Hi! Welcome! Welcome to episode 75. What Would Your Best Self Do? Or Say? Or Think?
I love this question for a few key reasons. And that’s what today’s episode is about. I’ll help you know when to use this as a powerful tool along your success journey.
What would your best self do? This is a powerful question. It’s powerful because it creates a shift almost immediately. It’s powerful because it can re-frame almost any situation. It’s also powerful because it’s easily accessible.
I do admit it’s a bit more powerful when I pose it to my clients vs when they ask themselves. Simply because I’m there to help them navigate the answer to these questions. Especially when there can be more than one answer!
That said, adding it to your toolbox can be a key strategic option for you. Here are some scenarios when it’s most powerful to use.
When you’re in a tough situation, like when your company is making decisions you’re not sure how you feel about. You have this sinking feeling, this pit in your stomach where you’re just not in agreement.
Or when your company has a lot of change as an organization and it feels really unsettling and you’re not sure how it’s going to all shake down. Or maybe when you feel strongly they could be supporting you and your team better.
Ask yourself, what would my best self do in this situation?
Here’s a different scenario. When you’re mentoring key team members and they’re simply stuck. They have a good case of the negatives and they’re just not moving on from it.
When you have potential team members that decide to go with a different company, ugh that’s so tough and yet not uncommon.
Ask yourself, what would my best self say to my team?
How about when you yourself are in a place of real uncertainty? You’re really overwhelmed from feeling spread too thin like you’re not where you want to be as a leader for your team.
Or have you recently started over? You’re in a whole new spot with a lot of work ahead of you. There’s some fun and excitement happening, sure. But there are still moments when you have strong doubts and real questions.
These are all key moments to ask yourself How would my best self think about this? How would my best self get through this particular day?
Connecting with your best self holds space to remind you that these are circumstances. They don’t define you as a leader. You absolutely have what it takes. You can rise to the occasion. You can always have your own best interest at heart more than anyone else ever will.
You can access this by simply asking yourself
What would my best self do?
What would my best self think in this situation?
What would my best self say?
It will require you to be humble enough to realize, you may not be acting, thinking, or speaking as your best self would. That’s not easy to do, my friend. It requires a good deal of humility and self-awareness.
But when you can realize this, and you do, you then have to pause long enough to reach for the question. “What would my best self do?”
You get to change course. You can change course. You can create a shift. You can realize I’m in charge of me.
Look, some of the most successful CEOs and CFOs I’ve coached have truly questioned if they could get through the most challenging personal and professional situations.
From the outside others typically think they’ve got it all figured out. That they don’t doubt themselves. That they are always working as their best self.
I’m here to tell you, they are incredibly aware of when they are, and also when they’re not. That’s what a successful journey is all about. Humbly challenging yourself to ask, Is this my best self? How can I be better? Do better? Think better. And speak better?
You can create a shift any time you need one! I’m confident this question will help you do just that. Any time you need. In any situation. And in any circumstance.
It’s all part of the success journey.
For more episodes on growing your confidence as a leader scroll down just a bit more. You’ll see “Topics” on the bottom left of the screen. Click on “Growing Your Confidence As A Leader”.
The best is yet to come, friend. Always.
