Using Self-Awareness to Take Control
Updated: Feb 19, 2024
Written by: Michelle Mercier, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If there has ever been a year that has challenged entrepreneurs, this might have been it. Uncertainty in the world around us can make us doubt our power to control our destiny. Despite what it looks like, you are still in the driver’s seat. The road may have changed, but you are still in charge of your professional journey.
It’s in these moments of unexpected challenges that we are actually faced with a decision: how will we respond?
As a business coach and consultant, I see it time and time again - clients distraught at the lack of traction or continued setbacks. Remember the old saying: the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again - but expecting the results to change?
This is where the intersection of self-awareness and choice comes in. It’s time to take an unfiltered look at what’s going on - and I mean the good, the bad, and the ugly.
This honest evaluation of your existing situation and how it relates to your previously set goals is called a “current state analysis.” While it’s important to celebrate your wins and strengths, it’s also so powerful to examine the obstacles and what’s not working well.
Because even if you don’t have control over the situation at hand... we always have a choice on how to respond. Our choices may not be ideal, but the response is ours, and we own it.
Conducting current state analysis will provide you with ample opportunity to think about whether you want to adapt your goals, strategy, or tactics.
Do you always have to modify what you’re doing? Not necessarily. Sometimes your choice is to “stay the course” Sometimes, it's simply choosing your mindset around a new challenge or situation.
It’s not about making the right or wrong decision, but making informed decisions.
And don’t just do this annually! Conducting a quarterly or monthly analysis gives you the opportunity to make mindset or tactical changes quickly, before forming habits and patterns that can be difficult to undo.
Yes, the outside world may deliver some challenges that disrupt our best-laid plans. That’s the nature of life - always has been and always will be. By finding and embracing the space where awareness and choice intersect, here we find the power of making educated decisions to align our life with our ideal state.
Michelle Mercier, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Michelle Mercier is a Business Strategy Coach and the host of The Resilient Entrepreneur Podcast which debuted on iTunes at 15 in the Entrepreneur category and cracked the top 100 in other countries across the globe.
She has close to 20 years of professional experience and has worked with a wide range of different businesses – from nationally acclaimed non-profits to major corporations like PayPal.
Today, Michelle primarily works with entrepreneurs, small/medium businesses & executives to help them grow and maintain long-term success. She loves leveraging her years of experience and expertise to help bring individuals and companies to the next level.
