Intentional Work, LLC

Visionary companies may appear strait-laced to outsiders, but they're not afraid to make bold commitments to Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs).

Like climbing Mt. Everest, going to the moon, putting a computer on every desk (sound familiar?), a BHAG can sound daunting, risky and maybe even dangerous...

... but the adventure, excitement, and challenge of it grabs people in the gut, gets their juices flowing and creates immense forward momentum. - Dan Zadra

2010 is the year to think big.After the last two years of status quo and major shifts in some paradigms, its time. And I believe it's high time to go BIG.

I'm inspiring my friends, family and clients (and myself!) to dream big, think big and then start taking baby steps, one small intentional action at a time, to make those things happen. I'm coaching people to get them inspired and wired to make things happen.

You can do it too. Your friends, family, clients, co-workers. Some ways to get you started.

1. Get clear about what you want. Crystal clear. Make a list of all that you want. Be specific.
2. Make sure it pertains to you. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. Make sure what you want is something you can effect.
3. Believe you can have it. Trust that it will arrive and know that it might not look like what you think it should.
4. Be grateful for what you already have. Say thank you. Over and over. Smile.
5. Build your community. Share your goal, your inspiration, your requests, your success. The universe does it all the time. What you put out, comes back to you (at least I think so). We help make that happen by sharing with others and that means giving and receiving.

Where do you want to go? What BIG things do you want? Share them!

'Tis the season and all that. And there's never a better time to start than now.

Because you're already here.

What to dive into 2010 with all your ducks in a row? What to jump start your BHAGs and get started now? Join me in January get to going full speed ahead!

It's true, we teach what we most need to learn. Or at least sometimes we do and often it's completely unconsciously. Right now, for me, I'm preparing to travel far across the US (the East Coast really) to present at the SIETAR USA conference in North Carolina. I'm co-presenting with my twin sister. It's going to be a lot of fun and we're really excited we'll be presenting how to leverage strengths across cultures. On a high level it's going to be about integration and sustainability, learning to work in a way that works for you. Boiling it down, way down, it's about self-awareness. Being who we are, doing what we naturally do best (using our strengths and innate powers) and delegating or asking for help with the rest.

Sounds simple. But that's not what gets rewarded here, in the good old USA. We are self-made, pioneering, blah, blah, blah. Really, that's so old fashioned and out of date, it's about time we learn - collaboration is KING (and/or Queen)! And doing what you're really good at will get you to the top.

So, back to me, learning, etc. I am a twin. I grew up learning how to leverage my strengths and those of someone else. However, out in the real world, I learned that she and I weren't always going to be doing everything together (I learned that harsh reality early, so don't feel too sorry for me). I also really struggled to want to do it 'all by myself', just to prove I could. Fast forward to today: I don't want to do it all myself, by myself. That's crazy and very tiring. But you know what? I caught myself doing it anyway!

Yep. For our up-coming presentation, I was doing the worksheets, coordinating the powerpoint, scheduling the meetings, sending out the marketing emails, creating a workflow, etc. And then I stopped myself and asked, 'How could this be easier?'. My first task to getting back to earth and stop stressing was to recognize that I didn't have to do it all, and even if I did, I didn't have to drive harder to get more done. Yes, I know. It's counter logical because that's what we're trained to think in school and at work. "Do more, get more done, have more to do!"

But wait! I can still ask for help! I'd still get a lot done and actually have less myself to do, and the result would be that I'd be less tired and the quality of my work would be better. That's called 'Receiving'. Holy cow - the power of receiving. The ability to 'allow' others to help, the opportunity to assist others in building confidence and credibility (by them doing what they are good at)... it all sounds so easy. And it is. It doesn't have to be 'hard' to be valuable.

All too often though, that's exactly how we think. By doing more and driving hard I will get more done and be more valuable. I invite you to try this on instead: By receiving help, even when I don't think I need it, I'm allowing someone else to feel powerful and needed. Allowing is powerful. That power, when used without dominance gives the opportunity for you to access a softer side of strength and resilence.

Here's another way to look at it: we look at stress as situational, or as something happening TO us. But we choose this cycle and get depleted and THAT perpetuates stress. For example,  I chose to take on all those things myself for the conference. I assumed I had to do them all. Until I asked my sister to take on some writing, formatting etc. Not until I asked for help did she know I needed it. That took a lot off my plate, allowing me to refuel and stop stressing. I opened up my power of receiving to shut down the energy suck of stress.

My lesson this week was one I often teach my clients. You have to give (receive!) to yourself first in order to have anything to give to others. Now I'm ready to present, not stressed and even had time to write this blog post!

If you're curious about the powers of receiving or learning more about this amazing model (called the 12 Elements of Power), head over to the Working With Power website or check out my tools page. If you're curious how you can learn to stretch your receiving muscles and allow more power and sustainable energy into your life, give me a call. I'm ready to receive!

How do you allow or receive? What do you think would be the easiest and most fun ways to open up to to that power?