Up and to the Right

In the business world the term Up and to the Right gives reference to a very healthy growth chart. This is every business owners goal. This is also our goal for our life. Life is seldom so kind, the reality is that life has its dips and left movements too. It is possible to be intentional about moving in the Up and to the Right direction. Sadly, we sometimes use the wrong scorecard. What is your scorecard? Money? Power? Fame? When have you “made it”? What are your goals moving you to?

Brian Tracy who is a Time Management Guru said the following “Take the time to be clear about your goals and objectives so that the priorities you set are moving you in the direction of something that is of value to you. Remember that many people scramble frantically to climb the ladder of success, only to find that it is leaning against the wrong building.”

An “Up and to the Right” life can be possible if you are intentional about living each day choosing to acknowledge the lessons that life gives to us, the achievements, especially the small ones, the small activities that move you closer to your dream and purpose, people who blow life into our lives, the blessings that come everyday and being intentional about touching others and leaving our fragrance in their lives.

In her book Your Best Year Yet! Jinny Ditzler speaks about 2 Life Pursuits.

The first is “What can I do to prove myself? To be good enough?” And the second is “What can I do with the gifts I have?”

The first will have you making goals to prove yourself and to please others all the time, which mostly bends you out of your natural shape and leaves you exhausted and unfulfilled. And often has you leaning against the wrong building.

The second will have you using and refining your natural gifts and talents living intentionally and feeling fulfilled. This kind of Life Pursuit has you playing to your strengths, making success much easier. The goals you set will have be aligned to your values and not to pleasing others. It is a life which touches others and is outward focused. It is a life of abundance!

This is where it is vitally important to have a clear understanding of what your values are as a person. Once you have established that, it is then easier to check whether your goals are aligned to those values. An exercise I do every so often is to look at each goal and ask myself whether or not they clash with my values, if they do the chances are I am not going to achieve it, and lets face it, life is hard enough without setting yourself up for a fall.

An example of that would be a goal I set 2 years ago to Study, when I did this exercise I realised that I could only tick one of my values and that it would clash with at least two of my values, namely taking time and treasure out of my family life. Another thing was it was an “ought to do” because I felt it would prove that I was good enough. Now I am not saying it isn’t good to study, but for me that year, I would not have been able to achieve it and it was for the wrong reasons.

So this year take a good hard look at those goals and ask yourself “Am I trying to prove myself? If I achieve this will it make me good enough?” or is this goal something that will have me grow my capacity as I discover and use the gifts that I have?”

As printed in COMENSA newletter Feb Vol 2

Unlocking Gifts

PAGE 16 of the COACHES AND MENTORS OF SOUTH AFRICA newsletter

By Tracey Olivier

It is my personal belief that each person I come into contact with is a gift, who needs to be opened and unwrapped with great care and delight. Coaching is a wonderful journey of discovering many different gifts within that person.

It thrills me as each person discovers a strength they never knew they had, the sense of purpose

that was hidden underneath the clutter of circumstance, and the excitement of opening up a new

potential and then seeing them play with the options.

Sometimes I get to unpack some unwanted gifts with them and get to participate in the working

out of putting them in the proper places or even discarding them if they are harmful.

It amazes me over and over again the glorious uniqueness of each person and how each gifted

person is totally different in their packaging, contents and even in the way they open and respond to each discovery.

I found a wonderful quote by Albert Einstein ―The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational

mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten

the gift.ǁ

I am of the very clear conviction that everyone of us has unique giftings that are ours alone. These

attributes are what make us who we are and they should be celebrated. We live in a world that

sometimes wants to clone us, we aspire to be just like this or that person, and that is great, but we mustn‘t lose ourselves in the process. We know intuitively what it is we ought

to do with our lives, but sometimes we just need someone to give us the permission to allow the

greatest to be called out of us. We need to be a better ―meǁ and it is possible when we realise the

gift of who we are. I love that coaching is a vehicle to unlock and allow people to discover

themselves and to embrace themselves as the gifts that they are.

Focus

Take time out to assess where you’ve come from and where you’re going. Are you still on the road that will lead you to God’s purposes, or have you taken a detour somewhere along the way?
John Maxwell

If the Lord delights in a man’s ways, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Psalm 37: 23-24


Five steps to staying focused.

1. Fan the flame
Keep reminding yourself what you are passionate about. What got you on this road in the first place?

2. Seeing the end in view
Who are the people who cheer you on? Remember that you walk between the starting point and the finishing line can be a long and winding road.

3. Remain a student
Never stop learning. Let your business become your classroom. Failures and successes can teach you. Use the internet, go to seminars and workshop if you are not sure. Read books and meet with people who have the knowledge you need.

4. Isolation – the dream killer
Networking is important. Choose them carefully, connect with people who are like minded. Who are your tribe? Never be threatened by the competition, they are allies if you realise that only you can do your purpose.

5. Reinforcement
Re-inspire yourself. Go back to the reason you started the journey. What did God say. Keep a journal. Are you still on track? Remind yourself often why you are doing what you are doing. Do you have prophetic words, dust them off.