It’s Never too Late to Create a Bold Self-help Plan & Execute It
Three success story excerpts from the new book: “The MOMENT THAT DEFINES YOUR LIFE”
Editor’s note: This is part one of a six part series by Latin Biz Today advisory board member, Chuck Garcia
It is astounding how determined people can be to change something big in their careers and lives. Although many have a tenacious will, they often lack the proper tools needed to make significant changes. Alas, often what’s left when they align goals with what has not been achieved often leads to disappointment and despair.
Here are, three success stories from clients I worked with recently demonstrate that the power of personal and professional change is within everyone:
- A first time CEO, impatient by nature, became more even tempered under the weight of enormous pressure and expectations. As he sought desperately to build credibility, trust and respect among his stakeholders, his emotional intelligence training paid dividends far beyond what he thought was possible.
- In meetings, a seasoned project manager developed an astonishing capacity to pick up on nonverbal cues and read a room effectively. He learned to quickly adjust content and style in situations that formally left him anxious and insecure. Like a disciplined athlete, his practices daily the tactics necessary to drastically improve his social awareness.
- A former Columbia graduate student recruited to The Silicon Valley confronted and overcame a gigantic fear by measuring and developing her self-awareness. Formerly terrified of public speaking, she now hones her stage craft with immense power and passion.
How many commitments come and go without the slightest hint of progress?
For years I have worked with clients and students across the globe. From boardrooms to classrooms, one thing is clear: People want to change, but feel unprepared, ill equipped, and unsure of HOW. Lacking the tools or a vision of what it can look like, many feel stuck, only to regret years later what could have, should have, or would have been. The kind of change I describe in my recently published book The MOMENT THAT DEFINES YOUR LIFE is not rooted in technical competence. Most people are quite good at what they do. However, the brain is divided in two hemispheres: Your left side relies on logic, reason, and order. The right-side controls communication, collaboration, and empathy. The conventional education model leans heavily (in some cases exclusively) on the left, and seemingly dismisses as irrelevant how or even why to develop the other side. That is a shame and, in my humble opinion, the biggest gap in formal education across the globe.
One other important discovery: Most people I work with overestimate two things: The value of their intellect and the importance of planning. Conversely, they significantly underestimate the power and weight of temperament and self-correction.
What happens when things don’t go as planned? Often confusion, despair, and emotional triggered reactions have a lasting impact on your capacity to move ahead despite the setbacks.
How then to create a bold self-help plan and execute it to ensure successful and fulfilling goal achievement?
Learning about yourself is a great place to start. Begin by assessing your level of emotional intelligence while you learn to adopt the philosophical practices of the late, great Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius.
In The MOMENT THAT DEFINES YOUR LIFE, discover how obstacles, and struggles in people’s lives are remarkably similar people from all walks of life and a variety of professions. As you relate to the book’s narratives, you will learn HOW to manage your emotions more effectively by integrating powerful approaches to life’s most impactful moments. From philosophy to social science, uncover and examine the evidence, relevance, and results that come from shifting your mindset. Finally, you will develop a blueprint to understand and cultivate the tools needed to significantly improve self-awareness, empathy, and leadership skills that apply to every aspect of your life. The MOMENT underscores the principle that individuals are primarily evaluated on their responses to various stimuli rather than the stimuli themselves. It provides a qualitative framework for harnessing emotional intelligence and stoicism to climb the corporate ladder and manage interdependent relationships that are critical to lead a successful, happy, and fulfilling life.
YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Commit to a different purpose; one that leads to significant career and personal change. The tools are right in front of you as described in the book. Read it, internalize it, and continually practice techniques that help you become a better leader, partner, and human being. The MOMENT is available wherever your books online:
The MOMENT THAT DEFINES YOUR LIFE on Amazon.com
Chuck is the founder of Climb Leadership International and coaches executives worldwide on Public Speaking, Emotional Intelligence, and Executive Presence. He is also a professional speaker, author of The MOMENT THAT DEFINES YOUR LIFE and the Amazon best seller A Climb to the TOP. He is on faculty at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Engineering and teaches in their professional development and leadership program. Chuck is also a passionate and accomplished mountaineer. He formerly spent 25 years in leadership positions at Bloomberg, BlackRock, and Citadel Investment Management.
Related content:
Fight or Flight: The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
Good Leaders Tap Into Emotional Intelligence
Small Business Leadership and Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace