Finding a passionate purpose in your adult life is not so different from this. We resonate with a vision of possibility. It may start seemingly ordinary, but as we lean into it, the possibilities seem endless, and it takes on a life of its own. The clearer we can see the vision, the more doors to new opportunities appear, and our vision becomes deeply meaningful.

Living authentically frees you to turn possibility into reality.
Are you living in line with your authentic self? Do you do what is meaningful and inspiring to you? Are you achieving the results you want in your life? Do you feel fully alive? How much do you wholeheartedly engage and enjoy each moment, no matter where you are or what you are doing? How you live one day is how you live your life. The answers to these probing questions define it.

You’ll have more confidence and self-respect; you’ll feel better knowing your strengths and weaknesses in a true and accurate measure; you’ll be more optimistic and be ready to forward, even if you’ve felt stuck in the past.

When you ignite your passion, you procrastinate less and have more drive; your relationships will improve because you being the best version of you.

Uncover your true passion and purpose
It starts with a vision.

Allow yourself some time to quiet the mind and slow down the chaos of everyday life. Ask yourself: What do I want? What makes me happy? What am I passionate about? Don’t filter your answers. The answers you seek exist inside of you if you’re willing to listen. It can take time, so don’t try and hurry the process.

Pay attention to shifts in your thought process.

You’ll start to notice your mental energy flowing towards unraveling what it is that you truly are meant to be or do. You’ll be amazed as you begin to attract the elements that resonate with your calling. It will be as if life is calling you on your own personal telephone, you just need to answer the phone.

As ideas come to you, imagine that you are already living your ideal life. Close your eyes and as if you are watching a movie starring yourself, fill in all the details with vibrant color; hear the sounds of success; feel the satisfaction and joy that comes with it.

It takes consistent vigilance

To manifest situations that provide the opportunities you desire, you must maintain focus on the end-goal. Spend time each day doing even the smallest thing that is consistent with someone who already has or is what they desire. Be selfish with your time and not get distracted, even if only for 15 minutes. Make this time yours without negotiation and be willing to repeat it again and again.
Ask for Help

You will always have to do “it” yourself, but you never have to do it alone. Find a trusted confidante to run your ideas by. Try to find someone who will support you without judgment. That someone should also be living in line with their true passion and purpose. Inner vision can take time to activate, and it’s essential to know where, how, when, and who to ask for help.

These suggestions will help you get in touch with your core values and deepest desires. They will stimulate your imagination to identify what your life’s purpose, vision, and mission are.

Consider that as you discover your passions that life is calling you. Are you going to answer the phone? Or are you going to wait for the voice mail (procrastinate)? Will you respond with a text because you don’t have the “perfect” response? Or will you put a post on social media asking for permission from others to do what you desire most?

When you feel a strong pull that something is your calling, the best thing to do is get busy! The sooner you start, the quicker you feel better and build momentum. When you decide to live your purpose and go for what you really want, amazing things start to occur.

Start today! A year from now, you’ll be so glad you did.

Previous article, “EXECUTIVE ONBOARDING: WHEN FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION”

Not an unusual beginning to a coaching session – we are often invited in to work with people on building relationships and improving communication.

Sadly what comes next is also pretty common.

“We’re having a huge email argument.”

Sound familiar? Not YOU, of course – but do you know someone who’s had this problem?

People are sitting at their desks and firing emails back and forth and creating misunderstanding and misinterpretation and – even more bizarre – many of these exchanges are occurring between people who are in offices right next to each other! Or on the same floor… or in the same building.

I know none of this surprises those of you who work inside companies, but to those of us looking in from the outside it seems, well, odd. Inefficient, at the very least. Dangerous at times.

Len, our Calgary-based coach, refers to this as the “email tennis match.”

Back and forth, back and forth – a seemingly never-ending volleying of inaccurate, inefficient and thoughtless messages that, once you get into the second or third shot, aren’t likely to result in resolution.

Why is this happening?

Email has evolved such that it’s not treated as if it’s a real, formal form of written communication, meaning people aren’t taking the time to think about their messages and construct their writing based what they’re trying to accomplish – and with whom.
Overload and overwhelm. There is such a volume of email these days that many people are only ever skimming the top 10% of their inbox, and cranking out replies as fast as they can type just to try to reduce the pile.
Convenience. You can bang out emails on the subway, from bed, while you’re in other meetings – whereas picking up the phone or seeing someone face to face takes way more effort and time.
Much of this drama can be solved, or at least reduced – by a phone conversation or a face to face discussion. Or, at the very least, more thoughtful email in the first place.

Remember the carpenter’s adage? “Measure twice, cut once.”

Do the thing right the first time and you probably don’t need to do it again.

Here are a few rules that might help:

Is the subject matter contentious or sensitive? If yes, consider face to face or phone, with email follow up to confirm agreements and actions.
Is your intent or expectation clear? Does the recipient need to take action, and if so by when? Use your Subject line to make those details clear.
Before you hit send, as yourself whether your message is designed based on how its recipient needs to receive information. Do they need data? Or some sense of who else is involved? Or are they impatient and big-picture-oriented such that the longer the email the less chance they’re read it?
Only copy those who NEED to know. Keep those cc lists as short as possible.
And finally – never EVER engage in confrontation or debate by email. If you receive one, or a response to yours, that’s loaded with any kind of emotion – immediately move to real time conversation (voice to voice or, ideally, face to face).

It’s not convenient if it doesn’t solve a problem or forward an action in less effort than would be required to meet and discuss.

Previous article, “Are You A Fixer Or A Coach?”