CoachCherri.com – The Transition Coach

 What are the unique gifts that differentiate you from other solo entrepreneurs? The path to discovering your gifts may take a lifetime, but you can use the exploration process to begin to use your gifts NOW!

 
Unfortunately, for many different reasons people get sidetracked or never even get started taking the actions that would help them discover their uniqueness. Here are some suggested strategies to help move forward and stay on the path of discovering your gifts.

1. Make yourself a priority. Understand what’s important to you. To do that, you have to make yourself important in your life. Spend less time worrying about what everyone else thinks you should do. That’s what got you confused in the first place.

 
2. Build a reserve of money, time and space. This doesn’t mean you have to be rich to live your dreams. However, if you’re always lacking in money, time and space, you’re creating extra pressure for yourself. Having some reserves gives you the freedom to play and make different choices.

3. Have a daily practice that keeps you connected with your gifts. A daily practice allows you to develop the skill and discipline to listen to yourself. Learn to look inward for answers. Consider journaling, meditation or other practices that help you tune out the world and hear your own whispers.

4. Ask others for input on what you can’t see in yourself. Sometimes it’s hardest to see your own gifts. People may overlook or dismiss your strengths and talents. Chances are your friends and family can provide clues about what’s special and great in you.

5. Don’t think too much. It’s time to get out of your head and into your heart and body-they have intelligence to share. You can’t always think your way to the answers. When you are engaged in activities, pay attention to your feelings or your body. Are you energized? Do you lose track of time? Don’t miss these valuable clues.

6. Get a fan club. Discovering your gifts doesn’t have to be a solitary endeavor. Exercise the choice you have about who to spend time with. Why not surround yourself with positive and supportive people?

7. Befriend your inner critic. Keep reminding yourself that knowing and using your gifts is not about being right or wrong or perfect. Discovering your gifts is an ongoing process of learning. Expect resistance, learn from your inner critic, and keep taking action.

8. Maintain a sense of humor. It is important to have a sense of lightness and fun to welcome new ideas and opportunities. Don’t be too serious. Take delight in unwrapping your gifts.

9. Shine the light on beliefs. Don’t underestimate the power of belief. What do you believe about yourself and the world that could be hindering your progress? Replace beliefs that don’t serve you. Consider creating an “old belief graveyard” and “new belief birth ward.”

10. Don’t step off a cliff, just take one small step toward the edge. The process of discovering your gifts requires action. The focus is not on arriving somewhere, but on being on the journey and learning. A desire to make changes in your life may come with a deeper understanding of your gifts.

However, you don’t have to make drastic changes overnight. What’s one small step you can take to move in the direction of your gifts?

Source: http/: www.advancingwomen.com

A great way to boost your confidence is to keep a confidence journal.

It is a smart tool to just remind yourself just how good you really are and what you have to be thankful for and pleased about in your life right now.

Buy yourself a pretty journal preferably one with inspirational quotes and once a week for the next month I’d like you to jot down your answers to the following confidence questions.

Don’t give me any excuses about you haven’t got the time to do it!

Take just 10 minutes per week, sit down and jot down your thoughts to:

1. What have I got to be grateful for in my life right now?

2. What am I happy about in my life right now?

3. Why am I happy about these things?

4. What did I accomplish last week?

5. What am I excited about in my life right now?

6. Who do I love and appreciate in my life? Who do I like hanging around? Why?

7. Who loves and appreciates me for what I am? Warts ‘n all!

Answer these questions at the start of each week and it will set you up for success.

If you need a boost midweek, then by all means answer them again whenever you want to feel centred and remind yourself of what you have got going for yourself in your life right now.

One of the most well known confidence building exercises is to list your own strengths and natural abilities.

By looking at the list it can make you say “Wow, I really am good!”

Another great way of building your confidence and getting in touch with how great you really are is to ask friends, colleagues and people who you know for feedback on your strengths and natural abilities.

Your practical assignment is to list 5 people who you know and trust for this exercise.

Make sure they are from different areas of your life.

List them below:

1. A FAMILY MEMBER

2. A FRIEND

3. A WORK COLLEAGUE

4. AN ASSOCIATE

5. A SOCIAL CONTACT

You might at this stage be feeling a little nervous about asking these people for feedback.

Don’t worry, because you will be only asking for your strengths.

JUST GO FOR IT!

So, how do you go about it?

Well, below is a list of questions that you can ask to each of your list.

I recommend that you meet or talk on the phone with each beforehand and explain the context of the exercise and then either ask them verbally or give them the questions and either fill in the sheet of paper or email you with their feedback.

They will feel honored that you have asked them and the feedback that you will receive will truly make you feel fabulous and full of confidence.

By completing this exercise you will get some really good insight into some of your strengths.

Often you receive valuable information on the strengths that you didn’t even know you had!

EXTERNAL FEEDBACK QUESTIONS

• What do you perceive to be my greatest strengths?

• What do you like most about me?

• What do you value most about me?

• What three words sum up the positive points about me?

• If you needed help with something, what would you call me to help you with?

After you have received all of the feedback it is now time to reflect on what has been written or said:

How do you feel about it?

Are there any surprises?

Do you feel confident about your abilities?

How can you use this information going forward?

How can you maximize your strengths?

If these people think you have these strengths, so do a lot of other people as well – how does that make you feel?

What are the key insights you have learned?

What will you do now that is different to what you have done before?

How many times have you started a diet, a new way of thinking, or tried something new and then a setback occurs and you just go back to the way you were?

Don’t worry, you are not the only one!

Setbacks and difficulties occur all of the time – they are a natural activity of life.

There are two ways of facing difficulties.

You either change or alter the difficulty or you can alter yourself to be able to deal with it.

Deal with difficulties correctly and it will enhance your confidence, deal with them incorrectly and they can do some serious damage to your self worth.

Your response to issues and difficulties

When you are faced with any setback your ability to deal with it can be turned around into a position of strength by asking yourself positive empowering questions.

There is an unwritten rule that says:

Ask your mind a stupid question and you will get a stupid answer!

So, if after setback you ask yourself something like

“Why does this always happen to me, I never have any luck?”

Your mind will probably come out with:

“Because you are useless and good things do not happen to you!”

Sound familiar?

Instead, if you ask yourself a positive empowering question like:

“What did I learn from this setback for next time?”

Your mind will kick into solution mode and help.

Here are some rules and things to think about when setbacks do occur:

• Acknowledge that it has happened. Don’t hide from it. These things happen. So what?

• What positive empowering questions can you ask yourself?

What is good about this situation?

How can I make the most of this situation?

What can I learn from it?

What are the facts about this problem?

How can we make it a successful outcome?

• Acknowledge that setbacks occur to everyone and you are not being singled out.

• View them as a challenge to overcome rather than an issue or problem

Think about the negative dis-empowering thoughts that you think on a regular basis after a setback.

What new empowering questions could you ask yourself to give some better answers!

Write these down now and make them a habit.