Dean, actor

A coaching colleague, Michael Bungay Stanier, is a remarkable guy. He has built a fantastic company, Box of Crayons, and has written a number of outstanding books. Among them is one called Do More Great Work.

I find it interesting that this title emphasizes the act of doing, which comprises the vast majority of the time we spend engaged in our daily efforts, versus simply reaching the top of some professional summit or finish line, about to take a short-lived victory lap.

Exercise:

Please visit Michael’s website at boxofcrayons.biz and purchase his wonderful book and other resources to help you find your own gratification through doing more great work.