Thoughts on Calls to Action?

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We typically see someone or some organization create a Call to Action because they want the help of their supporters or customers in creating some type of CHANGE.

For those of us who are in positions to initiate Calls to Action (hint: that’s all of us), here are a few things to keep in mind:

1.    CHANGE unfolds through a series of stages, with ACTION being just one stage.

2.    The ACTION stage is not the only time you can make progress.

3.    ACTION is the most visible form of change, but far from the only one and not necessarily the most important one.

4.    Before the ACTION stage, there are a few other stages (Pre-contemplation, Contemplation and Preparation) where people change their level of awareness, their emotions, their self-image, their thinking, etc. And these stages are important because this is when they are changing to more POSITIVE emotions and a more POSITIVE self-image and more POSITIVE thinking… well hopefully their all POSITIVE changes. Because if their experiences during these earlier stages are negative, then their actions will be negative. So you can see how a Call to Action, even one with good intention, can move people to act even though they are not prepared (on many levels) to act.

— and a quick note on how I differentiate POSITIVE actions from NEGATIVE actions: positive actions focus on solutions, strengths and the future and they come from a place of hope. Negative actions focus on the problem, weaknesses and the past and they are rooted in fear.

So yes, we want ACTION. But don’t we want POSITIVE action? And more importantly, don’t we want those positive actions be long lasting?

So all I’m trying to say is: let’s continue with our Calls to Action, but let’s make sure we are spending just as much time, energy, thought and other resources on the steps that lead to POSITIVE, LONG LASTING action.

Thoughts? And thanks for reading!

Changing for Good: Chapter 1 Highlights

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changingforgood

 

My key highlights from Chapter 1:

  • Coaches need to be prepared to meet their client’s where they are at and be comfortable with allowing them to drive the conversation. “Think of the range of possibilities you confront when you combine an individual client, with one or more complicated problems, with a [coach] schooled in a particular theory.”
  • Rather than shaping the therapy to the needs of the client, most therapists assume that the client’s issues will fit into a particular mold.
  • All the hundreds of theories of therapy can be summarized by a few essential principles I [Prochaska] call the “processes of change.”
  • Process of Change = any activity that you initiate to help modify your thinking, feeling, or behavior.
  • The 9 Processes of Change are:
    1. Consciousness raising
    2. Social liberation
    3. Emotional arousal
    4. Self-reevaluation
    5. Commitment
    6. Countering
    7. Environment control
    8. Rewards
    9. Helping relationships
      • for each process, there are dozens, even hundreds of techniques
  • people are more likely to be successful in their change attempts when they are given two choices of how to pursue change rather than once

You Are What You THANK About

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You Are What You THANK About

We’ve all heard the saying “you are what you think about all the time,” but I think an even truer and an even more important saying is “you are what you THANK about all the time.

Nothing changes your life faster than shifting your thoughts to the things and the people you are grateful for. When our thoughts are in a good place, then our feelings are in a good place. And these feelings act as a compass for our actions. These feelings tell us which direction we are facing and in turn, let us know whether we should speed up, slow down, or stop for a second.

I’ve learned that what we think about, we bring about. So why would we think about anything else other than the good and positive blessings in our life? Every second, we realize our thoughts and they become our reality.

So think good. Think about love and everything that you are THANKFUL for.

(8-minute writing exercise #1)

The Day You Find Out Why

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ypowr is the power of your purpose.

When your purpose is clear and you are so in tune with that purpose, every single thing you do is energized by that purpose. Everything you say, everything you think, every single thing that you do is powered by that purpose.

When your purpose is clear, you identify a life long goal. And in doing so, you transform your life into a journey which fulfills you every single step of the way. There is no longer a finish line, there is no longer failure… what remains when your purpose is clear are: love, positivity, progress, forgiveness, and everything else that is beautiful in this world.

Why are you here? — Spend some time thinking about this question every day and see how your life transforms for the better.

Changing for Good: Introduction Highlights

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changingforgood

My key highlights from the Introduction:

  • change is unavoidable
  • each moment is different from every other. nothing remains static for an instant, from a planetary to a molecular level
  • the action stage is simply one of six stages — following precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation, and preceding maintenance and termination
  • fewer than 20% of a problem population are prepared for action at any given time. and yet, more than 90% of behavior change programs are designed with this 20% in mind
  • [successful] self-change requires that you know what stage you are in for the problem you want to overcome
  • even people who are not ready to act can set the change process in motion
  • 45% of clients drop out of psychotherapy prematurely, since treatments too often don’t match the stage clients are in
  • there are fewer differences between therapy-changers and self-changers
  • it can be argued that all change is self-change, and that therapy is simply professionally coached self-change
  • the key is always to use the right strategy at the right time
  • very often, failure is due to lack of guidance — most self-changers are so busy reinventing the wheel that they become exhausted during the course of their struggle

#ypowr shirts

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Hey everyone! Check out my campaign on Teespring for my first ever #ypowr shirts!

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As some of you may know, I’ve been working on ypowr for a little over 4 years now. Some of you might be wondering what ypowr is? Well, ypowr is the power of your purpose. ypowr as a brand is all about positivity, growth, motivation, support, good vibes, health + fitness + wellness, celebration, prayer, laughter, reflection, and all that good stuff.

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ypowr is a reminder that you have a purpose and that the power of your purpose is strong enough to get you through anything and everything this life has to offer. So what is your purpose in this world? What is your why? Whatever it is, let this shirt be your daily reminder.

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Supporting ypowr means recognizing, supporting and encouraging anything and everything that good in this world. 

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Thanks in advance for your support!

22HC Day #1

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(July 4, 2016) The comeback begins.
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I’m a runner. I’ve run three 50ks, four Full Marathons and a handful of Halfs, 10ks and 5ks. But in December of 2014, I hurt my back while attempting a 50mi trail run. The injury sidelined me for a few months and I decided step away from running for all of 2015 to fully heal. It worked!
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Also in 2015: I received my Master’s degree, I married my best friend AND we found out she was pregnant with out first child! Needless to say, there was a lot going on in 2015.
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As for the pregnancy, I wanted to experience the whole pregnancy with her…. cravings and all. With that said, I packed on a few extra pounds. Just to be clear, I would do it all over again and do it all the same way.
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Fast forward to June 23, 2016: Jaelyn Rose was brought into this world! I promised myself that I would be a cool & fit dad for her. Today, with Beachbody/22 Hard Minute Hard Corps, I took a step in that direction.
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Through this IG account, follow my “transformation” and journey back to being the healthy & fit runner I once was, but this time, I’m gonna be doing it as a dad… a cool dad 😎!