Elevate with Grace

Welcome to our 9th episode of Elevate with Grace.  In this episode we are rounding out our first smart risk taking series with an excellent book from Emma Isaacs', Winging It!  https://www.emmaisaacs.com/

As the title suggests Emma has some great tips on taking a chance on yourself, trusting your gut and winging it.  The sub-heading on her book - Stop thinking, Start Doing.  Why Action beats planning every time - gives you a hint.  There is a lot of rich content within this book that Claire and Miranda discuss from:

• Gut versus decision tool situations
  • "When you know you know, and when you don't you decide"
• Tips & Hacks to make more time... meetings are at the top of Emma's list, also some wonderful honesty around outsourcing & not doing it all!
  • If its not a hell yes, its a no (linking back to episode 5 - The one thing Emma talks to the need to say no far more than you say yes)
• Team Decision Making 
  • Avoiding sunk cost bias & Zoom think
• Networking - to help build lasting relationships
• An encouragement to take action
  • "Seize the Day, Today"
• Kindness and Fun always

ELEVATEE CHALLENGE
1. Let's foster some kindness.  A thank you note, flowers, coffee with a friend and just remember what it's like to be together again.
2. For our real decision making action challenge. Over the past few weeks you have done the work to analyse a key decision, checked any biases, used 1 or more tools to interrogate the options.  So you're 70 or 80% comfortable with decision. This is the week let Emma Isaacs inspire you to to take the decision on and just leap. Let's see what happens.

Booktopia Winging It link: https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/ElevateWingingIt

This is an affiliate link

For more intel on smart risk taking or Elevate with Grace check out our Instagram or Website
We would love your feedback.  Please drop us a line via either of the above or our email [email protected]

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

Welcome to Episode 8  &  the third in our series of Smart Risks.  In this episode we are exploring the all important tools to help you make better decisions.  Last week we explored some of the decision making biases, this week we paired your profile with some of the biases to watch out for and offer tools to overcome these biases.  In this Pod you will receive quick hacks, larger decision analysis systems and some watch outs for decisions making in teams.

ELEVATE CHALLENGE:
Take the 6Step/Decision tree model and use it to solve a decision you have been mulling over.  Try writing down as much as possible, sleeping on your initial thoughts, then going out and researching the alternatives and probabilities. If this model doesn't work for you try one of the other larger decision systems discussed the OOC/EMR Tony Robbins model, or the decision pre-mortem.

Annie Duke 6 Step decision tool: https://wisdomfromexperts.com/to-make-a-good-decision-you-must-use-a-decision-tree-with-probabilities/

Tony Robbins OOC/EMR: https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ask-tony/making-tough-decisions/

Risk Profile Survey: https://www.elevatewithgrace.com.au/post/risk_profile_survey

SHOW NOTES
Collective thought leaders on the topic of decision making
Seth Godin, The Dip
Annie Duke, How to Decide
Mike Bayer, One Decision
Tony Robbins
Daniel Kahneman, Thinking Fast & Slow
Emma Isaacs, Winging It
Michelle Gibbings, Executive Coach & Author

Articles:
9 Steps of decision making: http://www.success.com
Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/90613220/12-ways-to-overcome-bias-and-strengthen-decision-making-skills
HBR Psychological Safety at work: https://hbr.org/2021/06/4-steps-to-boost-psychological-safety-at-your-workplace

If you could like a free month of linked in learning: https://linkedin-learning.pxf.io/Elevate
If you are keen to check out any of the books we spoke about today:  http://www.booktopia.kh4ffx.net/Elevate

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

We have all experienced some challenging "stuff" in the past two years, we have probably had a little 'stuffing' knocked out of us, so... 
Are we ready to dust ourselves out? To build our own narrative?  To go in search of a new way of working? To look for opportunities and be ready when they appear? 

In our latest podcast we are diving into further into smart risk taking and unpacking what great decision making looks like, the decision making biases that could be sabotaging you and building your decision making muscle.

ELEVATE CHALLENGE:
Identify a decision you need to make in any aspect of your life that you want to feel a greater level of confidence around what that decision should be. 
Bring that with you to next week’s ep and bounce it off the decision making tools and techniques we’ll be covering to see if one or more of them resonate with you to help you with that decision.

Risk Profile Survey: https://www.elevatewithgrace.com.au/post/risk_profile_survey

SHOW NOTES
HBR Ideas Cast, Interview with Dorie Clark https://hbr.org/podcast/2021/09/how-to-make-strategic-career-decisions-even-in-a-crisis-back-to-work-better
Mike Bayer, The One Decision
Annie Duke, How to Decide
Dominic Price Atlassian, https://domprice.me/what-if-the-great-resignation-is-entitled-bs/
Seth Godin - Sunk Cost Bias
Gary Keller, The One Thing
Emma Isaacs, Winging It
Blog coming soon on power and agency keep an eye on our website or jump onto the mailing list so you receive the latest blogs straight to email: http://www.elevatewithgrace.com.au

We keep referring to linked in learning so felt it only fair that we sought out a free month for you to check this out: https://linkedin-learning.pxf.io/Elevate
If you are keen to check out any of the books we spoke about today:  http://www.booktopia.kh4ffx.net/Elevate

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

Too often we do not recognise the opportunities available to us for what they are.  We hold back from speaking up, are too busy to take on that extra project, avoid what is uncomfortable, or maybe don't quite believe in ourselves.  There are so many conscious and unconscious biases out there that we really could be holding ourselves back from our own future success. 
This is the first in a series of 4 pods were we are going to dig into Smart Risk Taking.  

Hold onto your hats as things are about to get very real, very practical and very exciting as we reveal your risk profile, some seriously sticky biases & some handy tools and hacks to move you forward.  
Know thy self so you can be the best of yourself!  
We are so looking forward to sharing these pods with you!

ELEVATEE CHALLENGE: 
This week a chance to learn more about yourself with a short 10 question risk profile. 

https://formfaca.de/sm/mrvQZnYLq

With this new found awareness on your risk profile, you will understand what your natural setting is and in following weeks we will provide further insights into likely biases and hacks to getting the most out of yourself whether you are a risk mitigator or the ultimate risk taker.

SHOW NOTES: 
A couple of quotes for our topic today:

• Gail Kelly - Back yourself, even if you are not quite ready
• Susan Jeffers - Feel the Fear and do it anyway 
• W.E.B Dubois - There is no force equal to a women determined to rise 

2019 KPMG Women's Leadership Study
https://info.kpmg.us/news-perspectives/people-culture/kpmg-womens-leadership-study.html
7 Reasons Why Risk Taking Leads to Success
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/seven-reasons-why-risk-taking-leads-to-success_n_3749425

Deborah Perry Piscione, 38min Linked In Session
Use the below link to see this LinkedIn Learning session for free: 
https://www.linkedin.com/learning/risk-taking-for-leaders-14145630/taking-risks-to-foster-innovation?autoAdvance=true&autoSkip=false&autoplay=true&resume=true 

BOOKS DISCUSSED: 
Greenlights, Matthew McConaugh
Winging It, Emma Isaacs
The Risk Factor, Deborah Perry Piscione 
Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg
Booktopia Affiliate Code - https://booktopia.kh4ffx.net/elevate

OTHER MENTIONS:
Ginni Rometty, IBM
Naomi Simpson, Red Balloon
Gail Kelly, ex Westpac CEO
Knock down the Hill, Netflix

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

This episode we are bringing you a book review of THE ONE THING, The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller & Jay Papasan. 

Having found this book a couple of months into our Elevate with Grace planning we just had to share it as part of our podcast series as there are some terrific synergies with our purpose of curating the amazing content that’s out there in the world into bite sized actionable steps for you to take you on your journey of leading a life of success on your own terms, as defined by you.

Listen in to learn more about taking back your time with a focus on your 'IMPORTANT' time and not 'URGENT' times. 

Elevate Weekly Challenge:
What is the ONE THING they can do this week to help them reach their goals.  Take action on your first domino, and then the next towards your dreams.  The constant mantra of this book - what’s the one thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary.

Check out The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results book.  Affiliate link: booktopia.kh4ffx.net/elevate

Top 10 Quotes from the book:

• “Work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls-- family, health, friends, integrity-- are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.”
• "Life is about creating yourself so the trick to success is to choose the right habits with enough discipline to master it."
• “Extraordinary results happen only when you give the best you have to become the best you can be at your most important work.”
• “Your next step is simple. You are the first domino.”
• “Don’t let small thinking cut your life down to size. Think big, aim high, act bold. And see just how big you can blow up your life.”
• “A different result requires doing something different.”
• “One of the most empowering moments of my life came when I realized that life is a question and how we live it is our answer.”
• “Achievers always work from a clear sense of priority.”
• “Long hours spent checking off a to-do list and ending the day with a full trash can and a clean desk are not virtuous and have nothing to do with success. Instead of a to-do list, you need a success list—a list that is purposefully created around extraordinary results.
  
  To-do lists tend to be long; success lists are short. One pulls you in all directions; the other aims you in a specific direction. One is a disorganized directory and the other is an organized directive. If a list isn’t built around success, then that’s not where it takes you. If your to-do list contains everything, then it’s probably taking you everywhere but where you really want to go.”
• “People do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.” —F. M. Alexander

References:

• The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, Gary Keller with Jay Papasan. 
• The One Thing Podcast: Geoff Woods
• Katy Milkman episode: the1thing.com/podcast/310/
• Miracle Morning: Hal Elrod
• 80/20 Pareto Principle
• Brain Rules: John Medina

Want more insights and tips before next week's Pod?
Check out our blogs at www.elevatewithgrace.com.au or bite sized tips on socials -
Instagram & Facebook. https://www.instagram.com/elevate.with.grace/

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

It was a cliffhanger ending last week, thanks for coming back to ensure you have the all important second half of your WHY. 
Last week we shared why it was crucial to knowing your vision/why and the danger of a life in autopilot.  This week we reveal all the good tools to uncovering and starting to live your vision.

* Find your vision & provide a clear path for your future self to live by

* Articulate your vision & see it start to come to life daily

* Value of strategic goals 

* Creating a purpose statement or mission

* Finding a guiding word 

* Give you tools to uncover your strengths & personal values

* Elevate weekly challenge

ELEVATE WEEKLY CHALLENGE:

Take your draft from last week (or start one today - no judgement) and start to rumble with the words.  Interrogate and test the key concepts you have in your vision statement.  Remove repetition, ensure your why / vision is big enough that you can live by them in all facets of your life.  If you need to dig into one of the models discussed to help refine your statement please do. 

Ideally you want to get your vision/why to one sentence, maybe two max, or perhaps you can pull it into a word you can present consistently. 

CONTENT MENTIONED

Carolyn Tate, The Purpose Project https://carolyntate.co/ 

Simon Sinek, Find your Why 

Ali Edwards, One Little Word https://www.aliedwards.com/one-little-word-2021 

Tom Rath, Strengths Finder (Gallup Strengths Finder Survey) https://www.tomrath.org/book/strengthsfinder/ 

Brene Brown, Dare to Lead  https://daretolead.brenebrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Values.pdf

Jeff Hayden, The Motivation Myth
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-motivation-myth-jeff-haden/book/9780399563768.html

Nick Leighton, Forbes 5 Reasons Why you need a Personal Mission Statement
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/10/08/five-reasons-why-you-need-a-personal-vision-statement-and-how-to-write-one/?sh=18e254f61ab5

All of our designs are from Canva.  An incredible Australian success story.  If you are keen to elevate your design for a CV, website, work presentation, etc check out Canva: https://partner.canva.com/elevate  

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

In this episode we will explore the brain science and long known benefits of taking charge & setting the vision and goals.   As always we have scoured the best content out there to bring you a curation of the best tips, insights and knowledge.  You will discover that being passive in vision / why undermines your efforts in every area of your life.

• Starting out that why vision is so important 
• Benefits of setting your vision 
• Three hacks to help you unpack your why  
• Elevate Action challenge
• Show notes below with all of the great links

ELEVATE ACTION CHALLENGE:
Let's find your key goal and action for now. Start with an SFD (remember it's only paper)
Set yourself a timer know 10 minutes and write down everything that comes to mind - thoughts on visions, goals, things you love doing.  If you have finished in 3mins then start to use one of the models from the podcast (listed below).
Once the timer stops its pen down & walk away.  That's it - just 10mins today.
Next let it ruminate - allowing thoughts to flow in the shower, exercising, and getting your brain to work for you while you sleep.
 
First thing in the morning (next day or as soon after as you can) open up your book, don't look at what you wrote, first just write down everything that comes top of mind.  Then go back and review your earlier list and start to articulate your key vision and narrow in on what is the most important goal that you really want to achieve now. Perhaps there's one for each category of your life. Perhaps there's just one big one that you just really want to work towards. If there are extra gems on the page, save them in your calendar or somewhere that you'll look back to.  Next week when we go through our what, then we'll start to really narrow down on our vision.

SHOW NOTES:
Simon Sinek - https://youtu.be/yNiWviKEoa8 (a short video from Simon Sinek presenting his concept around why) reminder: this is business focused but absolutely can be applied to your vision & why.  His books - Start with Why and Find your Why
https://www.booktopia.com.au/start-with-why-simon-sinek/book/9780241958223.html 

Carolyn Tate, The Purpose Project
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-purpose-project-carolyn-g-tate/book/9780646971001.html

Dominic Price of Atlassian: https://domprice.me/personal-moral-inventory/ 
>> Consider your life in 4 buckets - Productivity & Profit, Purpose, People, Planet and seek to first score yourself -1 to 1 on how you are tracking and then consider a vision for each area.

Michelle Obama, Becoming - both in book form and also as a Netflix special https://www.netflix.com/au/title/81122487
Quote from Michelle Obama in Becoming: "What I've learned is that getting back on what track? It's a whole new track. It's not getting back on track. I'm creating my next track. I'm doing what you're doing. I'm figuring out what I want to do, what I care about. And it takes time to process your life and figure out what it all means." 

Brene Brown: For more on SFDs check out Unlocking Us the podcast or Brene's website for a quick cheat sheet: https://brenebrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-SFD-and-Checking-Our-Stories-Secondary-8-1-19.pdf

7 core value areas: #1 career or contribution #2 financial #3 personal #4 spiritual & connectedness #5 intellectual #6 relationship and #7 physical health. 

For more thought starter hacks please check out our blog on the website: www.elevatewithgrace.com.au

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

Welcome to our very first episode!   

Claire and Miranda explain how the Elevate with Grace podcast idea came about, how they want to help women create success on their own terms, and how the five pillars of the Elevate with Grace Model work together as a virtuous cycle to success.   

Our mission is to have a real impact on how women achieve their vision for their future. By delivering thoughtful, curated experiences and actionable steps, we will inspire women to take smart risks, to create the career that fulfills them and achieve financial success on their own terms.

ACTION CHALLENGE - carve out 10mins each day to write without a filter about what you have loved from your day and what you have loathed. 

NEXT WEEK - In our next episode we are going to look over these journal notes and see where the patterns are.  This will help you start to define where you need to invest your energy and perhaps offer some insights into your why.    Please subscribe for future episodes & share with your friends. 

Want more insights and tips before next week's Pod?  Check  out our blogs at www.elevatewithgrace.com.au or bite sized tips on socials - Instagram & Facebook.  https://www.instagram.com/elevate.with.grace/

Music created by Claire's daughter Hannah

Introducing Elevate with Grace, curated steps to achieving success on your own terms. 

Our mission is to have a real impact on how women achieve success. 

As defined by them on their terms, not by how others define it for them.  We deliver thoughtful, curated experiences and actionable steps that inspire women to take smart risks and create career and financial success on their own terms.

This podcast is for you if you are keen to:

• Unlock your Why
• Discard everything that is holding you back from achieving success
• Achieve more with smart risk taking
• Cultivate your career &
• Build your financial acumen 

Subscribe here and our first episode will be with you soon. 

We look forward to sharing these insights with you!
Cheers
Claire & Miranda