6 simple steps to feel powerful

“I wanted to come here and give it absolutely everything and have no regrets.” That’s what Jazz Carlin said after winning silver in the women’s 400m freestyle at Rio 2016, behind the world record time of USA’s Katie Ledecky. Right now, Jazz is feeling pretty powerful. She’s feeling on top of the world.

If you would like to feel powerful too, here are 6 simple steps to follow.

Step 1 – Know WHO you are

You’ve got to know who you are – what is unique and special about you. It’s essential to understand your purpose in life – some might call this your mission or your calling. In the Confidence Circle, I talk about contribution because I see it as your contribution to the world.

Jazz knows she’s a tough swimmer who is determined, tenacious and competitive. You don’t success in elite sport without those qualities. She missed out on the London Olympics because she became ill with glandular fever which hampered her training and performance. However she picked herself back up because she knows she’s an Olympic swimmer.

Step 2 – Get clear on WHAT you believe in

Getting clear on what you believe in is about understanding your values. What’s most important to you. What you are passionate about. What you truly believe in.

Step 3 – Understand WHY it’s important

Clarity on what you believe in is one thing … you’ve got to understand why it’s important to you. Who else benefits? What happens if you don’t stand up for what you believe in? What happens if you do?

Step 4 – Identify WHERE you are going

In order to feel powerful, you’ve got to have a vision. You’ve got to know where you are going. You need to know your final destination. Jazz Carlin knew that she wanted to get to Rio.

Step 5 – Plan HOW you are going to get there

Once you know where you are going, you can plan how you are going to get there. Brainstorm all the steps, all the pieces of the plan that are needed to get you there. What resources do you need? Whose support do you need? Where are the gaps? How can you fill them? What might get in your way? How can you remove those potential barriers?

Step 6 – Declare WHEN you will get started

There is nothing like a declaration of what you are going to do and when you are going to do it, to keep you accountable. I love to share the story of one of my clients who applied for a job and went for the interview, even though it was a 400 mile trip from home “I kept remembering what you said to me, Sherry: feel the fear and do it anyway“.

Go for it. It might feel scary. It might seem impossible. But if you don’t try, how will you ever know. You’ve just got to take that first step.

At 21 years old, Jazz Carlin watched her friends compete in the London 2012 from the stands. She lost her funding too – it was a tough decision to go through the Olympic cycle again. She made a plan and she took those steps to get started all over again. Jazz knows who she is, what’s important to her, where she wanted to go and made a plan to get on the podium at Rio.

And look at her now. The best is yet to come.

 

What about you? What would you do if you felt truly powerful?