When Are You at Your Best? | Executive Coaching Insights

One of the main goals of Executive Coaching is to help professionals level up and tap into their potential as leaders and workers. So, in essence, to be the best version of yourself.

But how do you know what the best version of yourself is?

How do you know what that looks like?

Because if that’s the goal, we need to be able to measure it to determine if we are achieving it. (Measurable the “M” in SMART Goals if you remember.)

Are you ready for a little freebie lesson here?

Great. Let’s do it.

Grab a writing utensil and recording medium - that could be pen and paper, computer and google doc, thumbs, and phone, chisel and stone slab...whatever works for you.

But WRITE. IT. DOWN.

DON’T just think about it.

It’s not the same. I hear what you’re thinking, and NO.

It’s not the same. Fight me.

There’s an inherent power in writing information and thoughts down in a formally recorded way.

Name it and claim it.

So get your writing preference set up and then continue reading...

Now, here’s what I want you to write:

“When I’m at my best I am…”

And then create a list underneath.

This list could be bullet points.

Or it could be full sentences where you describe the situation.

It should include times, situations, tasks, moods, people, emotions, and activities.

It should be specific:

“When I am at my best I am working hard.” NO. That could mean a million different things. Use

that beautiful brain of yours and define “working hard.”

It should include things outside of work:

You are a whole person and that includes things and people and times and places and situations

outside of your professional identity. Those things contribute to making you the best version of

yourself.

Some questions to start with could be:

When do you enjoy life the most?

When was the last time you stopped and said “wow I love this”?

What fulfills you, gives you purpose?

What motivates you, inspires you?

When were those times when you felt totally “on” or like you were in your element?

What does it feel like to be your best self?

Can you draw it? Assign it a color? Give it a name?

Does it have emotional components? Physical feelings?

Do people describe you in a certain way or give you compliments on a certain thing when you’re

in your element?

Take some time to make that list.

Create it, add to it, edit it, revise it, add to it again.

This is your benchmarking tool. Your measuring stick. Your ruler.

You need to put yourself in situations where you can do those things, be that person.

Create that atmosphere.

Live in those strengths.

What if I’m not in a situation where I can thrive as my best self?

How can you create that atmosphere?

How can you change or alter your situation to create a more conducive best-self situation?

Be able to name those best-self situations/places/moods/people/tasks.

Know them deeply. Commit to them.

Keep this list handy and every once in a while say “hey, is this current situation contributing to me being the best version of myself?”

Refer back to the list. Know deeply what it looks like and feels like.

This way you can surround yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually with people/places/vibes/work/energy/tasks/etc which complement your strengths and fill in the gaps between your strengths.

I’m so excited to help you be your best self!

Stay Excellent,