When talented people bring out their full potential, great results are possible. The extent to which any of us bring everything we are capable of to our job or any aspect of our lives is determined by the way we choose to behave. We can have all the skills and experience we need to succeed but unless we choose to behave in ways that enable the outcomes we want, we’re unlikely to get there.
Our behavioural choices are typically a reflection of our emotions and therefore the strength of our spirit. Imagine your spirit is a balloon filled with positive energy. The strength of this positive energy reserve has a profound impact on how you think, feel and behave. When your spirit is energised you are entirely more likely to feel optimistic, determined, driven or courageous. Conversely when drained of positive energy, thoughts and emotions that undermine success are likely to influence your choices.
Reflect for a moment on when your emotions have influenced your judgment and caused you to either miss an opportunity or make a mistake. When have your emotions served you well and inspired successful decisions in your life? Feeling confident, resilient, hopeful, passionate and determined are just some of the emotions that enable success. Feeling pessimistic, distrustful and resentful are just as likely to undermine your ability to achieve all you are capable of.
Managing our emotions and the impact they have on our choices first takes awareness. Observe the connection between the strength of your spirit and how you behave. Recognise when your emotions are influenced by your energy levels. Both when you are drained and feel down and when you are energised and feel engaged.
Choose to manage the way you think, the strength and wellbeing of your body, the positivity and health of your environments and the quality of your relationships and interactions with other people. Each has the power to energise or drain us of positive energy. Reflect on and understand how each energizes or drains your spirit.
Start with the mind
Choose positive thoughts; what you allow to go through your mind impacts the way you feel. The way you feel determines the extent to which you draw or lose positive energy from your experiences. Deliberately choosing to entertain thoughts that are energizing is an important way of strengthening your spirit.
1. Write a list of things you like about yourself; include your talents and best qualities.
2. Read your list each morning and reflect on how your strengths will influence your success that day.
3. Write or talk to someone about 2 things that have gone well at the end of each day.
And consider the body
The food you eat, rest you get and fitness you build all contribute to your physical and mental well-being. Consider the draining impacts of being unwell or unfit and take steps to ensure your body has a positive impact on your mind and energizing influence on your spirit.
1. Get enough sleep: most people need 7 1/2 to 8 hours each night to function at full capacity.
2. Give your body the fuel it needs by eating a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. Create time for exercise such as going for a walk in the morning before work
Factor in the environment
Take every opportunity to spend time in places and spaces you enjoy. If you are energized when near the sea, among trees, sitting in a vibrant city café, alone in a quiet library or in a cozy room with a view, spend time there. Strive to be wherever it is that gives you energy, as often as possible.
1. Travel the long way around occasionally if it means you get to see a view you enjoy.
2. Slow down enough to enjoy the time you get to be in places you like.
3. Prioritize the time you need to visit places you enjoy.
Relationships
The people we interact and engage with including our friends, family, colleagues, boss, customers and associates all have the potential to energize or drain us. How we allow people to behave toward us can have a profound impact on the strength of our spirit, health and well-being.
1. Recognize the types of people who uplift your spirit and spend more time with them.
2. Avoid being with people who drain your spirit and undermine your confidence.
3. Deal with issues before they escalate and become even more draining on your spirit.
By nurturing your spirit you improve your ability to maintain the strength you need to bring your best game to every day. Success at work, and in any area of life, takes consistency; that is of energy, effort and results. If you are looking to lift your performance or that of your team, focus first on energising your spirit and influencing the emotions that ultimately drive results.