Every once in a while life throws you into a scary storm when it feels like your walls are shaking, the winds of change are swirling, and your very life is on the brink of disaster. It could be a health challenge, a job that grinds you down, the loss of a loved one, debt, or a relationship challenge. Those big storms can take a devastating toll on your life causing you to shut down and stall out. But big storms are also a chance to hunker down and reflect while you determine your next move.
EMBRACING THE RISE MINDSET
When the stormy days of stress and change are upon you, it’s critical that you make the decision that you will come out the other side of the storm and not let it keep you down. To make this happen you must commit to the rise that is needed to elevate yourself above and beyond the chaos. It’s not enough to simply say you WANT to rise above. There are a few MUSTs that will make every dark day fade and every new beginning easier:
- You must live the commitment every day. Change takes time and patience.
- You must take the actions needed to move slowly but surely out of the eye of the storm. Wishing and hoping isn’t enough.
- You must be willing to sacrifice and stretch on a daily basis as you adjust to what’s new.
- You must value yourself enough that you are willing to fall in love with your new normal even though it’s different than before.
You are your best advocate and your best friend. Be nice to yourself and show the world your amazingness. Over the weekend my 93-year-old friend, Joan Kennedy, hosted a workshop where she spoke about healthy aging. (She is the world’s oldest living motivational speaker!) She said the following:
The RISE Mindset at Work
Not only does this apply personally but at work we are faced with constant pressure that requires a solid rise too. When you are dealing with a difficult boss, a challenging client, a potential layoff, or you simply dislike your daily tasks, it can push you into a place that feels scary. You spend so much time at work that it’s critical that you make those hours meaningful and powerful.
When it comes to overcoming the storms at work, it’s also about deciding to rise. Wishing and hoping for your career to be different won’t make a difference. Only a conscious choice to act and create forward momentum shifting into something different will make a difference.
You can lead at work and thrive at home by keeping the RISE code in mind. I will be outlining this in more detail throughout 2016 because not only is RISE my word of the year, but my next book is entitled, Risers, so you can rise too. Briefly here is what it means to rise:
- Results – You are willing to take the action needed to make things happen. You don’t simply sit back and wait or watch. You mobilize your energy to act. And it’s not just setting goals, but creating a plan that ties to the greater vision you have for your work and life.
- Intensity – You know that time, stress, and productivity are compromised when you get overloaded. It’s up to you to manage the intensity with which you work and live so you have breathing room, time for reflection, and the ability to act proactively instead of reactively to demands.
- Stability – At work and at home, you need routine and known forces to feel in control. When things spin beyond your comfort zone, it threatens your stability. You should learn what makes you feel stable while also pushing yourself to be more resilient in the face of change.
- Engagement – Life and work move so fast it’s hard to keep up. This can cause lack of focus, poor decision-making, and lack of fulfillment in your daily life. Being truly engaged means being grateful for your present state. It means creating a life that is filled with things that inspire and energize you so you give those things your full commitment.
Both at work and in life, your actions speak louder than words. To rise means you are taking those actions that will get you closer to the results, intensity, stability, and engagement you need in order to feel happy, productive, and excited about your current and future potential.
Want to get started now? Get my mini book, The Daily Rise: Leadership Edition. You can use it solo or with your work team to create a fresh perspective for personal and bottom line growth.
