OH! Magazine - Australian Version September 2018 | Page 13

DON’T WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT
YOU’RE CAPABLE OF
Success coach Lisa Stephenson explains how we can seize our potential.
often hear stories of people who
discover they are stronger and
smarter than they knew, as a result of a
significant and life-changing event.
When trauma is experienced, people are
required to develop new skills and must
trust themselves to find their way to a
solution.
I
Over the years I’ve seen people who were
going about their life, doing their thing,
only to have certainty and everything
that they knew about themselves thrown
out the window in a moment. It might
be a shock redundancy, health scare or
the end of a significant relationship.
Regardless of the trigger, the impact can
be significant.
Life throws all kinds of surprises at us.
Some of those bring happiness and new
opportunities, but others leave us
spinning in circles, unsure of how we
even begin to survive it. One thing I am
certain of in my experience as a coach,
is that people are nearly always more
capable than they know. In fact, people
can be amazing, resilient and inspiring
in the middle of mess! What I am
fascinated by though, is this question:
‘why do we need to wait to find out what
we are capable of?’
Imagine what life could be like if we
consciously paid attention to our
strengths, passions and goals and made
that stuff happen, rather than wait to be
provoked into change by trauma. Over
and over again coaching clients say to
me: ‘I wish I had backed myself earlier…
I just didn’t know I could do this.’
Whilst they would never have purposely
invited the ‘mess’ into their life, once
they come out the other side they are
proud and regularly happier.
Often we are consumed by the ‘busy’ –
the tasks and to-do lists – and we spread
ourselves thin. Most of us have untapped
potential so I encourage you to stop
waiting for things to go wrong, doors to
close, or boredom to consume you before
you seek out that potential. Instead,
proactively create the change you need
to live a life that makes you want to
jump out of bed in the morning.
These thought-provoking questions will
get you started:
•
•
•
•
•
•
How would I define a successful life
for me?
Who do I know who could support
me with advice and tips to get me
on my way?
What beliefs do I have now that stop
me from reaching my real potential?
If I truly trusted myself, what would
I start doing differently tomorrow?
What are the consequences of living
my current life and not exploring
the possibilities of more?
Can I make a list of the attitudes,
skills and experiences I have that
really show my strengths?
•
•
•
•
If I was being brave what decisions
would make?
What opportunities can I leverage
right now if I wasn’t waiting for the
perfect time?
How can I develop resilience in my
career, relationships and mindset so
that I am ready for what life throws
at me?
If I stepped out of being ‘busy’ and
paid attention to what I really want
in life, what would I need to do?
Discovering your capabilities requires
you to be prepared to take some risks,
make some mistakes, and learn some
things about yourself that you didn’t
know. On the other side of the mess, a
more resilient version of youreself awaits;
a version of you who can step up, take
ownership and drive your own success,
whatever that means for you.
Lisa Stephenson
Lisa is a success coach and author of
Read Me First, a book filled with thought-
provoking coaching questions, strategies
for success and life’s must-haves. She is
also the founder of the global, Australian-
based consulting firm, Who am I
Projects, and has worked with some of
the biggest global names, CEOs, elite
athletes and entrepreneurs. For more
information visit
www.lisastephensonconsulting.com.au
OH! MAGAZINE ( SEPTEMBER 2018 )
13