Most people want to be great at being themselves. They don’t necessarily walk around saying it, but if you asked them, certainly the people I’m surrounded by most days wouldn’t say they want to be below average.
They want to be great at their work, recognised for their achievements, happy, active and balanced, an awesome parent, sufficiently wealthy ... the list continues.
So given there’s no-one in the world exactly like you and you’re the best person to do it super well, why can it seem like a challenge on many days?
1) You’re too busy to be your best. Yep, many studies have proven that to be your most productive, creative and optimal self you need to be doing less and being more. Greg McKeown, an author on productivity and lifestyle is one of the reads I like to give to my clients. He says:
“What if we stopped celebrating being busy as a measurement of importance? What if instead we celebrated how much time we had spent listening, pondering, meditating and enjoying time with the most important people in our lives?”
2) You’re looking in the wrong places. It’s like looking in the sock drawer for your jumper. Often your best self isn’t found through crazy accomplishments (though sometimes they are - you just need to know which goals to jump excitedly towards and which ones to avoid like the plague). A simple question to ask is “Will the project fuel you or drain you?”.
How well you know yourself, your core desires, your core beliefs is so incredibly powerful. Often the world around us then makes much more sense, as when we have this understanding of ourselves, the people around us become more understandable too! It’s like our perception and empathy are given a rocket boost. This is an area I love exploring and where people often get life-changing transformations.
3) You’re fuelling yourself with sub-optimal fuel. We all know that good nutrition and exercise is essential to get the best out of ourselves. However, we don’t always know exactly what is best for us as individuals, given that we are bio-genetically unique. The government guidelines are made for the masses, not you as an individual. The other thing is that nutrition and exercise are only part of the equation. Exactly how you sleep, think and communicate are just some of the other major elements that contribute towards giving your body and mind exactly what it needs to be the best you most days.
I might be biased, but giving yourself exactly what you need to be great is the best present you could give yourself AND those around you. Your team, your business, your partner, your kids all benefit directly from you being awesome.
What’s the downside? The reality of life doesn’t allow me to I hear you cry!
To a certain extent I hear you. It would be easier if there were more ‘Time / money / better health / love’ - these are the usual barriers people usually cite for the reason their life is limited.
Maybe.
Thing is, it’s your choice exactly how to navigate all those obstacles and you can do it with your best self or your exhausted, overwhelmed self. Who would you prefer to have on your team?
For more about how to live life as your best self, do check out our 3 essential strategies to help "Keep your Life On track and in Flow'. You can access the free mini video series HERE.
References:
McKeown, G (2014) Essentialism: the Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Crowne Publishing