9 Ways to Transform Yourself and Your Practice
September 16, 2012 9:02 PM
9 Ways to Transform Yourself and Your Practice
As humans, we need to continue to evolve both personally and professionally. Steve Sanduski, a New York Times Bestselling Author, Speaker, Business Strategist and Founder of Belay Advisor, says that as we go through life, we need to grow through life. Advisors who stay stuck in their comfort zone may have a neat and tidy life, but, it will simply be a fraction of what it could be had they continued to evolve and max out their God-given lifetime capability. Sanduski shares 9 ways advisors can continue to evolve and reap great benefits, both personally and professionally.
1. Cultivate a Beginners Mind.
With a beginners mind, you'll approach situations with curiosity, openness and new eyes. You'll cast aside preconceived notions and open yourself up to new ways of doing things. Instead of saying, "That's the way we've always done it," you'll start saying, "I know there's a better way, let's keep looking."
2. Make Time for Quiet Time.
The ancient Greeks said, "Know thyself." Finding some quiet time and practicing deep listening will help you gain this self-awareness. With greater self-awareness, you'll have clarity about who you are, what is important to you and you'll be moved to act on this knowledge for the benefit of you, your family and your clients.
3. Have Good Intentions
As an advisor, you have the honor of helping your clients reach their life goals, survive unexpected calamities and retire with dignity. When you approach your work with this mindset of good intentions toward others, everyone will reach their goals and money will flow to them and it will flow to you.
4. Travel Alpine Style
When you're in the mountains, you carry on your back everything you need to survive. It's just food, clothing, and shelter. This philosophy carries over into life, too. When you think about what you really need in life, you'll discover that much of the stuff you think is important really isn't. Rather, identify those few essentials and focus on them. When you come to realize that there are only a few truly important things in your life, it frees you to focus on them and not suffer from worrying about all the other stuff that doesn't really matter. When you get to that point, it becomes transformational.
5. Express Your Creativity
From a transformation standpoint, it's important that you have creativity in your life. Creativity is a life force. It's an energy that will heighten your senses and your awareness of the world around you. It gives you an edge and it taps into a part of your brain that keeps you fluid and in tune with life itself. As a financial advisor, you are in a position to be very creative with your craft and it will help you build a more successful business and develop deeper relationships with your very best clients.
6. Shift From Me to We
By understanding that we are all in this together and that we need to support each other in order to strengthen each other, we can transform ourselves from me-centered to we-centered. Get involved in a community of like-minded professionals who are focused on sharing, supporting, and mentoring each other. Together, you'll realize that as the group gets stronger, so does each of its individual members. You'll realize that no one of us is as strong as all of us.
7. Have an Out of Body Experience
This is about shifting your perspective. When you look at your life instead of being caught up in the middle of it and looking out, you have the ability to put your life in perspective and view it as a whole and not simply a piece. As it relates to your business, by stepping back and looking at the whole of what you do, you can do a better job of seeing how the pieces fit together, where the weak links are, and what you need to do in order to build a smoothly functioning whole.
8. Be Fearless
Ask yourself this question, "If you had no fear, would you be running your practice exactly the way you are right now?" If the answer is no, then you are not living up to your potential. You may feel secure and comfortable because you are staying within your comfort zone, but ultimately, you are not realizing your fullest gifts and talents.
As Susan Jeffers said, "Feel the fear and do it anyway."
As Susan Jeffers said, "Feel the fear and do it anyway."
9. Lather, Rinse, Repeat
Personal and professional transformation is not a one-time deal. You have to repeat and practice the tools of transformation just outlined. Doing so will expand your comfort zone and turn what used to be your ceiling into your new floor.
By integrating these 9 keys into your life, you'll be well on your way toward a much deeper understanding of who you are, what you value, how you can be a person of value, and, you'll end up transforming your life into one full of meaningful success.
Steve Sanduski, CFP, is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Speaker, Business Strategist and Founder of Belay Advisor.
By integrating these 9 keys into your life, you'll be well on your way toward a much deeper understanding of who you are, what you value, how you can be a person of value, and, you'll end up transforming your life into one full of meaningful success.
Steve Sanduski, CFP, is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Speaker, Business Strategist and Founder of Belay Advisor.
