The Atlas

Self-awareness fuels the power of choice

Last week's class with Gallup around strengths was, as I noted in my late-posted video from last Friday, absolutely exceptional. And not just because of the fantastic tools or amazing assortment of people, but because I find tremendous value in the framework of using our personal strengths as a lense for how we approach the important aspects of our lives.

At iPEC (my coaching training program), the focus is on your personal energy level -- what level you bring to what you do and who you interact with, and how you can learn to recognize it and the manage it, so that you are choosing the right level of energy for the right audience and circumstances.

From my perspective, the way these two things work together is truly powerful and extremely applicable in everyday life -- in everything from tackling a disagreement with your partner, to resolving a conflict at work. And the more clearly we each understand both of these things, the easier it gets to CHOOSE how we show up and deal with something, rather than just be a victim to our habits and old ways of thinking/behaving.

And if there is anything that a good Type-A control freak like me enjoys, it's something that helps me feel empowered to influence what I want, rather than simply rolling the dice and hoping. (Hope is not a strategy!)

But while both frameworks help us each understand where we find ourselves to be the most in-tune with our best selves, neither of them is an excuse to skip over the things we don't like. In other words, just because I might not be a super deliberative detail-oriented person (which I am so not!), does not mean I don't have to do my bookkeeping or pay my taxes.

It does mean, however, that I have a new assortment of tools at my disposal to learn to manage my way through tasks like that, which I have historically just procrastinated on or out-right avoided (always, of course, to my own detriment).

So this week, I have an offer to make you: as part of my Gallup Certification, I have to do a set of strengths-based coaching sessions (and then the client has to fill out a survey to confirm). If you are interested in taking Gallup's Strengths Assessment (or have already taken it), I am offering a free one-hour coaching session to the first 5 people who email me and get it scheduled before Thanksgiving.

There are so few things in this world about which I get zealous, but I will freely admit that this is one of them. I will be digging into the material around this over the coming weeks, but anyone who is interested in a jump start is welcome to contact me and let's get the ball rolling sooner.

Best,
Alora's Signature