INTERESTS, ABILITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

WHAT ARE YOURS?

A Life of Meaning

• What is your life-calling?– The thing that you can do that you would be

most true to who you are.– Connection with

• Your own inner experience of what is most valuable and important

• A true sense of connection with the larger world

– Interests, abilities, and talents combine to create your life calling.

How do you make lives of others richer?

The Self-Concordant Calling

• When have you been at your best:– Feeling a connection with who you are at your

deepest and most whole?– Feeling a connection with society around?

“You could say I have worked every day of my life. And you could say with equal justification that I never worked a day.”

How do People Change?Three Theories . . .

• Change comes from awareness & understanding of the past . . .

• Change comes from the here & now: changing and rewards & punishments.

• Change comes from utilizing past and present to create a vibrant and motivational picture of the future.

Our Understanding

• Of these theories is:– The weakest influence on current behavior is

the past.– The present rewards are much stronger.– But the image of the future is what empowers

peak performance

• Focus attention on a positive future.

Image of the Future . . .

• The Placebo Effect– Belief in a positive future for oneself produces

a powerful healing effect

• The Pygmalion Effect– When others believe in us, we perform at our

best.

Principles of Future Utilization

• Questions are interventions

• Questions elicit stories – Stories can be about problems & failure– Stories can be about positive actions

• Our stories dispose us toward action

• Powerful stories inspire powerful actions.

What you seek, you find

• Problem - focused questions discover problems

• Solution-focused questions discover solutions

• You will discover what you look for!

What kinds of questions?

• When have you experienced something powerful and unforgettable?

• What helps you perform well?

• When have you seen the best of . . .?

• Example: Poor customer service . . .– “Tell me a time when you saw really great

customer service?”

Four Powerful Questions

• Exception questions: Describe times when you have been at your best

• Goal questions: If a miracle happened and your goals were accomplished, what will be different

• Scaling questions: Rate from 1 - 10

• Circular question: How will others notice when you have achieved your goal?

Turn Complaints into Goals

• We have terrible customer service

• I am out of shape and overweight

• My partner and I don’t communicate

• We want to have fabulous customer service

• I want to run a 10-K

• I want to feel close and respectful to my partner

The Power of the Future

• Motivation comes from:

– A compelling image of the future, and

– A belief that the image can be reached

• Motivation = Attractiveness X Likelihood of achievement

Why is the goal worthy?

• List the advantages of achieving the goal.

• Ask yourself how others would benefit.

• See the goal as already achieved. Ask yourself: “How does this help?”– If we came to work tomorrow and the goal were

achieved, how would that be good?

What gives you confidence?

• When have you done something like this before?– Even in a small way?

• When have you accomplished other worthy goals?

• How did you do that?

Solution-Talk

• Appreciative, focuses on past successes, potential and possibilities.– “I now perceive an immense omission in my

Psychology. The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” – William James

• Future oriented– “A vivid imagination compels the whole body to obey

it.” – Aristotle

Commit to Excellence

With fitness you can be involved or you can be committed. Just

like ham and eggs. The chicken was involved, the pig was

committed. You have to be like the pig.

— Martina Navratilova

Commit to excellence

Just do your best;

it is all you can do..

Don’t ask how; just begin

and do it now.

The world waits for you.

—Harold Whaley