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Four Questions to Supercharge Your Success This Season
Did you know that this is officially the first full week of fall? Every time of the year brings gifts that you can leverage to improve your work and your life. Four simple questions covered below can help you supercharge your success this season…
Fall marks the transition between the bright and dark halves of the year – and it brings with it opportunities that are easy to overlook in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives.
This week’s video will help you make the most of this auspicious time in a way that’ll help you get where you want to go in the coming months (and year ahead).
For more on how let go of the old to make room for the new, check out How to Soften the Pain of Growth.
Here’s to fall… and to leveraging its gifts to not only finish the year strong, but to setting yourself up for continued success in 2024 and beyond!
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Hi, Diane Bolden, Executive Coach and Author of “The Pinocchio Principle: Becoming a Real Leader How to Unleash Genius in Yourself and Those You Lead.”
Can you believe it’s fall?
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know where the summer went. It seems like time is such a blur.
That’s why I love the changing seasons because they kind of jar us awake and you can’t help but notice because you can see it and you can feel it. The days get shorter, and the nights are longer. The temperature drops. The leaves start to change colors and fall from the trees, and even the air smells different.
It’s a time of letting go and preparing for regeneration. Animals start to hibernate. The leaves fall from the trees – but also, did you know, that the energy of plants actually moves from creating and growing new leaves and flowers to developing a really strong root system that’ll help it make it through the winter?
Fall perennials that are planted grow really strong roots so that in the spring they can burst forward with vigorous growth and a profusion of flowers.
And we can take our cues from nature also… slowing down long enough to just catch up with ourselves and connect the dots.
I don’t necessarily think we need to hibernate, but just being able to kind of reflect on where you’ve been, where you’re going, what’s most important to you, and how you can take good care of yourself is so important.
Here are four questions that can help you supercharge your success this season.
1) What is it that you’ve already accomplished over the year so far that you’re proud of, that you can celebrate? And what is it that’s calling to you in the future? What’s most important to you? What is it that you really want to focus your time and energy on?
2) What are two or three things you’ve learned this year? Maybe it’s a skill that you’ve picked up, maybe it’s an insight as to what’s been getting in your way and how you might overcome that. Maybe it’s something that you’ve learned about yourself or even life.
3) How can you take care of your own root system? What is it that you need to do in order to strengthen yourself and prepare yourself to move forward with greater boldness, and ease, and momentum, and get where it is that you really want to go in the coming months – and perhaps, even the year ahead?
4) And finally, what is it that you can let go of? What is it that perhaps has run its course, and is no longer serving you? Maybe it’s a habit or a pattern, or something that you’ve done for a really long time that just really isn’t working for you.
Letting go of things can be hard, even when they no longer serve us because they’re comfortable and they’re familiar. I actually wrote an article about that a few years ago, which I’ll put a link to below. It’s called “How to Soften the Pain of Growth.”
But in the meantime, here’s to fall – to all the things that you’ve accomplished and have yet to accomplish; to taking the time to tend to your own root system; and to honoring the passage of seasons within your own work, and your life to supercharge your success this season!
Thanks for watching.
There’s still time…
A quick note to remind you that registration for The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed: The Real Leader’s Guide to Accessing the Freedom & Flow of Your Authentic Genius is open until tomorrow, 8/25 and there are a few spots remaining. Will one of them be yours?
Curious about the impact Pinocchio Principle Unleashed can have in an organization? Here’s what one CEO had to say about that…
“The things Diane has taught us through her coaching and programs have taken on a life of their own in our organization and given rise to some business practices that are helping us to get to the next level of organizational success. Diane has helped us to increase our self-awareness, gain insight into how we could be more effective, take inspired action, and build on our successes as leaders. Now we are finding ways to do that across our entire organization.
We have put several of our people through her Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program, starting with myself and our C level team and we’ve continued to downstream the program through various levels of the organization. It’s been extremely helpful, and the ROI is something I can’t even measure – it’s just exponential.
Thank you so much Diane for assisting to make CACU a better place to work chalked full of balanced, healthy, and motivated people – we have needed you and your skill set and you exceeded expectations for me personally, and more importantly, for the team’s transformation for the better!”
– Pete Pritts, President/CEO, Corporate America Credit Union
This transformational 13-week leadership development program is now in its seventh year running and is also available to bring in-house. Read more about The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed (and what others have to say about it) here.
Need to get your organization to sponsor you? Download the business case for participating, which spells out seven powerful ways organizations experience a return on their investment. To maximize individualized support and group dynamics, enrollment will be capped at 10 people. Save your spot while it’s still available! Attend with a friend or colleague and you’ll both get $500 off the registration (respond directly to this email to take advantage of that.)
Here’s to your success!
Diane
P.S. If you’d like a taste of what is covered in the program, check out the replay of last week’s Real Leadership & The Pinocchio Principle webinar. Regardless of whether you decide to enroll, you’ll learn practical tips for how to stop running yourself ragged and unleash genius in yourself and those you lead.
Ease the transition from weekend to weekday…
Welcome to a whole new week, fresh with promise and possibilities!
Maybe that isn’t your first thought on a Monday? The weekends do always seem to fly by, and re-entering the work week can be tough. (For some, it may feel as though you never left it.)
If that’s the case for you – or if you want to find a way to fix more of your attention on promise and possibilities (and less on obstacles and limitations), I encourage you to check out the replay of last week’s webinar, Real Leadership & The Pinocchio Principle: How to Stop Running Yourself Ragged and Unleash Genius in Yourself and Those You Lead!
In the space of an hour, you’ll learn:
- Why many high-achieving executives tend to unwittingly hinder their own and others’ performance (and how to keep that from happening)
- Puppet vs. Genius: Which are you leading from (and at what cost)?
- How to progress smoothly through a five-phase approach that unlocks the very best performance in yourself and others – while minimizing stress, pressure, and overwhelm
You’ll also get some inside information about The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed, a 13-week leadership development program designed to help you overcome stress, pressure, and overwhelm so you can maximize your effectiveness, make a bigger impact, and enjoy your work and your life more.
Registration is open until Friday, 8/25 and there are still a few spots left. To maximize individualized attention and create the very best group dynamics, enrollment is limited to ten people. Save your seat now!
Here’s what a previous participant had to say about it:
My professional goals weren’t going the way I wanted them to, and I had a suspicion that I was pounding my head against the wall trying the same tools or switching the tools differently and just needed a fresh perspective on them. I enrolled in The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program after receiving encouragement from people who work with Diane who raved about their interactions with her and how impactful she’s been in their life.
The experience was just revolutionary for me and really changed the way that I look at personal things and professional things. It’s helped me better influence and connect to others, decrease my stress, and get much more done. I’m more mindful and have replaced old, ineffective tools with new ones – it feels great, it’s really refreshing. The program is awesome, and I highly recommend it.
Dr. Anthony Sciscione, President of the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Director, Maternal & Fetal Medicine, Christiana Care Health System
If you’d like to talk to a real person to get your questions about the program answered, you can schedule a brief call directly with me.
Here’s to your success – and a wonderful week ahead!
Diane
P.S. Need to get your organization to sponsor you for the program? Click here to download the business case for participating, which spells out seven powerful ways organizations experience a return on their investment (it also overviews the curriculum in a bit more detail).
Today’s the day! Join me at noon PST…
It’s Friday… the day we all wait for. A threshold between our work and personal lives.
What if you could spend an hour learning how to better integrate those two worlds in a way that enhances both?
Join me TODAY from noon to 1 pm PST for a free one-hour webinar that will shed some light on how to unleash your very best performance at work while also enjoying more satisfaction and fulfillment – both on and off the job. (Details below).
Here’s what one senior executive had to say about learning to better integrate work and life:
What I liked about The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed is that while it is professionally career-oriented, structured, and measured, it incorporates lots of the human aspect too. That makes it fun. It makes you really reflect, provoke deep thoughts, and be more prepared to deal with your day-to-day stuff both at work and outside of work. It is holistic. It’s a well-rounded approach to how one could grow and develop as a human being as well as professionally as a leader.
Diane’s style is very personal and highly engaged. She puts a lot of thought into her examples and has a knack for using just the right one at the right time. The content is excellent, and the tools are so useful. It has helped me to become more aware of what triggers me and how to self-direct so that I can stay in a state of flow and not fall into old reactive patterns that keep me from being effective. This has benefited me immensely, both personally and professionally.
Dr. Islam Salama, CEO, Hyperion Technologies
TODAY’S THE DAY! Come join me from noon to 1 pm PST, when I’ll be sharing some of the same concepts I teach in The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program.
Here’s the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84361908256?pwd=S0pmRDY2L0NTc29rMDUyVTQ1U2RwUT09
To ensure that you’ll get a calendar notice and increase the chances that we can reach you in case of any additional technical difficulties, be sure to register in advance.
You’ll learn:
- Why many high-achieving executives tend to unwittingly hinder their own and others’ performance (and how to keep that from happening)
- Puppet vs. Genius: Which are you leading from (and at what cost)?
- How to progress smoothly through a five-phase approach that unlocks the very best performance in yourself and others – while minimizing stress, pressure, and overwhelm
I’ll also give you a sneak preview of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed, a 13-week leadership development program designed to help you overcome stress, pressure and overwhelm so you can maximize your effectiveness, make a bigger impact, and enjoy your work and your life more.
Can’t attend? No problem. Simply respond to this email and I’ll make sure you get a link to the recording.
Here’s to unleashing your Genius!
Diane
P.S. Interested in registering for The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program? We’ve moved the deadline to Friday 8/25. Get more details and enroll here.
Sometimes you just need a new perspective…
We’ve all experienced that feeling of banging our heads against the wall trying to figure something out or move beyond an imposing obstacle. It’s frustrating when solutions elude you – or when what used to work just doesn’t anymore.
What would it be worth to be able to lead and solve problems in a whole new, more effective way?
Join me tomorrow (Friday 8/18) from noon to 1pm PST for a free one-hour webinar and learn how a few simple shifts can open you up to a whole new level of effectiveness and clarity. (Details below).
Here’s what one person had to say about learning and integrating these concepts…
“I have more tools in my toolbox of well-being and how to view any particular problem, whether faced with it on a personal level or on a professional level. I feel like I’m on a new plane of consciousness and I have a more optimistic and wider view of my own capabilities and life. I’ve been able to connect to my own intuition more readily and more often by practicing what we’ve done in this course and spending time talking with Diane. I think it’s very powerful. My leadership has opened up.”
Scott Munger, Chief Operations Officer, Omicron Technologies
Below you’ll find all the info you need to join me on tomorrow’s webinar. I hope to see you there!
Here’s the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84361908256?pwd=S0pmRDY2L0NTc29rMDUyVTQ1U2RwUT09
To ensure that you’ll get a calendar notice and increase the chances that we can reach you in case of any additional technical difficulties, be sure to register in advance.
You’ll learn:
- Why many high-achieving executives tend to unwittingly hinder their own and others’ performance (and how to keep that from happening)
- Puppet vs. Genius: Which are you leading from (and at what cost)?
- How to progress smoothly through a five-phase approach that unlocks the very best performance in yourself and others – while minimizing stress, pressure, and overwhelm
I’ll also give you a sneak preview of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed, a 13-week leadership development program designed to help you overcome stress, pressure and overwhelm so you can maximize your effectiveness, make a bigger impact, and enjoy your work and your life more.
Can’t attend? No problem. Simply respond to this email and I’ll make sure you get a link to the recording.
Here’s to unleashing your Genius!
P.S. Interested in registering for The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed program? We’ve moved the deadline to Friday 8/25. Get more details and enroll here.
How to Stay Cool When Things Get Hot at Work (and life itself)
There are those days…
You know the ones – when everything seems to hit the fan all at once. Sometimes it’s just work, and other times it happens across other areas of your life too. Maybe it’s a bad day. But it could be a tough week, tough month, tough… year?
In times like that, it’s like someone turned up the heat and left it on full blast far too long (kind of like the record-breaking temperatures we had in Phoenix over the entire month of July).
Everything seems to take more effort than it used to. The pressure increases and your energy declines. It might be so hot that you lose your cool and become impatient with people and things (or yourself) in a way that makes things even worse.
If you can relate to any of this, you’ll likely enjoy my latest article in Brainz Magazine, How to Survive Tough Times at Work – Three Tips to Help You Come Out On Top.
And if you’d like more on how to not only survive but thrive during your most challenging times (both at work and at home), check out The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed: The Real Leader’s Guide to Accessing the Freedom & Flow of Your Authentic Genius. Registration is now open!
This program integrates much of the work I’ve done coaching executive clients over the last 25+ years into a thirteen-week curriculum and is especially appropriate for high-achieving professionals experiencing high levels of stress, pressure, and overwhelm.
The fall session will kick off on Thursday 8/31 and run through 11/16. To maximize individualized attention and group interaction, enrollment will be limited to ten people and will close on Friday 8/18.
Learn more and reserve your seat here. Attend with a friend or colleague and you’ll both get $500 off the registration (email me to take advantage of that.)
Want to talk to a real person to get your questions about the program answered? Click here to schedule a brief call directly with Diane.
Here’s to keeping your cool and performing at your best – even in the hottest of times!
IT’S OFFICIAL…!
I’m excited to announce that I’ve recently been accepted as an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine! Over the coming months, I’ll be writing regular articles about leadership, business, and mindset for Brainz readers to enjoy – I’ll be sure to share them with you all here too.
WHAT IS BRAINZ MAGAZINE?
Brainz Magazine is a fast-growing global digital publication covering Business, Lifestyle, Mindset, Sustainability, and Leadership topics. The editorial teams have a strong understanding of what their readers are interested in, and the magazine reaches over 300,000 people every week, spanning over 65 countries!
Brainz Magazine is known for inviting top entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized companies, scientists, and influential leaders to contribute to the magazine, which they hand-pick for their expertise. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to join them – and to connect you with their work as well.
MY FIRST ARTICLE FOR BRAINZ MAGAZINE – ARE YOU FEELING THE BURN?
If you’re struggling to balance the demands of your busy life and feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Burnout is a serious issue that can have a negative impact on your health, well-being, and productivity. And research indicates it is affecting more of us than ever before.
My first article for Brainz Magazine, Can’t Afford to Slow Down? How to Stop Overwhelm and Prevent Burnout Before It Stops You, explores effective strategies to prevent burnout and manage overwhelm, so you can stay focused and energized. Click the link to read the full article and learn how to take control of your work and life – and better lead others to do the same.
I’ll continue to share future Brainz articles that I publish, as well as ongoing videos and posts I’ll keep creating just for you.
HOW CAN I BETTER SERVE YOU?
On that note, I’m curious… what questions, challenges, opportunities, or issues can I help you with? If there’s something you’d like to hear about, let me know and I’ll do my best to address it in an upcoming video, article, or post.
I look forward to hearing from you and am grateful for the chance to serve you.
Here’s to your success!
Diane
Why Being Stuck on Autopilot will Keep You Locked in Overwhelm – and How to Break Out of It
I’ve been thinking lately about how much time we all tend to spend stuck on autopilot. You know, that state where you’re going through the motions, checking boxes, running around doing things… but not really accomplishing all that much.
It’s a state of unconsciousness that leaves you wondering where the day went. Sometimes you may not even remember what you ate for lunch, or how the time just got sucked away.
And when you have a lot on your plate, being stuck in autopilot also means you’ll likely end your days in frustration about how little you got accomplished. And wake up the next day feeling like you’re already behind.
But what if there’s a way to break out of that rut and get back on a path that is not only productive, but enjoyable and satisfying as well?
This week’s video will give you some tips for consciously reclaiming your day and effectively accomplishing your most important tasks with ease and grace.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Hi there. Diane Bolden, executive coach and author of the Pinocchio Principle: Becoming a Real Leader –How to Unleash Genius in Yourself and Those You Lead.
Have you ever gotten to the end of a day where you felt like you just didn’t do the things that you really wanted to get done? And then you wake up the next morning feeling like you’re already behind and perpetuating that same state of overwhelm, that frustration, that irritation that you had the day before.
Why autopilot is a problem
It’s really easy to get stuck in autopilot. And the problem with autopilot is whatever it is that you’re doing is going to be repeated on an ongoing basis. Checking boxes and trying to get through the day and feeling overwhelmed doesn’t necessarily bode itself well to high levels of productivity, to creativity, to ingenuity or to satisfaction and fulfillment.
But what if you could break through that? What if you could have an entirely different experience? What if you could interrupt that autopilot pattern and in its place access a zone where you’re productive or you’re enjoying the work that you’re doing or you’re able to access creativity and think outside of the box?
Well, today I want to share with you a tip that you can try to do just that.
The physical laws that contribute to autopilot and overwhelm
Autopilot is largely a product of the law of inertia which essentially states that an object will remain in motion or at rest unless acted upon by an external force in a way that changes the trajectory. So, if you need to change your trajectory, you’ve got to do a bit of a pattern interrupt.
And there’s another reason why this is so important and that is another law of physics, that basically states things that are similar attract each other. And it’s not necessarily just things, but also thoughts. So, when you’re in a state of overwhelm, when you’re in a state of frustration and irritation and worry and anxiety, chances are likely that you’re going to continue to think in ways that perpetuate that state and you’re going to continue to act in ways that perpetuate that state as well. And if you’re not getting results, you’re likely to continue not getting results and then fretting about having not achieved all the things you really wanted to do.
When you’re stuck in autopilot and overwhelm, try a pattern interrupt
When you do a pattern interrupt, essentially, the best thing to do is to flash forward and to start with the end in mind – to identify for yourself, what would it feel like if you were to get to the end of your day and actually accomplish what you set out to do? Can you imagine feeling that rush of gratitude, of satisfaction, of accomplishment? Can you imagine being able to end your workday and go on to spend time with your family or your friends in a way that you weren’t distracted by the things that were still gnawing at you from work?
Start with the end in mind
Take that feeling a step further. Try and identify – what are the most critical things that you need to have done today? And try to pick no more than three to five things that are really, really important to you. Now take some time to do a little writing – not about the tasks that have yet to be done but see if you can flash forward to the end of your day. See if you can envision that you’ve time traveled and that you’re already the version of yourself that has achieved those critical things you identified that are on your list.
See if you can write a note back to the current version of yourself, sharing with yourself how grateful you are that you were able to accomplish what really needed to be done and how much easier it was than you thought it would be, how relaxed and relieved you feel that you actually accomplished what needed to be done, and how grateful you are for the experience. See if you can capture that. Have fun with it, embellish it a little bit.
And when you’re done, go back to consciously starting your day from a whole different mindset and see what happens.
Bonus tip for when you’re stuck on autopilot
I can give you a tip that will help you to continue to perpetuate this new state of conscious intentional visioning all through your day. I encourage you to work in 50-minute spurts. Set a timer if you need to. Work for 50 minutes. See if you can focus yourself intently on whatever it is that you’re about to do. And at the end of 50 minutes, take at least 5 to 10 minutes to give yourself a little bit of a break. Get up and stretch. Walk around, maybe go outside, take some deep breaths, grab a glass of water, listen to some music, whatever it is that you need to do to give yourself a little bit of a rest and then to come back to your task feeling a little more refreshed.
And before you jump in for another 50 minutes, take a moment and review what you wrote to yourself – that letter from your future self talking about how great you felt after you accomplished all those things and get into that state of feeling. Get into that state of having already accomplished it so that now when you go back to actually doing it, it’s almost as though you’re reliving the memory of what it took in order to get there.
Try it for yourself
As I always tell people, don’t believe what I’m saying because I’m telling you. Try it for yourself and see what happens. I can almost guarantee you that you’ll accomplish a lot more than you thought you could just by starting with the end in mind, interrupting that pattern of autopilot so that you can be more conscious and intentional with your day.
There Are No Missed Opportunities
Do you believe in “once in a lifetime opportunities”?
A lot of people will try to convince you to move on something because you’ll never have another chance…
Maybe you’ve even tried to convince yourself of that.
It creates a lot of pressure. And when you decide to pass something up, you may worry or regret what feels like missed opportunities. That can suck up a lot of wasted energy.
This week’s video will give you a different perspective – one that will save you a lot of frustration and help you to recognize that you may know more than you think you do.
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
Hi. Diane Bolden, Executive Coach and author of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed – Becoming a Real Leader: How to Unleash Genius in Yourself and Those You Lead.
Have you ever regretted not taking action on something? Maybe it was something you’ve been wanting to do, but you just didn’t feel ready. Maybe the timing just wasn’t right. Maybe you just couldn’t get yourself to do it.
And then you might have beat yourself up or wondered, “Did I make the right decision?” Because there’s so much pressure put on us for not passing up that “once in a lifetime opportunity”.
But I don’t buy that. I don’t see life that way. Experiences in my own life, as well as that of many clients I’ve worked with bear a different truth – life doesn’t give up on us. And there are no missed opportunities.
Ancient philosopher/poet Rumi – “What you seek is seeking you.” So, if you’re meant to do something, you’ll have numerous opportunities to say yes. Like the waves in an ocean, one right behind the other.
Life prepares us for the grand things we do by giving us the not so grand little opportunities for growth. And when you’re not ready for something, you’ll have chances to prepare yourself.
And ultimately, many grand opportunities.
So, if something you really want hasn’t happened, or if you’ve passed up an opportunity to engage with it, don’t despair. You’re that much closer to the next one…
And it WILL come.
In the spirit of there being no missed opportunities… though the spring session of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed is now full, you can get on the waiting list for fall. And if you’re interested in bringing the program in house, inquire at Support@DianeBolden.com.
Ever Feel Like Work is a Chore?
A third of your time on the planet is spent at work. Why would you do something that makes you feel… dead before your time?
So many of us feel like work is a chore, which Merriam Webster defines as “an unpleasant but necessary task”. It gets lumped in there with all the other things we dread but make ourselves do anyway – washing dishes, picking up the dog (or cat) poop, taking out the trash.
It’s interesting that Webster’s definition of the word “work’ has a similar connotation: “a task or tasks to be undertaken; something a person has to do”.
So, you could argue that the words “work” and “chore” go hand in hand. And if your previous experiences validate a belief that work is a chore the association will be even stronger. So strong that it leads to a common expectation that work is a necessary evil, a thing to be endured, something laborious and heavy.
Neuroscientific research has shown us that it is often our expectations themselves that shape our experience of reality. And that can keep you stuck in a perpetual loop of believing that work is a chore and a resulting experience that proves it to be true.
Over time, perpetual loops feel a lot like hamster wheels – you’ll expend a ton of energy, feel a lot of frustration, and not really get anywhere.
(And if you are a leader, you may be unintentionally setting that tone for your whole organization.)
But you can turn that all around and change your world for the better. It doesn’t require a lobotomy. And it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to quit your job. This video will give you a glimpse of just how easy that simple shift could be.
If you want more on revitalizing your work from the inside out, consider enrolling in the spring session of The Pinocchio Principle Unleashed: The Real Leader’s Guide to Accessing the Freedom & Flow of Your Authentic Genius. This exclusive 12-week leadership development program is now in its 7th year, with over a hundred happy alumni.
Participants for this video-based, small group coaching program are carefully selected and capped at no more than ten. Registration will open on February 15th, and priority will be given to those on the waiting list. For more information or to be considered for enrollment, go to www.UnleashtheExtraordinary.com.
