Gratitude Practice - What does it Even Mean?

“Dear journal, I am thankful for my health. Dear journal, I am grateful for my family. Dear journal, I am thankful for the food we have. “
Okay, so maybe there is a better way to approach gratitude? 

Many times when I mention gratitude practice to my leader clients, they have the same look on their face that I used to have when someone said they practice "Gratitude"; I had the look of "come 'on another woo-woo thing that people who wear tie-dye shirts do? 

In this article, l will clarify what gratitude practice is and a few ways that might be helpful for you to try and experiment and see if gratitude practice helps you boost your energy, focus, adversity, and bring a sense of joy that might be missing in your life. 

Hi, I am Noa, and I work with leaders, executives, and founders of companies just like you to go beyond with their leadership. Are you ready? Let's go. 

In one of my last videos, I mentioned the negative bias. The negative bias is a tendency we focus in our day, week, and life on the things that don't work for us. For example, you had a wonderful day at work, and then around 2 pm, there was one annoying coworker comment. When you come home, and your partner asks you how your day was, all you remember from that beautiful day is that one annoying comment and respond with a grumpy face: "I had better…." That's what we call the "Negative Bias." Our ancient brain was engineered to be obsessed with our mistakes, with our failures, because the focus on the mistakes and failures made sure we learn from them; that was our way to survive our life in danger out and about. This Negative Bias mechanism kept us alive. The mechanism stayed as in many ancient brain behaviors, but the need is different. 

The good news is that we can reprogram our brains. Our brain CAN learn new ways that serve our new life needs. One of the ways to teach our ancient brain to lower its focus on the negative bias is to focus on progress, what's working, and gratitude.

• Progress – where can we see improvement?

• What's working – where we can recognize and appreciate what we do well?

• Gratitude – where we can appreciate and be grateful for what we have in our lives?

 To learn more about the Negative Bias and rewiring your brain check out my article HERE.

Multiple studies show that gratitude can boost our well-being and improve our mood. A study published in Applied Psychology in 2011 showed that people who practiced gratitude for 15 minutes before they went to sleep slept better and had fewer negative thoughts. Another study found that people who practice gratitude have fewer negative emotions like resentment and anger.

Being more aware of gratitude's impact on our lives, I have noticed a pattern. When I coached successful leaders who are more resilient and find it easier to adapt to change, I asked them what made these attributes their strengths. The answers were the same repeatedly; they were grateful for what they had had in their life. Many mentioned that expressing gratitude was something they saw in their house with their parents or grandparents or another influential leader or teacher they met in their life journey.

This supports other studies that positive and grateful people are contagious; many want to get closer to them. Many successful people practice gratitude every morning.

How do you practice gratitude?

There are many techniques, but I will share three that most of my clients appreciate and, most importantly, find easy to adapt as a habit. 

1.     Journaling

Here is how I define Journaling; Journaling is writing your thoughts and emotions in whatever fits you. There is no right or wrong way to journal; there is no specific length of writing which is good or bad. It can be one word or many pages. It can be a few times a day, every day, or every few days. It can be different from one day to another. The important thing is that you take the time to express your thoughts and emotions in writing and/or drawing/doodling and any other art that suits you. Maybe even composing what we are grateful for?

Here are two you can try.

• The Long List – take time to write down 50 things in your life every day that you are grateful for. This technique is not for every soul. But the purpose of this approach is that the more you write, the deeper you must challenge yourself to see what you have to be grateful for. The competitive, or those who like a challenge, can enjoy this practice. 

• The Shortlist (the Zen Approach) - If, like me, you prefer short and deep. You write two or three things you are grateful for every day, but you have to be specific. 
  Write a specific sentence that expresses why you are grateful for your health: I am thankful that today I could work out for 30 minutes even though my right knee hurts. Instead of writing a vague short sentence like, I am grateful for my health. Or rather than writing, I am thankful for my family, write a specific example that explains why. For example, I am grateful that my son in college called me today, even though I know he prefers to text. 

2.     Visual/Imaginative way - Scan your day and choose the best images of your past day.

 One of the best ways to reprogram your brain to focus on what's working is before you sleep. Before you go to sleep:

• Scan your day.

• Look at all the visuals in your day, somewhat like a video.

• Click the Pause Button on your remote when you identify a moment you are grateful for and be with it.

To appreciate that moment and keep scanning the video of your day, focusing on moments of gratitude, you can take a moment to enjoy and be with them fully.

3.     Praying

Praying can be a religious practice, but not only. Praying can work well for people who like to express their thoughts and emotions out loud. It can also be an excellent gratitude practice for people engaging in or reconnecting with this routine. Prayers can be poems or quotes you feel can be a perfect way to express your gratitude; they can be religious prayers or prayers from a prayer book you like; they can even be prayers you wrote yourself. Prayers can be a poetic way to feel and express how grateful you feel for what you have in your life.

If you choose to experiment with gratitude practice in one of the ways I mentioned above, or a different way, I invite you to pay attention to your day or the day after you practiced gratitude. When I try a new habit, I do my best to be consistent with this new habit, but when I miss a day rather than being upset with myself, I move into curiosity.

What do you notice about yourself when you practiced gratitude vs. the days you didn't? Did something feel different?

 Did you feel more focused? Did you feel more positive? Do you have more energy? Did you sleep better at night? If nothing changes, let it go. But if you notice a shift in the way you experience life, in your ability to deal with challenges and even experience more joy, maybe it's a new routine you can add to your life. 

Thanks for watching. If you liked this video and would like to keep going Beyond with your leadership, please follow me @noaRcoach, subscribe to my YouTube channel, and check out my Beyond Blog here www.noaronencoaching.com

ILPC - Identify, Label, Pause, Choose

We all had those moments when someone or something triggered or annoyed us.  We observe ourselves from the side and can see the inner spark or total silence that is not aligned with what we want. In those moments, we experience our emotions and or thoughts or actions leading us instead of us leading (not controlling) them. They get in our way to head toward the outcome that we want, and we might even hear an inner conversation that sounds somewhat like: "urge, I ted wish I would show up differently." But the frustrating reality is even though we promise ourselves time after time that we will show up differently – we don't.

Hi, I am Noa, and I work with leaders, executives, and founders of companies just like you to go beyond with their leadership. Are you ready? Let's go. 

 In this article/video, I would like to share a simple framework that can help you lead your emotions or thoughts in a productive way.

 Emotional self-regulation or emotion regulation is the ability to understand and manage your behavior and reactions to feelings, especially strong ones, and calm down after something exciting or upsetting happens.

Same with your thoughts, when you know your thought pattern, you can learn how to lead your thoughts in a new way. I call the framework: ILPC. 

 ILPC stands for Identify, Label, Pause, and Choose. 

 Step 1: Identify

Okay, so you are triggered. The question is, how are you showing up when you're triggered?

When we are triggered, our thought patterns and emotions lead us to unwanted behaviors. This is why it's essential to identify the thought patterns that led to how we show up with our feelings and thoughts. 

 Which of the following is your thought pattern, and when does it show up?

• All-or-Nothing Thinking - Seeing things in black-or-white, zero or one, right or wrong. You will think that it has to be either or. But there are many shades of gray and numbers between zero and one.

• Negative Bias – even though things are going well, you pick one negative detail out and focus on it. 
   If you are a neuroscience geek, please know that the negative Bias is a survival behavior adopted by our ancient brain to keep us safe. Making a mistake could cost our lives; this is why our brain wants us to be aware of the "bad decisions we made" and pay attention to what's NOT working. But in today's reality, most of us do not need to worry about our life all the time. Still, the mechanism stayed.   The cure is to learn how to teach our brain to look at WHAT'S WORKING. We can rewire our brains to see situations from a new perspective and switch how we approach them.

• Overgeneralization - Believing that it "always" happens to you or "never" happens to you – this is when we feel frustrated and defeated. 

• Magnification/minimization - Your special magnifying glass can magnify an issue, making it bigger than it is. Or you're able to minimize the situation and your positive qualities. 

• Mind Reading/Fortune Telling - You jump to a conclusion based on a feeling or thought without any evidence to support it.

• Emotional Reasoning - You believe that whatever you're feeling, it must be so. 
  So how do you show up with your thought patterns, and when? 

Step 2 - Label

So now you know.
The problem is that when we often know that we feel or think in a way that is not aligned with the outcome we want to see, we ignore, avoid or make it small. Why?It goes back to your thought pattern:

• Make it small – well, others have more significant problems. I should not be this way.

• Self-Deprecation – how do I even dare to feel or think this way? I should be positive.

• Ignore/Avoid it – I will work and distract myself.

 The problem with these techniques is research that shows that every time you ignore your emotions and your thoughts, you think about them or feel them 49 times more. 
When we label or name our emotions or thought patterns, we validate what we feel and think. We acknowledge that they exist without needing to fix or delve into them. They are just there to co-exist. They are no good or bad. They are just there.
What can be confusing is that labeling our emotions and thoughts doesn't mean that they will stay there forever. Emotions are not stagnant. They come and go. Even right now, when you read or listen to this idea, you have many thoughts and emotions that show up and disappear. When you trust that this is the idea of thoughts and emotions, that they are energy that goes in and out, that there are not there forever – you can validate them and say: I see you and hear you, I know you are here with me. 

 
Step 3 – Pause & Choose

Now, when we name and validate what we feel and think, we can pause and then choose. Have you ever experienced feeling overwhelmed with emotions or thoughts, and when you shared it with another person, you heard the response: "calm down, let's just take a big breath." 
I can't stand it. Why? Because when people tell me to take a big breath, it feels like I don't have a choice: they are making me do something that makes me feel out of control. I don't feel like taking a big breath; what I want to do at that moment is scream, cry, yell, or lose control of my way. Not their way.

Here is what I do believe taking a big breath is not about calming down. Taking a big deep breath is about a moment of PAUSE This deep breath is because I know my emotions and thoughts are leading me It is an intentional moment for me to pause and choose between two options

- Do I want to stay and let my emotions and thoughts keep leading me?

- Do I want to shift to a new way of being or doing?

Pause doesn't have to be a deep breath; it can be anything that makes YOU PAUSE, to be intentional.  You can stand, take a sip of water, step away from your computer, and make yourself a coffee or tea. My favorite is touching a pulse point on your body (heart, arm) or touching jewelry you wear on one of those pulse points (bracelet, watch, neckless). It can also be a grounding question you write on a sticky note and stick to your computer/laptop screen.

Step 4 – Making an Intentional Choice

Making a choice is a powerful experience. Whether I choose to stay or shift, I respond to a need.
If I choose to stay– that's okay – I am choosing to show up this way. 
The paradox at that moment is that we sometimes want and need to stay. Then the transition is organic and gentle. Most important, we are not on autopilot anymore. It is an intentional choice.
If I choose to shift – I only shift after I check in with myself and ask: 
 What do I need? The answer can be different

• I need to step away

• I need to reach out and ask for support 

• I need to reach out so I can see a new perspective

• Anything else you need

What I love about sharing this system is how empowering it is. Being at a place of choice is empowering to you and others.
It takes time to practice this framework, but finding your way is so liberating.

Remember, first, you identify, then you label or name your emotions or your thoughts, you pause to center yourself, and last, you make an intentional choice. And as a leader, you can use that not only with yourself but also to empower others when you help them develop and grow. Experiment with the ILPC and share with me how it works for you. If you liked this video/article, subscribe and share.

Meet the Saboteur - The Voice that Gets in Your Way from Achieving Your goals.

This article is posted a few days before we step into a new year, 2023.

Maybe you read this article as part of pondering your new year's development plan, or perhaps as part of deciding on your New Year's Resolution, or maybe it is not the beginning of the year, but you design new goals.  

When we step into a new year, we take a moment to reflect and ask ourselves: What is the change we want to create in this new beginning?

When we want to create a change, whether big or small, there might be that little voice, a very nagging voice and still very persistent, that will whisper in your head that action on this change might not be a good idea. 

"You are not good enough to create this change," it might say, or maybe this voice will ask you: "why bother? No one cares," or perhaps it will say: "Do you want to embarrass yourself? You are not ready yet! Make the change when you are REALLY ready. Start with more research and learning but not now – now is big! even huge mistake!!"

 In this article, we will meet this voice and learn how to identify it with us, when and why it shows up, and how we can address it when we feel this voice is taking over and we think we have lost power.

 Hi, I am Noa, and I work with leaders, executives, and founders of companies just like you to go BEyond with their leadership and their teams. Are you ready to learn more about the Saboteur's voice? Let's go!!

The word Saboteur comes from the French word sabotage, which is the purpose of this voice in our life – to sabotage our way from moving into new action or way of being when we want to create a change. Let's dive deep to get to know this little voice and understand when it likes to grow big in our minds and, if possible, to take over. 

 The Saboteur wants to keep the status quo, to keep you where you are, from moving forward. Because if you act on it, you might fail, get embarrassed, or, worst case scenario, people won't care. So the Saboteur's voice will tell you: "Let's stay here. Here it is safe."

And here is the thing, the more significant the change, the louder the voice of the Saboteur will be. Mainly the voice of the Saboteur will become louder when we want to design a change or already going through a transition. Promotion? Loud, New Relationship? Loud, Starting your own business? Loud, having a baby? Loud, Starting a new job? Loud, Speaking in an event/meeting? Launching your website/publishing a book? Loud, Using a new skill? Loud, Loud, Loud, and that drains your energy. You feel exhausted.

Check-in with yourself. From 1- 10, how loud is the voice of the Saboteur right now in your head?

 How do we learn to identify the voice of the Saboteur?

The Saboteur's voice is very repetitive; it sounds somewhat like a slogan; I broke them into three unique categories: 

1. "You are not good enough" - You don't have good enough skills, you're not smart enough, you're not talented enough, you don't have enough experience. The bottom line, you're not good enough. 

2. "Your work is not good enough" or "You are not there yet!" – this voice urges you to avoid embarrassment and keep learning, researching, not showing up in front of others in meetings or projects, and taking the lead. 

3. "Why even bother?" – no matter how much effort you put into it, people will not appreciate it anyway or see you, so come on! Why bother? Let's get some ice cream and binge on Gossip Girl... 

 I love Shirzad Chamine's extension of this idea that there is more than one voice; actually, we can identify a few other Saboteurs' voices with their persona, and by learning more about them, we can work to lower their volume.

Check out his TED talk about this topic and his assessment HERE. 

So what can we do about this voice? How can we get rid of this voice? That's a great question. 

I don't believe we can eliminate the Saboteur's voice, but I know from working on this area with hundreds of leaders that we can learn how to lower its volume. Here are a few ways to experiment with lowering the Saboteur's volume:

1. Get to know your Saboteur.

The first step is to create awareness by getting to know your Saboteur. Getting to know it means that your focus is to learn it AND NOT to try and fix the situation that it is with you.

Bring curiosity to learn your Saboteur:

What does it sound like? 

What does it say? 

When - in what situations do you notice the Saboteur shows up?

What pronoun it uses; he, she, it, they? For example, one of my clients calls his saboteurs "The Monkey." 

 Again, my invitation is, don't judge yourself when the Saboteur shows up. Stay curious rather than saying: why did it show up - again??? 

 Br playful and say: "Oh! The Saboteur is here! Interesting!!! I am wondering what made it show up right now?. What can I learn from us co-exist together in this moment." 

2. Be the Director of your mind. 

• The first step is to identify new voices that serve you.
  The Saboteur is not you; it is a voice in you. That's an important distinction. When the Saboteur is a voice in me, it is not all of me. When I am the Saboteur, I am getting in my way. 

  Now, as the Director of your mind, you have the control to add more voices. Voices that serve you. For example, The Motivator, The Cheerleader, The Wise one, The Compassionate, The Leader, The Visioner, and The Intuitive one. 

• The second step is to place those voices on your mind stage. 
  If your mind was a stage where each one of these voices is right now? Don't make it beautiful or what you want it to be; if your Saboteur is having the front of the stage, put it there. If your wise one is backstage, that is where it is right now. Be the Director of your mind.

• Move them around
  If you are the Director, you can choose where you want those voices to be. Where will you move each one, for example, if your Saboteur is at the front stage – where if at all, would you move it at? Who will you move to the front?
  We forget we can choose and create a new reality. It is in our power.

 3. Talk to it with supportive data.
Some Saboteur's voices don't exist well with data. With some of the leaders, I work we find data that the Saboteur cannot contradict, and it gets weaker and weaker.
For example: 

Leader": "All my leader-friends are so confident it seems like they are never stressed about anything I am not sure I deserve this new role." 

 Me: "How do you know? Did you ask them?"

Leader "No, I haven't."

 Me: "Would you be willing to ask one of them?"

 Leader: "yes there is a peer I can ask I am meeting with them tomorrow, I can ask them for sure."

Next session:" So I spoke with my peer, they said they are very surprised with my question, they were sure I am never stressed I look so calm to them, it was so funny to realize they see me the same way I see all my peers. Apparently we are all good at hiding stress."

Me: "Hmmm how is your saboteur doing right now?"

Leader: "I don't think it is even here with us, I think it took a nap or something…."

4. Ask for support

 In moments where everything we try is not working, and we feel powerless, we can start by reaching out and asking for support from the people in our life who can remind us that we are resourceful and empower us to see our strengths.

Reach out to your friends, your mentor, a coach, or even your manager to be reminded of the moments you were resourceful and overcame challenges and obstacles to become a better version of yourself. 

 Remember! the Saboteur's role is to keep you where you are, to keep you "safe" from their perspective. You can reach out internally or externally for a new view from new voices that can serve you better. 

 Who is the internal or external voice you will reach out to in those moments?

 If you liked this video and would like to go beyond with leadership, make sure to subscribe for some more

How can being an Extrovert or Introvert impact your energy levels?

A few years ago, I facilitated a workshop with a good friend. Don't you feel energized? I asked her after the workshop. She looked at me and said, "No, I actually feel drained."  This was the first time I realized how impactful it is how extroverted and introverted people experience their energy with others. You see, introverted people work their energy from the inside outside; they give energy to others. They also process their thoughts internally and only then express them externally. On the other hand, extroverted people get their energy from other people and process their thoughts externally; through this external process, they understand their thoughts. 

Whether you are an extroverted or an introverted, or one of them is more dominant (even a bit) than the other, in this article, I will share a few tips that can help you manage your energy better and feel that you are not drained. 

Hi, I am Noa, and I work with leaders, executives, and founders of companies just like you to go beyond with their leadership and their teams. Are you ready? Let's go. 

You might have heard about the Myer Briggs assessment, the MBTI. This assessment introduced Carl's Yung Idea of extroversion and introversion. Since then, a few other assessments, like the DISC assessment, engaged the extroversion/introversion energies.

I have to admit that my concern with any assessment is that it puts people in boxes that limit them from seeing more about themselves or others to see them as capable of going beyond their tendencies. 

I heard clients who shared that they are introverted, and that's why they are shy about being with people. Or that extroverted take over conversations and are just too much. Or maybe they can't lead meetings because they are always so quiet, and so on and on.

Those limiting perspectives don't serve how we look at others or ourselves and get in our way of looking beyond.

So let me reframe the idea of extroversion and introversion. I see them as energies.

Energies.

Introverts use their energy from the inside out; they process their thoughts internally before they speak up. But then, after they give their total energy and presence to others, they need to recharge and be quiet. And the belief that they are shy or quiet is old school, they can speak, but they prefer the 1:1 conversation because they prefer thought-through, deeper conversation that creates connection. Now extroverted people work from the outside inside. They talk first because when they speak out loud, they process their thoughts and ideas and get a deeper understanding to move forward. When they are with others, they get energized. That's how they recharge; the more people, the more energy they have.

So how can you support yourself or the people you lead on your team to support both energies?

Introverts

1. Take a break at work.

   • Introverts lose energy in today's hybrid reality, back-to-back meetings with no time to recharge. They need time to be alone. I suggest moving your organization to 45 minutes meetings instead of 60 – you will be more efficient and give people the 15 minutes they used to walk to the next meeting room or their desk to breathe and keep going.

   • Conferences, retreats, team building – design quiet time; some conferences have a quiet room for introverts to read a book, journal, or go outside to be in nature. They need it.

2. Take a break at home. Take time to disconnect, read a book, put on some noise-canceling earphones, go on a walk, meditate, and work in the garden. Anything quiet will recharge your soul and energy.

3. Give people time to write their thoughts. Different people have different needs. In meetings, before you give people time to speak, ask them to take a moment to write down their thoughts and the discussed topic (maybe invite them to think about it in advance). It is a good skill for extroverts to manage their ideas by writing them down before they speak and allowing your introverted team members that need time to think through quietly before they share their thoughts. We must let people be more comfortable with crafting space for quietness and organizing their ideas before speaking. People who mainly don't express themselves will start sharing ideas and input because they feel they have time to organize their thoughts. You might even notice that if before, when you asked questions, the conversation was not rich enough, now when people have time to prepare and feel comfortable to share.

4. Set a time to meet with people 1:1 at work/life
   Introverts love deep conversations. 1:1 can be a great way to get to know people more deeply. I love to grab a coffee and walk with a good friend (walk and talk); some like to set time to sit and work together in a coffee shop or other location. Find your way to create 1:1 opportunities to create deeper connections.

Extroverts:

1. Don't be alone too long - even though Extroverts can enjoy some quiet time when they feel their energy going down; it is a sign to get up and meet some friends.

2. A conference can be a great way to meet new people, learn with a large group, and get some people's time.

3. Group Learning, like group coaching, training, or even an art class, can be another way to be with others and process your thoughts and ideas with others.

4. Moved to a new place? Have you just moved or relocated to a new place or even started a new job? Research outside work groups of your interest or professional associations, in-person events, and learning opportunities; inside work, look for communities or employee resource groups you can be part of.

5. Any group setting can move to 1:1 conversations that can build deeper connections and friendships that will introduce you to new circles and group opportunities. Let's face it, for extroverts, the more, the merrier.

Extroverted or introverted, make sure to pay attention to your energy. 

If you are extroverted that spend too much time alone, and you can sense that your energy is going down, maybe it's time to ask yourself, who can I meet? Or how can I create social opportunities for myself? 

If you are more introverted, do you give your energy to others without recharging? A pause is a place to start and explore how to extend opportunities to recharge along your day and week. 

How do you support your energy level as an extroverted or introverted person or in general? I would love it if you shared it with us in the comments.

If you liked this video/article and would like to keep going beyond with video leadership and support your team, make sure to like and subscribe for more and share with your friends. 

Do you have a leadership momentum? What can you learn from your energy levels right now?

Have you ever asked yourself, what makes you feel momentum with your energy, and on the other hand, what brings your energy down? Let's dive together to get a better understanding of your energy levels.

Hi, I am Noa, and I work with leaders, executives, and founders of companies and their teams to go beyond with your leadership. Are you ready? Let's go.

 Energy is defined as the ability to do the work. Think about it. Energies at work change the state of the matter, from gas to liquid, from liquid to solid. We sometimes forget that the same force of energy that shifts gas to water can also change water back to gas. Why is it important to understand that? Because our energy is the same. Our energy changes all the time.

We need to identify when our energy is high, when we have momentum with our leadership and focus and when our energy is low.

When we have momentum with our energy, this is when we feel that everything we do works for us. When we go to a meeting, we inspire and impact and influence others; we feel focused; it feels great when we do the work. Long story short, we see results.

On the other hand, when our energy is low, we feel that no matter how much we try to push into action, we don't see results. And at times, we can't even bring ourselves into action. It is as if our cup is full, and still, we are trying to pour more and more liquid into it. But no matter how much more liquid we try to pure into it, at the end of the day, all we have left is what's in the cup.

As leaders, when our energy is high, we notice that we have clarity about our purpose, vision, and values. Suddenly when we share our ideas and vision, people get a better understanding and clarity of what we communicate with them. They hear and see how focused we are; there is a sense of alignment that they experience from us.

If you experience high energy right now, know that you have momentum, and I invite you to do everything you can to influence your ideas. Take advantage of this.

 If your energy is low right now, it's okay; remember that energy never stays the same. It is changing. Sometimes it is high, and sometimes it is down. So you must identify it and know where you are.

• Many of us have low energy after we push through an intense project or event in our life that took much of our attention. Like other cycles in life, we need time to recharge to move through the next time we need higher energy. So give yourself time to recover. As some people say, we can't work out in the gym 24/7; it is not efficient or adds value to our bodies.

• Another reason we have low energy is when we lack clarity of the purpose behind our actions and vision. So it might be time for you to do some work to understand the purpose behind what you're trying to achieve or behind your vision. This area can be challenging to do independently, and finding a thoughtful partner to work through your ideas can be very helpful. It could be a peer, your manager, your team, or even a coach or mentor who can challenge your thought process and help you widen your perspective.

•  Another reason our energy can be low is change. There are many thoughts and emotions engaged in the process of change. And when there are so many thoughts and feelings, it's hard for us to move into action. Whether it's a life transition or a work transition, when we go through a change in our lives, we need to redefine who we are in the new situation, which takes a lot of energy from us.
  For example, the COVID-19 reality allowed us to work from home, but now many companies require people to return to the office. Many of the people I know that had to shift from remote work to going back to the office felt their energy dropping down, and even though they try to push into action, it feels like they are pressing the gas pedal on neutral, but the car is not moving. This is the time to pause or slow down and allow your emotions and thoughts of change to be processed and acknowledged without judgment. Emotions, thoughts, and energy are never stagnant. Our thoughts move all the time, our emotions move all the time, and our energy can change too. The more we fight this idea, the longer we stay there. So allow yourself to be with the emotions and thoughts you experience now, and remember they will not be with you forever.
  The funny and even silly thing is that the more you fight your emotions and thoughts about the change with action, the more you will feel stuck and not see the result and energy shift you want.  On the other hand, the sooner you stop the action and acknowledge what you feel and think in a time of change, the faster you experience your energy shift.

Remember, energy changes all the time. Yes, there will be moments when you have momentum, which will be high, strong, and impactful. And there will be other moments when your energy will be minor/low and quiet. It's not about good or bad. It's about paying attention and being more compassionate to yourself or others when they or you need to recover.

Be curious, not judgmental about your energy shift. What can you learn from each of the energies you experience?

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Procrastination - Why I believe there is wisdom in our resistance to move into action and how can we start listening to it?

Well, here I am. It is the evening before this article is due. Did I start it a week ago, when I assigned it to myself? Of course not. I, like many, struggle with a common challenge: Procrastination. For years I fought this urge to put everything off to the last minute. I'd receive an assignment and say, "This time, I'm going to be organized. I'm going to start early, go bit by bit, and not put everything off to the last second. I will not procrastinate."

 My daughter can attest to this tendency. Every weekend, before COVID19 hit us, the two of us would head to our favorite coffee shop. She would work on her homework, and I would focus on writing. Writing during the workweek is very challenging to accomplish. So moving it to the weekend made sense. "Did you start?" she would ask me about an article or chapter in my book or a speech I had to work on. "I just need to work on something else that is very important, and then I will start!" I would tell her with a mother who knows it all face.

But, ultimately, we'd be heading to the car from the café, and she'd ask me, "Did you complete the task?" And time after time, I was forced to say, "I haven't even started."

Time after time, I'd end up in my office two days before the event or due date writing and practicing like a madwoman. And time after time, when my daughter came cautiously, afraid of the madwoman in the office, aka me... to say goodnight, she'd sigh and say, "Oh Mom, why did you wait until the last minute again?"

"Because," I'd say. "That's just the way I am."

 Even though my frantic preparation for these events was intense enough to scare away my family for the day, one time, I finally got my daughter to watch one of my speeches with me. My daughter looked at me, confused. "This is from when you procrastinated? From two days of preparation?"

"Yes, it is."

"But you did so well! If I waited to the last minute like you, instead of preparing ahead of time, I would be a mess!"

Maybe some of you are like my daughter, and perhaps you must start early for the sake of your mental health and internal peace. But for some, like me, procrastination stimulates a "good stress" that allows us to bring our best product. The moment I realized this IS my process, I became a free woman.

After years of struggle and self-deprecation, and endless coaching conversations with clients about this topic, it might be time to edit my business card and give it the additional title: Noa Ronen, an Executive & Leadership Coach, Speaker, Author, and a Proud Procrastinator.

Next time your procrastinator-tendencies cause internal conflict, how will you know if procrastination works for you or against you?

Does procrastination get you in trouble?

"I am such a procrastinator," one of my clients shared with me at the beginning of our session. "You know," I told him, "I believe sometimes procrastination is a good thing; let's try and see what it is trying to tell us…."

 "You know," he said, "I have never got in trouble for doing things in the last minute. I have never failed at school, or college; I keep being seen and promoted. Plus, maybe it just creates space for me to work on more important tasks?" 

 We took a moment to look at his calendar, and he said, "I think I will take care of this task tonight," then, while smiling, he stopped and said, "but I probably won't…" 

 "I love it!" I said, "a moment of honesty; So when are YOU going to do it? tomorrow?"

 "Nope," he said, laughing.

 "The day after," I asked?

 "No way," He replied, laughing louder, "I don't see getting to this task before the end of the week."

 "I have to ask you… how does it serve you when you put tasks on your calendar that torture you when you know you will not touch them until later in the week/month? You have enough on your plate - work with you, not against you."

Does the stress of procrastination lead you to create just an okay product or a fantastic product?

If waiting for the last minute helps you create a fantastic product, keep procrastinating; it is part of your creative process. Some research shows that in the "not doing," your brain keeps working and thinking and collecting different ideas that show up when you do the work.

And what if waiting to the last minute can get in your way or even gets you in trouble?

 I believe we can learn plenty from your resistance. I refer to it as the wisdom or your resistance. 

When you postpone doing something, I believe that most times, it's not because you are lazy or disorganized; there is a reason for your non-action that you are AwareLess to see for now. So, what is it that you're resisting? What can the resistance teach us if we take a moment to listen to it?

• Are you going against your core values? Your values like the north star, make sure you keep walking with integrity and follow the path of what's important to you. When you need to take on action against your core values, you will experience an internal conflict that will hold the doing. For example: if you're asked to stay late, and your core value is freedom, you may resist doing the task and check your social media feed. You DID stay, but your actions are keeping you in control of your value, or you will resent the request and act out.

• I don't know enough? Is it true? Suppose the answer is yes, you probably don't move into action because you are missing skills or knowledge. Still, at times people who lean to believe they don't know enough can get in trouble. They feel that no matter how much they learn, it will never be enough for them; this is when learning becomes their obstacle from achieving results. It is a wiser mechanism of avoiding moving into action. If you know that this is a pattern of yours and ongoing learning takes you away from achieving your tasks on time, here is my question to you (you can use this question with employees who hold this perspective); what is one step you can take with the information you already have?

• Purpose and Meaning - are you missing clarity about the purpose or the why of moving into action? When we don't understand the purpose or meaning of something we need to act on, we don't move to action. This resistance will show up with the goals you set for yourself or others. This is the essential information and an opportunity for you to step back and ask yourself:

• What is the purpose of this project?

• What is essential for me about this goal?

• What will people (or I) experience from sharing/creating/writing this message?
  
  It can sometimes be hard to find all the answers on your own, and you will need help from a mentor or coach.

• Maybe it's just not important enough? If you're resisting something or not moving into action, maybe it is time for an honest conversation with yourself and letting it go if necessary. The question I ask is straightforward: from 1 to 100 (1 being the lowest and 100 the highest), how much is this project important to you? Remember, no one sees or hears you, so be entirely honest with your wants, not your needs, have tos, or shoulds.

• Maybe your goal is essential, but not now? When I look at my plan/goals, I can identify a project or goal important for me but not now. Allowing ourselves to decided: Yes! But not now is helping up making sure we focus and prioritize the now while freeing our headspace from distractions.

 When we look at procrastination as something we don't do, we miss an opportunity to listen to our resistance's wise message.

Maybe procrastination can serve you? Perhaps it can help your creative juices flow or making you feel more in control? Time after time, my clients learn so much from slowing down and listening to their inner wisdom.

Maybe there is something you can learn from not acting on a specific task? Perhaps you can learn from checking in with yourself and paying attention to how you work? And maybe, just maybe procrastination is your intuition leading you towards YOUR way of heading to focused success?