Leadership matters! I help leaders develop the skills and capabilities they need to be successful in all four areas of technical leadership. As a business coach I stop businesses from failing. I use an AI-enabled simulation process to help business owners find revenue and profit opportunities "hideen" in their financials and track their numbers. This newsletter has short, easy tips and stories for anyone interested in leadership. Enjoy!
Use the Navigate power to reduce stress
|
Is stress slowing you down? Harming your health and peace of mind? Here is a technique that you may find helpful. This comes from the Positive Intelligence® library. (I have another class starting the week after Labor Day. Contact me or click here to get more info.) To start, think about the many past events and circumstances throughout your life that have caused you stress and worry. At the moment that you're feeling the stress, those events or circumstances feel important!
Your mind tells you that you have good reason to be stressed, but that is the lie of your Saboteurs. How do we know? Think about what percentage of things that you have stressed and worried about over the years proved worthy of that stress in the long run. Compare that to the percentage of your worries and stresses that turned out to be ultimately unimportant; not worthy of your suffering in the moment and losing your peace of mind. Over the years when we ask that question, a common answer is somewhere between 90 to 99% of the past worries proved to be unimportant and unworthy. What's your percentage number? What percentage of your worries and stresses have been just a waste of your mental and emotional energy? For today, let's use your Sage's Navigate power to counter the constant lie of your Saboteurs who tell you that the situation or circumstance you're facing justifies feeling stressed and worried. Ask yourself the Navigate question: “At the end of my life, looking back at this situation, would this matter? Would this make a lasting difference in anything? Would this feel worthy of concern and stress?” Notice that, based on your past experience, the true answer to that question would probably be a big “No” about 90% to 99% of the time. So try that today. Every time something stresses you, ask yourself, "At the end of my life, looking back at this situation, would this matter? Would this make a lasting difference in anything? Would this feel worthy of concern and stress?" Hopefully, you'll keep realizing the answer is no. When you hear that answer, then just go ahead and deal with the situation and take any action you need to take. But just don't worry about it. Action minus the stress. As a final tip in some situations, instead of asking “At the end of my life looking back,” you might want to ask “At the end of this project,” or “At the end of this job,” or “At the end of this year looking back,” in case you find a shorter time horizon to be more helpful to you. Try this, and you'll discover that it can significantly reduce your stress. Check out my PQ page for more information. See if you can make this fun! |
Steve Semler
Leadership matters! I help leaders develop the skills and capabilities they need to be successful in all four areas of technical leadership. As a business coach I stop businesses from failing. I use an AI-enabled simulation process to help business owners find revenue and profit opportunities "hideen" in their financials and track their numbers. This newsletter has short, easy tips and stories for anyone interested in leadership. Enjoy!
Are you dealing with change in your organization? Tough times require more communication. When change is happening, don’t wait until you have “The Answers” to talk with people. When many leaders face challenges with change, they tend to communicate less because answers aren’t clear. Their natural reaction is to wait until they have something concrete and definite to talk about. This is a mistake. Image credit nik on Unsplash In the absence of a constant stream of clear and relevant...
This week I hope you might enjoy a quick peek at three tips from my new book, “Profit Accelerator: 12 AI-Enabled Strategies to Double your Small Business Income.” This book is for business owners looking for ways to grow their business in smart, doable ways. Taking strategies from accounting and post-pandemic buying psychology, it’s surprising what people can accomplish when they apply these ideas in their own businesses. But first… READERSHIP CHECK! ACTION: Please reply to this email with...
Have you ever gotten the “Sell Me This Pen” challenge in an interview? You can apply Positive Intelligence® principles to get a realistic and honest solution to the challenge. Check this out. (I have another PQ class starting the week after Labor Day. Contact me or click here to get more info.) First, understand that the "Sell Me This Pen" interview question isn't about selling a pen. It's a test of your sales skills, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of the customer's...