Don’t Let Your Sizzle Fizzle!
I got Oprah-ed!
I jumped on the opportunity to enjoy Oprah Winfrey and her trailblazers’ “Life You Want” tour. I’m living the “Life I Want,” but a check-in always provides a directional boost. As a lifelong learner with a growth mindset, a weekend-long deep dive into my dreams was a welcome retreat.
The weekend opened with a typical over-the-top Oprah welcome, including her humorous yet moving story and motivational tidbits. During her grand entrance, the LED lights in our neon wrist bands glowed. Throughout the event they emitted different colors, depending on the speaker and the topic. Oprah invited us to work through exercises in our notebooks between speakers, similar to exercises I utilize with my coaching clients. They included creating a vision of the life we want around all aspects—spirituality, health and fitness, family and friends, environment, hobbies, contribution to the world, significant other, career and money. Of course, Oprah laughed as she shared the money section of her vision decorated with a billion happy faces!
I invited a girlfriend to attend with me. We came away from the weekend energized and motivated. I asked her what she was going to do with the information. She paused to think, not sure how to proceed with the overwhelming mix of ideas and exercises. She committed to working on her vision of life for her future.
Would she be able to maintain the glow, like the lighted wristband, without the event to spark her energy every day? So often we are enthused in the beginning but lose steam as the days fly by. How can we tap into that energy over and over again after attending a training, viewing an inspiring Ted Talk, reading a book that makes us feel like “Wow, I could do that,” or immersing ourselves in an Oprah weekend?
Here are seven ideas:
Start Right Away
Decide what the first step is that you will take with this new information. Make a commitment by telling a friend or writing it down. Put it on the calendar for a higher level of commitment. Promise yourself you will do it and imagine how your life will be if you make this change. Attach some emotion to it. Connecting a feeling to the new habit will assure greater success.
Visualize
Create a visual of how you would like things to be after you make the ideas part of your routine. It can be a drawing, a collection of pictures posted on your wall, a computerized vision board or simply a picture in your mind. Make a habit of thinking about your vision every day. Be open to ideas and people that might assist you on your journey.
Create a List
Make a list of all the things you don’t want to happen in reference to your goals. Then, next to each of those, write the exact opposite—what you do want to happen. Think about the obstacles in your way that prevent you from taking action. Focus on removing the obstacles and only look at what you do want to happen every day. Concentrate on moving forward by focusing on the positive and what you learned to keep you on track.
Turn It into a Game
Make a game out of it for yourself or compete with a friend to incorporate the new ideas into your life if this type of activity inspires you to action.
Look at Reminders of the Event
Place the materials you received at the event in a convenient place, where you will see them every day and be reminded of your new insights. Don’t let the materials get covered up with clutter. The visual reminder will keep you processing the new thoughts.
Share Takeaways
Share the information with another person. Teach them some of the highlights of what you took away from the event or your reading. Teaching another person is one of the best ways to deeply ingrain the information in your mind and ensure use.
Hire a Coach
Hire a coach to work with you to implement an action plan for your vision and remove any obstacles in your way like fear, doubt or negative self-talk.
My wristband is sitting on the counter in my kitchen. I discovered that when it was tapped, it would light up again. Now, every time I pass it, sitting there unlit and lifeless, I tap it on the counter, and it lights up with a beautiful colored glow. Some days when I need an extra boost, I wear the band all day. I am renewed and energized and on track to the Life I Want. Are you? Don’t let the taps grow fewer and farther apart. Stay sizzling, not fizzling.
Margaret A. Johnson
Margaret A. Johnson utilizes her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Business Administration, engineering license and PCC coaching credentials to inspire people and organizations throughout the world to move from S.O.S. (Same Old Stuff) to W.O.W.! (Well On the Way) to where they want to be. As president of Ideal Training, Inc., she partners with clients to unleash creativity, ignite ideas and remove barriers to success to assist them in solving problems and opening doors, and to keep her leadership and fitness classes engaging. She is a published author and keynote speaker on creativity and risk taking.
The views and opinions expressed in guest posts featured on this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of the International Coach Federation (ICF). The publication of a guest post on the ICF Blog does not equate to an ICF endorsement or guarantee of the products or services provided by the author.
Additionally, for the purpose of full disclosure and as a disclaimer of liability, this content was possibly generated using the assistance of an AI program. Its contents, either in whole or in part, have been reviewed and revised by a human. Nevertheless, the reader/user is responsible for verifying the information presented and should not rely upon this article or post as providing any specific professional advice or counsel. Its contents are provided “as is,” and ICF makes no representations or warranties as to its accuracy or completeness and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law specifically disclaims any and all liability for any damages or injuries resulting from use of or reliance thereupon.
