Too many people blame circumstances or those around them for the stress in their life. The first step to self-leadership, and ultimately to great leadership of others, is to learn to take responsibility for and manage your own responses to stress.
Brian Bacon from Oxford Leadership thoughts on this subject are worth considering:
Don’t depend on any other person to relieve your psychological load. There is a good chance that you are the only one who can do anything about it. Don’t expect your partners, your boss, your spouse or anyone else to resolve your stress. Whatever or whomever you may think is the cause of your tension, you are responsible for your inner responses.
If you have given your power away to anyone, then reclaim it immediately. Realise that you have far more control over your own life and destiny than you probably think. Now is the time for self-leadership. Instead of worrying about bad things that could happen, be in charge of creating the type of future that you want.
Clarify your own truth and purpose in life. Find your compass and become the captain of your soul. You can learn from others and benefit from their wisdom but in the end, your life is your own. Only you are responsible for the choices and decisions you make in life. Let it be a life that has dignity, elegance and meaning.
Simplify your life and throw out all unnecessary baggage. Restructure your obligations. Get rid of excessive, unnecessary and unproductive duties and activities that don’t contribute to your focus in life or to your current goals. Focus your efforts on the few things that can make the biggest difference and abandon those tasks that don’t count a lot, even if you do them magnificently well. Accept that you can’t do everything and satisfy everyone at the same time.
Reinvent yourself. Seek new challenges that amplify your experience base. Remember that one of the best techniques for stress prevention is to continue updating your skills in order to remain energised, passionate and employable.
Enjoy the moment. Dont postpone your happiness. Don’t become so captured by your goals, hopes and visions that you forget to enjoy your journey. The aim of the surfer is not to get to the beach; it’s to enjoy the ride.
The best insurance policy for tomorrow is to make the most productive use of today.
Do you agree with Brian? Let us know by leaving a comment below…
About The Author: Amanda Baines
Amanda has a passion for turning ‘average’ into ‘excellent’. She delivers outstanding results through her dynamic coaching, consultancy and facilitation, producing organisations which maximise everyone’s potential and in which everyone plays to their strengths.
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