Your internalGPS is Unique to You 3

“You are unrepeatable. There is a magic about you that is all your own…”

– D.M. Dellinger

One of the benefits of getting older is growing into the peace of accepting who you are and letting go of trying to be something or someone that you are not. Of course, keep growing and learning and improving but acceptance of who you are today is always the best starting point.

Acknowledge Your Communication Style Preferences

Last month, I did a couple communication workshops for one of my clients. Their employees were so grateful to be acknowledged for who they were. It was clear that one person had a communication style at the other end of the scale from everyone else on his team. I asked him, “Do you sometimes feel like you are all alone with no one understanding you?” His face lit up with a big smile and he shook his head, “Yes!!” Sometimes, it is just the acknowledgment that you have different preferences that make all the difference and then you can shift to fit or bring out the best in others as needed.

Know Your Energy Cycles

Are you a morning person or a night person? Everyone has a preference and if you pay attention to when you are at your best it will help you to be more effective. When I have a big project to accomplish, I get up an hour or two earlier in the morning to focus on what needs to be done. If I tried to stay up an hour or two later then I would get a lot less done and it would not be my best work. Know your times for your best work and then try to accommodate yourself as much as possible.

Be the Best You

Comparison to others is only helpful if you are looking for characteristics that you admire and want to emulate (and those you want to avoid). The best comparisons to make are to you. Are you more at peace with who you are this year than you were last year? Are you healthier and more energized? Are you living more in alignment with your values than you were a few years ago? Always start from a place of peace and acceptance of where you are right now; it is the perfect place to program your internalGPS to be the best you.

photo credit: indoloony via flickr creative commons.