3-5 words

How aligned were you today? 

Imagine a time, either recently or in the past, when you were functioning and performing at your optimal best. Take a few minutes to reflect on this moment. As you reflect back on that time, what are the first thoughts that come to your mind? What exactly was it that you were doing? Was it an individual pursuit or were you surrounded by others? What time of day was it? What emotions were you experiencing at the time? How did it feel to be performing at such a high level? Where were you? What preparation may have gone into you being able to perform in this way?

As you think about these questions and sort through the answers that come to mind, you are tapping into some neurological hardwiring that allows you to re-experience what it felt like to be in that moment and recalling these events is a healthy exercise to remind us that it is moments such as this that we want to create with more consistency in our lives.

Performing at our best is not a chance happening. It is a direct result of connecting with our strengths and the specific states of mind or dispositions that allow us to thrive in ways that lead to more personal and professional satisfaction.

What words come to mind when you think of a specific time that you were functioning at your optimal best? Here are some words below that may resonate with you.

It’s important to align ourselves in a way that allows us to tap into our strengths and create the conditions that help us to experience more optimal states of performance. The challenge of aligning ourselves requires us to do a daily reflection of where we are at with accessing and putting into action our strengths. It’s imperative that we don’t let our strengths go to waste.

For example, let’s say your 3 words were Empathetic, Inspired, and Intentional. Reflective questions you might ask yourself at the end of the day are:

How empathetic was I today?
How inspired did I feel today?
How intentional were my actions today?

And finally,

What do I need to do tomorrow in order to be more empathetic, more inspired, and more intentional?

Investing the time in identifying your 3-5 words that describe you when you are at your best and reflecting at the end of each day can be the constant reminder you need to stay on track in order to be the very best version of yourself possible. Keep at it!