During my life coaching certification with Dr. Martha Beck, best selling author and “O, the Oprah Magazine” contributor, I learned a tool that still gives me chills. When I shared it with my volleyball girls this week, there was at least one “Whoa!” in the room, from every one of my 14 teams with girls ages 8-18. I think that’s a sign that a universal truth has been shared. So, here it is—are you ready?
Intention + Attention = No Tension.
This has been a guiding principle during transition times for me. When you’re in an unfamiliar place or a situation with people you don’t know, you can get sidetracked by doubt or the need to gain control. If you can recognize this funky feeling in the moment, you can choose to focus on
I + A = NT instead. How do you progress through this equation?
- Set an intention for what you want from the situation.
- Then pay attention to just that one thing, allowing all the white noise of your emotions, discomfort, or the little voice of your control freak to quiet, and focus on just that one intention. As soon as you do this, you are in alignment--your energy, focus and will are aligned with your purpose, and a feeling state of meaningful purpose will take over, allowing the tension you were feeling to fade away.
- Keep doing the same thing over and over until you reach your goal.
I asked each player, in their opinion, what their team’s intention needed to be to be successful at our Regional tournament. When they told me, then I asked for a specific thing THEY could focus on (pay attention to) in order to make the team intention come true. Answers were on topics such as “improve communication” with the individual promising to keep talking up their teammates, whether they were on the court or on the sidelines. If each player kept talking and connecting, there would be no lack of energy or chemistry. They will build, and sustain, that team communication one point and one person at a time.
If you apply this equation to your own life, you will notice increased energy and sense of purpose every time you do. Maybe that feeling will last for an hour, maybe it will last for a day, but the more you practice the process of I + A = NT, the better you will be able to call on it when your world feels stressful. Try it and let me know how you do by dropping me a line at terrif@findyourpride.org or for more individual help go here https://girlpowerforgood.org/life-coach/ for life coaching packages.
XO
Terri
