Taking charge is a mindset of positivity. It means that you believe in yourself and your vision and you are committed to taking the steps that will make your vision a reality.
This is leadership in its purest sense. Leadership is essentially the ability to inspire yourself and others to create success. And entrepreneurship takes the concept of leadership a step further by instilling the notion of taking charge and being the driver who makes things happen.
How do you develop the positive attitude that enables you to take charge?
The ability to have a “can-do, positive attitude” stems from the construct that your thoughts determine your feelings and your behavior. For example, if you think that creating a successful career is hopeless, you probably feel apathetic and scared. If you are a musician with those thoughts and feelings and you walk on stage that way, you are not likely to give a good performance.
On the other hand, if you are in the flow and your thoughts are positive–“I am sharing my music with people who mean a lot to me.” or “I am excited about making music and I feel at my best when I am doing so”—you feel empowered and excited. With these thoughts and feelings, your performance is likely to be much more powerful and successful.
No matter what career you are in, your negative thoughts will lead to negative behaviors, whereas positive thoughts will inspire you to be your best and act at your top level.
The good news is that you have a choice: you can choose to change your thoughts and tap into your best self. And when we have choices, we feel empowered and in charge: it is, in fact, one of the best ways to take charge!
To tap into your best self, it helps to know what you are like when you are in the flow and at your peak. Drawing on your actual experience of flow, you select the words that represent you at your best and create an affirmation that defines your best self.
The following process will guide you through how to create a definition of yourself at your best:
1. Identify 3-5 situations when you were totally in flow, doing what you do best, feeling incredibly confident and joyful. These situations can be drawn from your career, your relationships, your leadership experiences, your creative life or any other area where you feel at the top of your game.
2. List all of the qualities of you at when you are in the flow. Be sure to consider your
• Favorite personality traits
• Artistic Talents
• People skills
• Leadership skills
• Thinking skills
• Organizational skills
3. Add the following to your list:
• How do you describe your attitude when you are at flow?
• What do you feel like when you are at flow?
4. Once you have your list, pick the 3-5 words that represent you at your absolute, authentic best.
I am _________, ___________, ____________, __________ and _____________.
Enjoy how great it feels to know what you are like at your best! And then read the next article to see how you can use your “best self affirmation” to help you cultivate that positive mindset.
