Episode 13
The prior episodes are full of techniques for growing your mental fitness, and a formal program can accelerate the process. This episode explains a bit about that program.
Why Mental Fitness Training Works
Mental fitness is the capacity to respond to life’s challenges from a positive perspective rather than a negative one. As our mental fitness grows, our performance strengthens, our relationships improve, and our wellbeing increases. And why is that? Well, because life moves fast and is full of uncertainty and ambiguity. Saboteurs use these as excuses to keep us in familiar patterns and routines. As our mental fitness grows, we see more possibilities and become more open to taking chances on new approaches.
Impact of Mental Fitness Training
There are so many great examples of how this translates into real-world results. For example, at MetLife, salespeople trained in mental fitness outsold the control group by 37%. At Motorola they saw improved productivity in 93% of trained employees. And at a restaurant group in the United Kingdom, high mental fitness competency correlated with a 34% increase in profit growth.
There are so many more stats demonstrating success. There are also case studies. For confidentiality purposes, Wendy and I will keep the detailed descriptions focused on our own experiences.
Lisa: The Hyper-Achiever is a top saboteur for me. In the past, I would work until I physically couldn’t do any more. I would rarely slow down to consider whether a different approach would be more effective or whether I really needed to do everything I was doing. My family didn’t appreciate my workaholic tendency, and I was constantly stressed. At times, I would put accomplishing goals ahead of the needs of my team. I was driven by the assumption that if I ever stopped producing, I would be rejected. As I quieted the Hyper-Achiever, I became more efficient and eliminated unimportant projects. I focused more on relationships which grew more loyalty from my team and appreciation from my family. I also stopped to appreciate my accomplishments and smell the roses more often. I am much happier and less stressed.
Wendy: In my life, this mental fitness practice has helped me with the Controller, which is my top saboteur. I have really high standards, and I tend to keep an iron grip on the details, even when other people are perfectly capable of doing what needs to be done. I now know that when I’m in full on controller mode, it’s because I’m buying into the saboteur lie that if I micro-manage every detail, I can avoid catastrophe, or that I’m doing others a favor by telling them exactly how to do the thing. Whether I’m controlling a colleague or my husband, the result is that people don’t feel trusted, and I stay perpetually stressed and overwhelmed because I take on too much that’s not mine to do. As I learned to recognize and quiet the Controller saboteur, I’ve been able to delegate more effectively in several areas of my life and work. Today, I can see that every week I’ve got hours back in my schedule because of this shift. And although things aren’t always done exactly the way I would do them, the work is being done well. So, by intercepting my controller saboteur, I’m calmer and more focused, I have more time in my schedule, and my relationships have improved as I’ve built trust with others.
We all have a little controller in us. It’s human nature to want to manage our outcomes, especially when things are stressful. Nathalie Brys, General Counsel at Philips said, “What is new and life changing is the ‘mind control,’ the ability to ‘let go’ when any negative feelings take over. This program has given me the ability to be in the drivers seat of my life.”
Program Elements and How They Boost Mental Fitness
Education and Application
There are so many powerful examples, we could easily go on for hours, but for the sake of time, lets move on to why the Positive Intelligence mental fitness training program is so impactful. The program incorporates videos, group coaching sessions, guided practice through an app, and an online community. Lisa and I also incorporate one-to-one coaching so everyone can get personalized attention. It’s a powerful combination of education and application. You actively practice incorporating these concepts into your daily routine, you have support when challenges arise, and you get positive reinforcement when things go well.
Support and Practice
When it comes to changing ingrained behaviors, support and practice are critical. Our existing behaviors are like a well-worth forest path. They are easy and comfortable. Establishing new behaviors requires leaving the comfort of the path, pulling out the machete, and hacking our way through the underbrush. We get a few cuts and bruises along the way, but the more we choose that path, the clearer and easier it becomes. While a machete sounds daunting, this program isn’t! Each week includes a one-hour video, a group coaching session, and just 15 minutes a day of practicing the new concepts.
The group coaching is great because in addition to getting support from your coach, meaning Lisa or me, you have a group of people who are going through the same thing and are there to support you too. Since you’re all stretching out of your comfort zone and getting off of that well-worn path, it’s easier to be kind to yourself and stick with it.
These programs are intentionally designed to help you stay engaged and do the work.
What This Can Mean for You
If you’ve been listening through all of these conversations, we’re assuming that the information is starting to click. So now we have some questions for you.
· What is important for you... right now?
· What vision do you have for yourself, your career, your relationships?
· What is negatively impacting your ability or your team’s ability to perform?
· What isn’t getting the attention it needs?
· How long has this been an issue?
· Fast forward another 6 months. If you haven’t addressed this, what would that cost you?
Now shift gears and imagine that it’s a year from now and you’ve addressed this most important challenge.
· What would be different in your life?
· What would the people around you notice is different?
· What would be different with your team?
Mental fitness training can be your first step toward making this change and making it stick. You’ll start to re-wire your brain to favor positivity and stop those nasty saboteurs in their tracks. You’ve heard us talk about the 7-week program that each of us can facilitate for you, your team, or even your family.
Lisa’s Coaching Style
Whether in coaching or in mental fitness training, I lead with goals. I take a very practical approach, blending my background in business, neuroscience, and project management, along with coaching. I help people unearth what’s holding them back and then develop simple yet stretch action plans that get them where they want to go.
During the weekly group coaching and the group messaging in between, we discuss what’s working and create strategies to address challenges. You’ll deepen your understanding of the material and how to apply it. During individual coaching, we take this up a notch farther. This is the time to delve deeply into the nuances of how the saboteurs show up for you and how to quiet them. How to powerfully use your magnificent sage self to help you achieve your goals for the program. Whatever feels most juicy and relevant to you, that’s where we’ll focus.
At any given time, we have a limited number of spots available, so be sure to reach out now and reserve your ideal start date.
Becky Sharpe the CEO of Collegiate Sports Data said, “This has been a profound growth experience. I now consistently feel joy and calm in the middle of handling the many challenges of running my company… Almost a feeling of ‘Throw it at me … I can handle it’ – like I want more challenges now, as if nothing is too much.”
And Sandi Sandiland the Head of Global Sales P&D at Amazon said, “I am much calmer and have a greater sense of happiness than I have felt in years. I feel physically lighter, and my energy is higher. Sage is now present all of the time. I sleep better, eat better, exercise better.”
Reach out today, and let’s talk about what can be better for you.