By Karen Amos

‘Just get on with it!’  There I was, berating myself with this very phase this morning.  I’ve a stack of jobs to do, but just can’t seem to make traction.  If only giving myself a stern talking to would solve the problem…

Of course, if it was that simple, we’d all be one of the ultra amazingly successful business people (with beautiful tans and teeth!) we see paraded on social media every day of the week.  So – do I head to the tanning parlour and book myself in for a new set of dental veneers, or is there another way?

The reason ‘Just Do It’ isn’t that simple is due to our mindset.  I’m not going to propose an answer to all your problems here, but try this coaching approach to generate some relatively quick turnarounds to generate positive results.

First of all we need to understand that our thoughts and feelings dictate our actions.  If we want new results, we need different actions, which in turn require new ways of thinking.  Often our thoughts are unhelpful to us, which in turn mean a lack of desired results.

To develop more useful thoughts, ask yourself:

  • What exactly would constitue a good result here?
  • What would be a good result for today?
  • In order to get this result, what do I need to think?

If you’re stuck, remember you can always fall back on the ever-helpful coaching question of, ‘What would I advise someone else to think in this situation?‘

As an example, this morning I identified three things that I needed to think to enable me to make headway:

  1. I’ve a window of opportunity over the next couple of weeks that I must make the most of.
  2. I actually have all the skills and knowledge I need for this right now.
  3. I just need to do one job at a time to make progress, rather than being bogged down with a mountain of work.

Simply having these thoughts has been enough to give me a jump start and make progress towards my goals.  Give it a go – it literally will take a couple of minutes of your time!

Karen Amos is an Executive and Professional Development Coach and owner of BrightBird Coaching & Training.  She specialises in supporting managers and business owners to build positive and productive teams, through 1:1 and team coaching and training workshops.

If you’d like to find out more about how coaching can help you and your team, contact us for a free, no-obligation chat on 07714 855757, or email karen@bright-bird.co.uk