October 13th, 2014
Success U and Success for Me
(audio version available at the end of this blog)
Now that we have completed our blog series on when coaching is the right decision for you, let’s discuss our upcoming Success U course.
Success U is for people who are attracted to this definition of success: Success is a process of goal achievement that increases both our emotional and physical well-being while we avoid the crippling cycle of burn-out.
It’s an innovative, informative, and fun seven-module course. Each time we meet a cohort not exceeding 12 students learns how to live this healthy version of success. It’s grounded in science and it is transformational if students take their breakthroughs and follow through on the lessons learned.
One of the first activities of Success U is to identify both a primary and secondary goal. Some students choose personal goals, others professional, and still others combine the two.
And I practice what I teach.
One of my goals is “living in the moment.”
I am a man who values action, focused action to create the life I want. One of the costs of my “cross it off the list” life though is my lack of savoring the moment. I sometimes rush through my days undermining emotional and physical well-being. Accordingly, I want to spend more time in the present and without many of the distractions of the 21st century.
How do I go about reaching my goal? All goals require mini-experiments to determine how likely they will create the kind of success we teach in Success U.
My In the Moment Experiment
So just like I require of any student, here in my first experiment (it is actually a combination of several mini-experiments).
Since I see clients most Saturdays I have pledged to take a day off during the “work week” throughout the entire course. Today is that first day.
Here are the parameters of this experiment . . .
No technology (when I leave the house): Cell phones have become the cigarettes of modern times. Since March of 2013 I have conducted this experiment, but only on Sundays. It is liberating, and makes me realize, in an entirely healthy manner, that I am not that important. Emergencies rarely happen and I am less qualified to handle them than an EMT. When home I answer texts, emails, and phone calls, but when out and about, I am unfettered without my cell phone. And I have to spend at least some of this “in the moment” day outside of the house.
No money is spent (except for one meal or transportation): This is not a day for errands, nor is it a day of shopping for anything. I can take the metro to visit a museum (if free), and I can sit at a restaurant and enjoy a simple meal, but just one. I can share this day with anyone I choose, as long as this anyone willingly conforms to my parameters.
No caffeine or booze: Although I prefer a delish glass of milk over booze anytime, in the past year I have introduced coffee into my life, especially in the evening to keep me awake past 8pm (I am an early bird). On these days alcohol and caffeine are off-limits. It’s about presence without any chemicals.
TV in moderation (and it has to have an educational component): One hour (ok maybe two-ish) and I am talking documentaries here. There are so many on Netflix, gosh we have come a long way since three networks and rabbit ears.
Read for at least two hours-ish (harder than you think): This is how I hope to make it possible: During these two hours I will choose from six rotating books, all on a variety of topics. I will read just one or bits of all of them or any combination in between.
Lofty goals without experiments to help us reach them set us up for a debilitating failure, one that makes us, out of a defensive posture, avoid articulating goals in our future.
I seek a more present-focused life. And my experiment will yield all kinds of valuable information. Most importantly I will learn if it helps me feel, think, and act out of a desire to experience the now, all the while increasing my emotional and physical well-being, a critical component of success.
Below are additional blogs related to the 7 modules of Success U . . .
All Values Are Not Created Equal
SMART Goals May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Physical and Emotional Well-Being
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If you have any questions about coaching please feel free to contact me at scott@kineticcoaching.co, and remember I always offer a complimentary 30-45 minute session to prospective clients to determine if we want to work together, whether that’s 1 to 1 coaching or Success U.