Springing into Action - a motto, three milestones and lots of opportunity for growth!

With a motto like Be Hopeful; Be Strong; Be Brave; Be Curious, you might think I have it all together. But I have not always lived up to that motto. I confused hope with positivity and seeing the bright side, I thought being strong was being invulnerable, I thought being brave was taking on everything without a doubt or fear, and curiosity - well that killed the cat right? (Actually in the original proverb "care killed the cat" - i.e. caring or worrying about others.)

As my interest in coaching, burnout, and helping project managers to find new ways to engage themselves and others grew, this motto came alive and I re-evaluated my presepctive of each of the components.

Be Hopeful - this is not crossing my fingers or saying "it will all be OK in the end". Sometimes it isn't OK, and that is, well, OK. My favorite poem is The Guest House by Jalaluddin Rumi

This being human is a guest house.

Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,

some momentary awareness comes

as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!

Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,

who violently sweep your house

empty of its furniture,

still, treat each guest honorably.

He may be clearing you out

for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,

meet them at the door laughing,

and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,

because each has been sent

as a guide from beyond.

But I digress. What I have learned about HOPE is that it is a combination of a vision of the future AND taking steps to make that future more likely to happen. Thus it involves agency - us choosing and taking action. And that fills me with hope.

Be Strong - this is not about being tough, invulnerable, impervious to pain or suffering. Being strong is about understanding what tools we have in our tool box - what strengths can we lean on during times of opportunity and adversity. Studies show that strengths of character can help us experience life in a more fulfilling way when we are aware of them and intentionally engage them. Dr Ryan Niemiec of the @VIA Institute on Character in his paper[1] theorizing on the effects of strengths on our ability to thrive in life, characterizes strengths use as follows.

We all have all 24 character strengths available to us to some degree, however my most prominent strengths are appreciation of beauty & excellence, bravery, curiosity, fairness and gratitude.

Curious (more on curiosity later!) to discover your ranking of 24 character strengths? Use this link to take your free assessment: https://ALLE.pro.viasurvey.org

Be Brave - for a lifetime I believed I was not and could not be brave because I struggled to manage anxiety. When I took my VIA Character Strengths assessment (link above for you to take yours), bravery came out as #2. I was confused. I researched and discovered that bravery is not as I had always believed being fearless, it is experiencing fear, concern or discomfort and doing it anyway. Suddenly it made sense. Always anxious I have still lived life fully, I have traveled to places far away, I have moved to a new country, changed jobs, taking speaking engagements, written a book and more - all while facing sometimes intense anxiety. In fact, at the start of Covid, I am many others facing similar challenges realized that we were better off than many people, because being careful, constant concern and worry, fear of what might happen are pretty constant for us - even though we know we are often anxious about things that are really unlikely. All of a sudden there was something REAL to worry about, and all those precautions and habits we have built over the years were finally useful!

Photo by?Aarón Blanco Tejedor ?on?Unsplash

Be Curious - the world is full of novelty, unknowns, and mysteries. Todd Kashdan's book Curious [2] explores all the ways in which curiosity improves our lives and wellbeing. From mental and physical health, performance in college to connectedness of our relationships, curiosity helps us to remain engaged when things are tough. AND curiosity helps us discover new ways of doing things, new people, new ideas and helps us to avoid becoming stuck in our ways, narrow-minded and bigoted. If instead of offering a solution to a problem we ask a question, or instead of jumping to a conclusion we ask what else might be true, we remain open to learning and growth. And research abounds that shows that lifelong learning supports a long and healthy life! Unless you happen to be that cat!

Photo by?Gary Butterfield ?on?Unsplash

[1] Niemiec, R (2019), Six Functions of Character Strengths for Thriving at times of Adversity and Opportunity: a Theoretical Perspective, Applied Research in Quality of Life

[2] Kashdan, T. (2010). Curious?: Discover the missing ingredient to a fulfilling life. Harper.?

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Opportunities Knock

Photo by?Towfiqu barbhuiya ?on?Unsplash

April, May and June are typically my three favorite months of the year. Well apart from September and October, and March is pretty good too! They are not too hot, not too cold, plenty of sunshine down here in North Carolina,

This year, I am more excited than ever because the next few months herald a new opportunities.

New LinkedIn Course on Burnout for Project Managers

Photo by?Alexander Shatov ?on?Unsplash

On April 28th, a #LinkedinLearning course for #projectmanagers will launch. The course tackles the topic of BURNOUT in project management. This is a topic dear to my heart and very much on the mind of many people as we come to terms with uncertainty. And no, it is not that uncertainty has increased (IMO), it is that we are being confronted with the fact of how little control we have in life!

This is the third course I have been invited to record with @LinkedinLearning. It is a fun process and such a privilege to be a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. Look out for details on April 28th.

Don't have a paid LinkedIn Account? Email me at [email protected] for three months FREE access!

Here are links to the first two courses:

Project Manager to Project Motivator: Unlock the Secrets of Strengths-Based Project Management

Mindfulness: A Critical Skill for Project Managers

Hot off the press: I have been invited to record a fourth course on Bravery for Project Managers later this year!

Ruth at the Small Business Series - Durham Chamber of Commerce

On May 16th - and May is mental health month - I will be speaking at the Durham Chamber of Commerce small business series. The topic? Burnout of course! I love the Chamber. It is such an active and engaged group, and Durham is so vibrant and a fun place to live and work. Event details available soon at https://members.durhamchamber.org/events/calendar/2022-05-01

ALLE LLC Burnout Prevention Coaching Program Launch!!

And in June we at ALLE LLC will be launching a Burnout Prevention Coaching program! We will be offering three days/times to choose from, the program will last 10 weeks with five live online group coaching meetings. We have a wealth of tools and practices to share - always keeping in mind that burnout prevention should not add to our workload or be a chore!

Photo by?ian dooley ?on?Unsplash

To find out more or to sign up use the link below:

ALLE LLC is Allison Jarrett, Director of Operations & Resilience Coach , Beckie Davies, Director and Coach of Health & Wellbeing , Irene Poku, Director and Coach in Authentic Leadership and Ruth Pearce