Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/354830
AUGUST 2014 | BRAVAMAGAZINE.COM 37 ŷƕƽƭƕŤźƧŞƕƼŧƣ ǃƕƱƣơƱƣơƕƧŧ Try some of these life coaching exercises— you may be surprised by the results. CONSIDER A PEAK EXPERIENCE. Think of a time when you've been truly happy, fulfi lled or amazed. Where were you? What were you doing? Chances are you were honoring your core values— which can point to your purpose. PICTURE YOUR FUTURE SELF. What is the ideal version of you, 20 years down the road? Don't be realistic, think big and let go of reality. Who is the future you, what do they do, whom are they with, what qualities do they possess? Once you've pictured this future self, consider what the diff erence is between you now and in that ideal future. What can you do now to get closer to that future version of you? NAME WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK. Try completing this sentence: "I would love to ________, but I can't because _________." We all have saboteurs that keep us from playing big. Are you afraid of not being perfect? You might have a "Miss Perfect" on your shoulder. Do you worry about what other people will say if you fail? Your issue might be the "Peanut Gallery." Naming your saboteurs and getting comfortable with them can give you great freedom to shake them. ASSESS THE ANSWERS. Consider your results from these exercises. Are there any common themes? Does a particular hobby or pastime keep coming up? Maybe you should focus energy there. Is there a way you can organize your time to focus on the values that were being honored during your peak experience? Knowing what is holding you back is just as important to moving forward. –D.L. make plans FORWARD STEPS You've identifi ed your life purpose and the values that you want to honor in your life. What now? Take these next steps and create accountability: cFind a buddy you trust or hire a coach to hold you accountable to your big dream. cBreak your dream into small, manageable, specifi c action steps and assign deadlines to keep you moving in the right direction. cConsider every aspect of your life: Career fulfi llment is impacted by the health of your relationships, your physical health, how you are sleeping and how you handle stress. A holistic approach will be more sustainable in the long term. cCelebrate every small achievement and milestone along the way. Don't wait for the end of the journey to celebrate how far you've come. cTrack your progress by journaling, drawing a vision board or keeping a chart of key benchmarks and deadlines to see your forward progress. –D.L. Attainable Goals = Increased Satisfaction Determining specifi c goals that are achievable will bring more satisfaction, and more focused objectives. CAREER MINDED: MEDITATION AT THE OFFICE Meditation is often associated with spirituality and personal reflection, but what about productivity at work? MogaMind.com is an online tool that features guided musical meditation tracks you can access anywhere—including at the offi ce. BRAVA 2014 Woman to Watch Corrina Crade and her boyfriend, Patrick Cunningham, created the website because, as entrepreneurs, they found themselves struggling to balance multiple projects. So they studied mindfulness along with success principles and visualization techniques to develop a meditation regimen that fi t their busy lifestyle. "It's just like a vitamin or a tune up for an instrument," Crade says, adding that whether you spend 10 minutes every day at lunch or 30 seconds immediately before a big presentation, "meditation allows you to stay very present in the moment and stay positive. It's proven that when you meditate, your focus elevates signifi cantly." With the proliferation of smart phones and tablets, Crade doesn't view technology as a distraction. "Instead of saying 'Let's disregard technology,' let's work with technology and see how it can be part of mindfulness." This month, the couple plans to launch a MogaMind app, making it even easier to incorporate mindfulness into the workday. –Cathy Martin