Scratch beneath the surface. Pay attention to the feelings you’re experiencing. When a pattern persists refuse to bury it & find the way into it, to discover the lesson it offers.

I can’t get all caught up in what I’ve done. I still have plenty to accomplish in the game. Hopefully, I’m just scratching the surface.” – Alex Rodriguez

What lies beneath and before us matters! Start diving or digging in.

“It is believed that the average person uses no more than 10% of his or her potential. Ten percent! We’re not even scratching the surface of what we’re capable of. We are all blessed with a continent of unexplored gifts and talents. Use them, or lose them!” – Clifton Anderson

The 2020 theme of identity continues with this week’s focused exploration. Each of us consist of a multitude of identities. In fact with preparation, we benefit from considering and balancing the impact of our actions as they relate to each of our identities.

In the Kickass Koach podcast episode dropped August 31st, I recall an old Frasier episode wherein Frasier is honoured with a life achievement award and struggles with the emptiness he is feeling in his life as he looks forward to what this means.

For the newsletter, I share more related to the A-Rod quote I offer above. I argue that we move forward with greater confidence when we recognize what we have accomplished and contributed in the past.

Finally, in this post I dig into the depth of taking charge of developing the future-self as we want that person to be. Who we are can influence what we do and together they will build the future-self we want to be.

Scratching the Surface as a Start

“You know, people seldom go to the trouble of scratching the surface of things to find the inner truth.” – Jimmy Stewart

Perhaps wisdom or insight or discovery happens despite our refusal to dive deeply. However, I doubt it.

We benefit from learning more about what motivates us and what makes us happy. We will figure out what we want in the future through a deeper dive inside. I doubt we discover what will make us happy by just creating more tasks in our life. When Jimmy Steward references the inner truth, he is pointing to the deeper part of who we really are. When we are able to visit that part of our self we find the source of our identity. This is how we begin to develop the future-self. The person we want to be.

Earlier today I heard a speaker discuss the future-self as the operating system and the current self as the application. That resonated for me. The operating system has a broader perspective and interacts with all apps. Developing, changing or replacing an app is easy work. Developing, changing or rebuilding the operating system is a much more complex task. To be who we want to be requires us to dig deeply. In fact, it is the only way to update or reconfigure the operating system that is us.

Scratch beneath the Surface & Learn

I will continue my analogy of the application and the operating system. Who we are is massive. Our habits and tendencies are deeply embedded. Furthermore, our values and inclinations are engrained from an early age. Moreover, some are inherited and many are the result of proximity.

Meaningful change relies on deep transformative learning. We learn when we open our self up to discovery. Discovery starts with a willingness to change the operating system, one app at a time, as a start. Secondly we must be willing to rebuild the main frame.

I recall leading a North American team in the late 90’s. One responsibility we had was collecting performance data, interpreting it and developing programs based on the learning. I fought and won the budget for a technical advisor who build all kinds of A.I. programs for us. My imagination kept requiring more and more apps. On day, Craig, the lead developer, told me they needed to rebuild the foundation because they hadn’t created the operating system to handle all that was now being added. I was annoyed. I admitted I didn’t understand.

As I processed his advice I realized it is much like scaffolding in learning. If the foundation is not firmly build limitations in the learning eventually require us to go back to the basics. Once he and his team rebuild our operating system, all the apps became more efficient and we could connect more elements together.

Like that system, for each to continue learning and growing we must be willing to scratch beneath the surface to get at our essence periodically to increase our capacity.

Scratch the surface to go deeper

Again, I will continue with my metaphor of the operating system and the applications.

Each application sits on the surface of the operating system. My ability to story tell or deliver a powerful address to a large audience is an application. The foundation of a meaningful or powerful story or lecture is built on all the wisdom and experience I have developed.

Wisdom starts with knowing the self. That requires us to dig deeply. Wisdom isn’t just a compilation of experiences. It requires that we connect the dots. Most dots or insights that add meaning require that we dig deeply. Vulnerability is an essential ingredient in authenticity. It is the raw and attractive part of truly connecting with another person. When we are able to go to this deep place, we reach the continent of unexplored gifts and talents within each of us as the Anderson quote above references.

The reward for the work is in finding the strengths, gifts, insights, potential and values that lay deeply within each of us. Some may say this is the purpose of each of our lives.

Life is one big Experiment

When life is an experiment, we focus on what we can learn about our self and about the world. As Einstein’s fellow theoretical physicist said, “When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.” – Max Planck

Continuous learning and fresh insights are the goal of the experimental approach. What will the evidence teach us? Moreover, this approach is generative in addition to being iterative. With an experimental collaborative approach, we may find progress is faster and we go further. In collaboration we can crack this, but only together with a willingness to learn and honour the data and the stories will we arrive where we seek to go.

We may be capable of more closely monitoring and learning from our choices and decisions and build capacity to adjust our actions to meet the current situation. Then, we may influence how things unfold. There’s a difference between wanting something and making something happen. With the mindset necessary to perform under pressure we’re able to influence results more deeply. This mindset that relies on clarity, curiosity and a resilient spirit we accept no excuses, only meaningful results. Furthermore, it’s essential we learn to evaluate the risk of any action, removing the very human emotions that cloud our judgment.

Walk with me.

Together let’s examine options consciously and authentically to make choices that move us strategically toward where we want to be. Where may client wants to go is my paramount focus. Strategy is a about choices. Execution on these choices requires masterful performance. Furthermore, a well-developed process allows us to enjoy the journey far more fully

Be part of the journey in 2020.

Start by subscribing to my mailing list . Subscribers receive:

My interactive exercise to begin reducing the impacts of stress and feelings of overwhelm will be sent.
My newsletter with the related podcast episode will be sent weekly.
Special offers will be available to subscribers monthly including: a random offer of a complimentary one hour coaching conversation, access to roundtable engagements and group coaching on identity and related subjects, as well as information on an initiative on which I’m collaborating: #FeMasCon.

Plan Forward with Bank Your Impact (BYI)

Alex Rodriguez looks forward realizing that is the only direction we can influence. Of course knowing our patterns and inclinations along with our values ad strengths as defined and developed in the past, we look forward to making our best future self a possibility. Choosing where to direct our attention, effort and impact is critical. Moreover, it’s our responsibility to focus on the skills, knowledge and capacities that move us to where we want to be. A career built on the skill of navigating and responding to opportunities as they arise is generative and progressive.

The BYI system helps participants build the strength to engage when challenges appear. It’s an approach focused on identifying options, making wise choices and committing to influencing desired outcomes. Furthermore, it takes a systematic and experiential approach to influence the outcomes we produce. Moreover, becoming aware of who we are being and how it produces the results in our life is a consequence of the choices we made and how we execute on those choices. Ultimately, creating the life we want starts with the actions we choose to take.

To get what we truly want in life, we need to be willing to persist, seek help, and continually look for transferable learning opportunities. Additionally, we need to be willing to question our choices and expand our options through healthy curiosity and a search for unique perspectives. Moreover, identifying and nurturing our identity is the place to start. A healthy meaningful and full life is made possible with clarity about our values, beliefs, patterns and habits. Additionally, our quality of life is influenced and shaped by our unique blend of strengths and inclinations. Undoubtedly, a growth mindset and open-minded approach are foundations to sustaining this healthy sense of self.

The System

The Bank Your Impact (BYI) System is about both developing and embedding self-awareness. Furthermore, the benefits of expanded resilience, connections built on understanding the impact of belonging and an ability to bolster a professional and authentic presence are foundational. Perhaps more than the other two, developing a foundational resilience is critical to with standing that which moves us into burnout.

The current system incorporates 1:1 coaching, roundtable conversations; eventually I’ll add a neuro-social learning experience (currently only available in organizational contracts but will be added to the system for individual engagement in 2021). My approach is based on the ICF (International Coaching Federation) standards. I’m meeting you (my clients) where you are, both as the coaching agreement begins, and in the moment that exists at the time of each conversation. Progress or growth is not a straight line. The ICA model is the framework for every conversation: Issue/Insight, Choice/Commitment, Action/Accountability. Over the past year I’ve been tightening the model to meet the needs of my clients.

Holding space to support my clients in:

Developing meaningful insights
Expanding/deepening perspective on those insights
Building/designing a practice to try on new ways of being/seeing OR experiment for discovery
Assessing progress, becoming agile in transfer of learning and application before developing additional insights

An organic experience

The experience is tailored around what you bring to each conversation, in my experience, there are common themes that arise including: self-awareness, mindfulness, mindset, communication, connections, and attitude. Self-awareness stands alone but is also a foundational theme. I have registered upwards of 40 sub-concepts that fit under each of these categories. Furthermore, I bring tools, skills and techniques to respond and guide our work together, informed by positive psychology, neuroscience, and management/leadership research.

Walk With Me, to Where You Want to Be

In all my blog posts in 2019, you will find this section outlines what brought me to this area of focus: supporting people in the early to middle part of their career as a #performance #coach.

You can read more about my work and my in the About Me section of the website and below is a recording of my #bigwhystory:

Feel like you’re living someone else’s destiny?

If that’s working for you, great. If it isn’t or it starts to be a problem, reach out. I welcome a conversation.

Willing to do the work to find more meaning?

With the skills to unpack the emotions and barriers and triggers and mindset challenges with the skills in my BYI system, participants begin to see the impact in their career and finally begin to discover what matters most to them. The bonus: they begin to see a path to get there. Join me… My system is intended to be meaningful, relevant, accessible and affordable. With that in mind, there are many ways to engage with me. Below are TWO ways to start, without spending a dime.

Walk with Me!

BOOK a complimentary exploratory 1:1 conversation 20-30 minutes.
SUBSCRIBE to my mailing list. You’ll receive an interactive exercise that you may use to reduce and manage stress or feelings of overwhelm. PLUS each week you’ll receive my podcast and reflections in your inbox AND you’ll be invited to monthly webinars and roundtable conversations.

In closing, I love bringing learning experiences to workplaces that are interested in raising their performance and encouraging their people.

Book me to speak at your conference or to a group in your organization. My workshops on building resilience, improving workplace outcomes through relationships, and increasing performance are big hits! In 2020 I’ve added a few workshops on gender engagement – how, by knocking off the boxes that limit us by gender we all find our capacity expands.Love

Scratch Beneath the Surface