Happy Holidays!
We know that your time is precious, so we want to let you know how much we appreciate that you’ve joined us on the Be Your Own Best Coach journey.
We’re writing because it’s time to reflect on the year just past.
Part of that review includes sharing links to the articles we’ve published that our readers found most valuable. Whether entertaining, inspiring, instructional, or something else, each article found a special place in people’s minds and hearts.
Enjoy!
A Priest, a Minister, and a Rabbit Walk into a Bar
The “joke” is based on the distinctly different perspectives, needs, and interests each of the characters in the joke has. It also reveals the absurdity of one-size-fits-all thinking that so often dominates conversation about behavior change.
The truth is, human behavior is influenced by a highly complex set of changing conditions and factors. So any movement toward change has to take those conditions and factors into account.
Ultimately, it starts with effective self-leadership: being responsible, accountable, and disciplined; and managing your inner world of emotions and your emotional reactions.
Transform Your Life With the Circle Technique
The Circle Technique is a super simple but powerful technique that has been used around the world to help people make big shifts in thinking dominated by lack of confidence, hope, or sense of personal control.
The Circle Technique give you a strong start on the path to positive change by helping you:
Recognize the key building blocks of successful change
Work with the two critical elements that come before goal setting
Y-PET Framework . . . The Art & Science of Last Behavior Change?
This is an introduction to the initial draft of what has become our Be Your Own Best Coach Behavior Change Model.
The model does something that no other behavior change models give you, which is a systematic way to account for all the factors that can either put you into the winner’s circle of positive change or leave you at the back of the pack. It’s based on a synthesis of best practices and insights from psychological, social, and behavioral sciences, and presented in a way that makes it easy and practical to put into immediate practice.
8 Magic Words to Change Negative into Positive Self-Talk
Whether your goals are to boost your career, improve your wellbeing, enjoy better relationships, create new habits or crush bad ones, or even deepen your spiritual life, getting a handle on your self-talk is crucial.
Eight specific words can change the course of your inner dialogue, quiet your harsh inner critic, and boost your empathy and self-compassion–important factors that contribute to your ongoing wellbeing.
Tiny Habits When You're in the Grip of Uncertainty and Fear
Taking charge and being in control gives us the sense of security we depend on, but COVID-19 has thrown us under the bus. Click here to learn three ways the Tiny Habits® behavior change method can help you regain a sense of agency and empowerment. It also includes our Action Guide: 52 Easy Things that Will Build Your Sense of Agency and Empowerment.
Resilience Part I: I have, I am, I can
In this Be Your Own Best Coach Conversations podcast episode, we share insights about resilience that often are overlooked, but are important to creating and sustaining wellbeing.
Resilience has emerged as a huge topic as we slog through almost two horrific years of the pandemic. Everyone has been touched by the virus and no one has gone unscathed or unaffected…. Which is why resilience is so important.
How to Set Clear Boundaries to Get What you Need from Others
If you want to feel safe, respected, and cared about, knowing how to set healthy boundaries are essential. In this Be Your Own Best Coach workshop recording, you will learn practical strategies that will help you reduce the anxiety, agony, and conflict that are part of all relationships. Listen in to gain the skills to:
Own your own story
Share your story in a way that clearly communicates your boundaries
Invite people to join you on your journey in a way that works for you . . . and respects their choice
How to Escape the Negativity Bias Trap
Evolution has hard-wired our brains to be on the lookout for danger. We notice and remember negative events and experiences far more readily and permanently than positive events and experiences. That’s because negative stuff imprints more quickly in our memories, so negative memories stick around a lot longer than positive ones. As one psychologist says, our brains are like teflon for good stuff and velcro for bad stuff.
This leads to what’s called the “negative bias.” We remember one goof we made and overlook all the good things we’ve done. We seem consumed with resentment when someone treats us less kindly and forget all the caring things they’ve done for us.
The negativity bias is a huge factor that keeps people stuck in conflict within themselves and with others, so your ability to manage it iis a key point of leverage in your career or personal success.
Why 'Go With Your Gut' Can Get You In Trouble
We’re not quite sure how it evolved. Perhaps during the 60s era of flowerpower and Timothy Leary’s “turn on, tune in, drop out.” Or it could have come from later self-improvement movements that preferenced feelings over rational thought. The point is that “go with your gut,” “listen to your feelings,” and “just do it” are not reliable strategies that should guide your decision-making. . . if you want to knock the ball out of the park on your personal or career success.
That is not to say that feelings aren’t important. Of course they are. But feelings, going with your gut, and rational thinking have their places. Read more about this in our blog.
Three Critical Factors to Consider Before Setting Goals
Goals are always important, but no more than at this time of year. Unfortunately, starting out the year by focusing on setting goals for yourself is not the most effective way to make 2022 your best year yet.
We’re not talking about SMART goals, SWOT analyses, or anything like that.
We’re talking about something else entirely. We mean three other critical factors you must consider before you open the door for goal setting.
These are just some of the top articles we've shared this past year. So, we invite you to click on the links, visit our site, savor new insights, and consider how you may want to give a boost to your self-leadership skills in 2022.
Free Workshop
Join us for our free workshop on January 12 at noon ET: Science-Based Strategies for Keeping Your 2022 New Year’s Resolutions
Our workshop is about real-world practice, so we’ll be guiding you through two experiential learning activities that will immediately help you set the stage for successful change in 2022.
Regardless of what area of life you want to change, this workshop will help you identify what to do and how to do it so you see steady progress right from the start and avoid the common traps that trip people up and hold them back. Register here >>