Sara Hand

Does discouragement ever keep you from doing the things you need to do to be more productive?

3 Things you can do to change that.

1. Stop and breathe…Some people just run faster and try harder. Others shut down altogether. Neither response will effectively produce results over the course of time.

Take 3 deep breathes and release slowly each time. Your nervous system will kick in and you will begin to relax. When you relax you can make better choices.

Exercise: It releases endorphins which will help you feel better. Ride a bike, walk, dance…do something you love.

(Alcohol and other substances to “feel good” don’t count.)

Hold hands with someone you love. Look them in the face and TELL them that. Build Joy…Yes, Joy is a real thing.

2. Set realistic goals. The world is tough enough. Stop trying to be Super person. Unrealistic expectations reaffirm an inability to succeed. Affirmations are great, if you really believe that in your heart…if you don’t, it is NO better that the unrealistic goal. Let yourself grow into big goals, one baby step at a time.

3. Set up accountability with someone who actually cares whether you succeed or not. Ask someone to give you honest caring feedback. I have a coach, a counselor, and an advisory board and a couple of incredible friends that I have empowered to let me have it…they help me stay on track through constructive criticism and act as cheerleaders when the going gets tough. They believe in me, even when I may begin to doubt myself.

**I believe**

Leadership is not a job or a role that you play, but a lifestyle…an expression of who you are. When you plant words of life, you reap rapport and relationship. Rapport and relationship positions you for influence and influence can position you for almost anything.

However influence and leadership is not cheap. There is a price to pay. A price of accountability and of responsibility to those you lead, to those over whom you have influence. Good leadership doesn’t make decisions based on today or even just tomorrow.

Seeds of greatness lie within each individual. For many, those seeds will remain just that, seeds of unrealized potential and possibility. From others greatness will emerge. Lives will be changed and the world impacted as their choices ripple outward.

What makes the difference between those that become and those that don’t?

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  • They have a vision for something that is bigger than just them and extends beyond just today. It is a dream fueled by passion and connected to action.
  •  They deal with the uncomfortable, awkward and negative issues, situations and relationship challenges that arise. They know that simply waiting for it to go away could leave them waiting for the rest of their life and time is precious.
  • They understand the power of consequence and so not make decisions solely on the comfort and convenience of today.
  • They take action…EVERY DAY! They have accepted responsibility for the realization of their vision and move toward it step by step day by day. They don’t despise the small steps, but are thankful for even small increments of progress.
  • They have not only defined what they like, BUT ALSO what they don’t like. They don’t focus on the “NO’s”. However by clearly defining what “NO” looks like, they are able to recognize what carries negative influences much sooner.
  • They operate with grace. Because they choose to forgive, they are free to move forward and are not tied to the past.
  • They know what it is to be a part of a team. They know their own strengths and weaknesses and are not threatened by others whose strengths and weaknesses are different from their own. They are able to ask for help when they need it.
  • They are not afraid of change and they are not trying to make everyone happy. As they move forward there will be others who are not supportive and who do not agree with the choices and decisions that they make. They understand that old adage, “You can’t please everyone all the time.”

Being a leader and carrying influence is about being a steward over the potential of your team, of your organization…your company. It is about empowering them to step up and be leaders over their sphere of influence. It is about speaking to the possibilities that exist and moving towards that day by day. How will your organization move forward,  first as individuals and then as a team…TODAY?