Do You Manage Your Emotions Well?

When emotions arise, do you react or respond? Managing your emotions is about choice. Take a look at your 3 available options:

1) Express Them

Reacting immediately makes you feel better, but it's not always appropriate. In the heat of the moment, we speak before we think. What is the context? Who are you telling? Do you want to be viewed as overly dramatic?!

2) Suppress Them
Holding your feelings inside makes you feel worse. Private people prefer not sharing how they feel with others, yet if bottled up for too long it creates a volcano that will eventually explode!

3) Label + Reframe
Did you know that labeling your emotions reduces your arousal? Once you identify how you are feeling, re-frame it positively and your emotional response will shift.

Managing your emotions is a sign of maturity. Successful people can observe their mental processes and regulate their emotions. Managing your emotions reduces distractions and increases your performance! Next time you feel an emotion, try identifying, labeling and positively re-framing it!

What's your experience with managing your emotions? 

Please share your comments...
 

Want to manage your emotions better?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence! E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!

Should Companies Train like Athletes?

How would training like an athlete affect your performance at work? Did you know productivity is linked to your body and emotions? Let's look at how physical, emotional and mental energy determines your peak performance:
 
1) Physical
Your body is your fundamental source of energy. How you treat it determines how you will perform. Try exercising 30 minutes daily (preferably in the morning), eating healthy and sleeping 7+ hours each night. Your endurance will skyrocket immediately!

2) Emotional
How you manage your emotions either drives or drains your energy. Athletes use music as a pre-routine to calm them. Be aware of your body language; it illustrates your confidence level. Strengthen close relationships and it will add to your positive energy.
 
3) Mental
Your mind utilizes the available energy from your physical and emotional state. Enhance focus by visualizing your desired outcome. Think positive thoughts as it actually reprograms your mind. While working include taking short breaks each 90 - 120 minutes for mental recovery and to sharpen focus. 
 
Athletes spend a tremendous amount of time training and resting to promote peak performance. Experts point to lack of recovery (rest), not stress, as the main culprit of poor execution. Next time try training your body, emotions and mind like an athlete for optimal results!

Want to "train" like a Corporate Athlete?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence! E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!

How to Follow-Up

How do you stay ahead in this vastly interconnected world? Make sure you effectively follow-up! Here are three tips to help you pursue contacts more efficiently:

1) Keep your Word
If you say you're going to contact someone, do it! Don't use words lightly. Say what you intend to do and follow-through with action. Your word shapes your reputation.

2) Pursue Respectfully
When you propose an idea and are told "no", it could mean "not right now" or "revise it." Don't take rejection personally. Perseverance is key. The next time you are turned away, ask if you can follow-up at a later date.
 
3) Track your Steps
No matter how great your memory is, you need a tracking system. I track when and how I interact with each of my contacts in an excel document. This reminds me who I need to follow-up with and when. Create your own tracking system so you can follow-up effectively.
 
Follow-up is an essential skill. It multiplies your chances to succeed! Strive to be known as: tenacious, a go-getter and persevering! 

Want to become more effective at "follow-up?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence! 
E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!

Food Truck Evangelism

Listen up entrepreneurs, businesses & churches! This L.A. based trend is revealing insight on how to attract loyal fans. Here are three takeaways that you can apply in your organization:

1) Go to Them
Find out where your customers hang out and bring your product or service to them. Potential customers are more "comfortable" on their "home turf." Make convenience your ally.

2) Create Excitement
There's a buzz in the air when something is perceived as fun. When you create an environment that appeals to the senses, people become captivated. Feelings drive your actions.
 
3) Provide Value
Price is important, but people are willing to pay for something great. Value is cost PLUS quality and customer service. Listen to your customer's needs and plan your agenda around them.
 
Food trucks are followed on twitter because of the overall experience they create. We can learn a lot from this growing trend by going to our customers, creating excitement and providing value for them! Are you creating an experience worthy enough to be "followed"?

Need a plan to attract customers?
Partner with Coach Scott to identify your strengths, accomplish goals faster & boost your confidence! E-mail Scott to start Growing Forward today!