3 Ways to connect to your inner world, so you can make a BIG difference in your outer world.

What is the thing you want most to accomplish as a leader? I mean most...not get through your ToDo list, clean out your inbox or have people just do what they are supposed to do. I mean, why are you in this job?
​Beyond the paycheque, why do you do what you do?

Keep reading and find out how you can do that 👆️​ more!

Do you want to make a difference?
My guess is that it is to make a difference; To change lives; To do purposeful work. I bet that you work in your organization, deal with the politics, handle the immense responsibility, and put out all of the fires that you do because you want to know that somehow, the work you are doing will make the world a better place.

I certainly know that's why I am here today emailing you and why I worked so hard with my teams over the years. It's because I know that together we can make the world a better place to live in for the next generation.

How would you rate yourself?
If that is your "Why" too, how are you doing? On a scale of 1-10 rate, how well you did that yesterday? 

• 0 - Purpose? What purpose? 
• 10 - I was totally on track with the feeling I was making an impact in the bigger scheme of things. 

How do you feel about your score? Try these:

• In the last week, how would you score yourself?
• ​The last month?

Are you unhappy with your score?
If you are unhappy with your score, my guess is that you've been spending a lot of time chasing tasks, meetings, emails and projects. My guess is you've spent less time on relationships, people and in your inner world.

Inner world? Yes, inside of your heart and your head...the part of your head that connects to your heart.

You need to spend more time in your inner world
Our inner world is our meaning-making system. It's what we use to make sense of the world we live in. Our inner world is comprised of our values, beliefs and morals. It's this inner world that creates our mental models, those assumptions, perspectives and opinions, and what we use to make decisions. 

Your inner world might be a bit of a mess!
When you rarely visit your inner world, it gets overgrown with weeds! What was once a beautifully clear set of values around how you will treat others in life, has been taken over by the weeds of deadlines, checklists and company policies. 

You are hiding your inner beauty!
You, my dear, have a beautiful heart. 💜You are full of love, compassion and fun. But you don't let it shine enough. You hide that part of you in favour of order, control and fear.
God forbid you let your guard down, or you will lose control of your day, your people and your world. 

But in truth, you've already lost control. 😞
When you chase the task part of your world and neglect your people and your relationships with them, you'll never make the difference you want to make. Your ability to control your impact in the world will be lost.

Connect to your inner world and to your people and your score will go up!
The way to come back to finding a balance between the tasks you are responsible for and the people you are growing is to slow down and connect to your inner world a bit more. When you do, you'll find you naturally find more time to connect to your people and together talk about your united purpose and find more creative, fun and powerful ways to achieve your organizational mission and purpose together.

3 Ways to Connect to Your Inner World
So you can make a BIG difference in your outer world.

Write
For some, this means journaling, but it doesn't have to be.
I find that by writing answers to questions, I find in books, on podcasts or in courses are great ways to get me connecting to the part of me that makes meaning in my world. It's often through this that I find clarity on my values and beliefs. That clarity often helps me to realize where I have been working form mistaken beliefs or unclear values.

• DO THIS: Find a ton of free worksheets to write your way to clarity in your inner world

Get quiet
If meditation is your thing, great. Do it. But getting quiet doesn't have to be all zen and chanting.

• DO THIS: Practice just being quiet during regular, every day activities.
  • ️Just eat! 🥗
    • Get rid of the phone beside you and pay attention to chewing and the taste.
  • Just go to the bathroom! 💩
    • I'm serious. Stop thinking and just pay attention to the task at hand...it's called presence 
  • ️Just drive! 🚘️
    • Shut off the radio or audio books. Don't make any phone-calls. Pay attention to the road, smile at the other drivers and enjoy the drive.

Connect with nature
I recently posted about the number of plants I have in my home/office! Can you guess how many? Find out how many here. The point being, nature doesn't have to be the forest. Ways to connect to nature in the office:

• Watering plants or picking dead leafs off of them ☘️
• Listening to the birds outside of your window 🐥
• Stopping to watch the storm release its torrent of rain ️​☔️

DO THIS: Look around you now and see where you could either find or create a connection with nature. Set aside time to do that today!

When you connect more frequently with your inner world, you'll find your outer world more balanced. The tasks you are responsible for are essential. But please don't forget to balance them with the people in your life!

If you want even more help to connect to your inner world, so you can make a more significant difference in your outer world, but are looking for a guide in that process? Check out The Training Library for a ton of mini-courses and training sessions to guide you to deeper understand your values, beliefs, emotions, and how to use those to more effectively lead. ​

Ongoing training to grow women leaders in ​🇨🇦 Canada's Nonprofit Organizations.
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