The Momentum Life Project

In this episode The Momentum Architects' Kerry D and Dr M tackle the topic of negative self-talk.

Our thoughts impact our feelings which impact our actions or behaviour which in turn reinforce our thoughts. So if our thoughts are full of negative self talk we can create a feedback loop that can reinforce this negativity.

As humans, we are the only species who are able to think about our thoughts! But are we setting ourselves up for success?

Think about some of the things either you or people around you may say…

• I will never…
• They always do…
• I don't deserve to…

And if that's what is coming out of our mouths - it's often far worse in our heads!

If that is our starting point, how can we expect our behaviour to create positive momentum?

Kerry D talks about the impact having an awareness of her language has had. Often cultural norms mean that we default to the negative. If we can begin to be mindful of what we're thinking and therefore the impact these thoughts and self-talk is having on our feelings and on our behaviour we can start to break the feedback loop.

Dr M's suggestion - for every negative thought you catch yourself thinking, counteract it with 3 positive thoughts.

…because remember, global change begins with your individual momentum.

Disclaimer: the topics and suggestions discussed on the momentum life project are intended to be general in nature and the information does not constitute individual advice nor take into account your personal circumstances. Always seek the advice of a trained health professional with any questions you may have and before seeking any treatment.

In the latest episode of the Momentum Life Project, The Momentum Architects Kerry D and Dr M talk about your circle of influence and how to approach things that you can and cannot control.

Whether situations at work at home or when out and about there are really only 3 outcomes to an issue or challenge:

1. It's something you can control
2. It's something you can't control
3. It's something that you need more information about in order to know whether you can or can't control.

Most of us spend too much time worrying about things that we can't change when our energy and focus may be better served elsewhere.

If it can't be changed then often it is best to come to the acceptance that we can't change it and move on (note: that is not to say that we can't or don't have a negative charge around the issue or situation but it does mean that we can look at our level of acceptance around it) - sometimes the ultimate control is letting go of control.

And if it IS in your control and you can change the situation or scenario we can move forward towards this, but it then might come with its own challenges as whatever needs changing may actually be quite scary!

But - if we can start to better understand and accept what is and what is not in our control, we can spend more time focusing on the things that are going to provide us positive momentum and growth.

Because remember, your individual momentum can create global change.

Would your team benefit from The Momentum Architects and their approach to gaining greater alignment in work, life and play? Drop us a line at [email protected] and find out more.

Often people think that all stress must be bad. But can stress be good? In this episode The Momentum Architects unpack the key types of stress and how to recognise the difference between good and bad stress.

We all have stressors placed on us every single day - these can be in the form of emotional stress, chemical stress or physical stress.

The key is having an awareness of what stressors we are placing on our system and being able to identify when we've created a toxic load vs a healthy balance.

Remember diamonds are only created under pressure and to create momentum there must be some force present so a certain amount of stress is actually good!

E.g. when we need to get something done, the deadline creates a certain amount of stress for us to react and achieve what we need to - the danger is if we are constantly in the state of 'alarm' to the point that it's getting backed up and backed up and we become overwhelmed.

Nowadays being busy and being stressed are often used interchangeably - they are very different things and most of the time when people say they are 'too busy' actually simply means they have not managed their time properly.

Would your team benefit from learning more about stress adaptation techniques and how to recognise when good stress is going bad? Get in touch now and find out how we can help.

In this episode the Momentum Architects talk about the importance of aligning the 'heart and head'. If your heart and head are not aligned it can cause much internal wrangling and stress and impact how you show up in the workplace.

When we talk about heart and head, the head is really the process and the heart is the 'what's the point' piece. This then also feeds into the values and values mismatching discussed in Episode 2.

You can hear a misalignment when people start talking about being bored with what they're doing and looking for the next challenge. Or when their personal values are no longer aligning with the organisation they're working for.

Kerry D has had a number of conversations recently with people who on paper are at the top of their game but are feeling that the company culture and values are not aligned with their personal values and it's causing a lot of discomfort and a lot of questions about whether they are in the right place.

Ultimately it all comes back to self-awareness and knowing that alignment of these key areas is vital in order to enable you to create momentum.

Want to ensure your team have alignment of heart and head? Check out www.themomentumarchitects.com to find out how to bring this to your organisation.

In the last episode (S3E1) The Momentum Architects delved into purpose, meaning and why you get out of bed in the morning. There is a lot of talk about this nowadays - finding your 'why' and often people get frustrated when they don't have an exact answer. In this episode Dr M and Kerry D take a step back and look at values alignment and more importantly values mismatching - understanding this can be a key first step in uncovering purpose.

Often what we value most in life whether that is family, vocation, learning, health etc. has been 'handed' to us by parents, leaders and others in authority positions. The issue is that how they prioritise and what they hold in highest value may not be congruent with us. For example, often women are taught to put family first. This is absolutely okay but where conflict can arise is if e.g. vocation is actually your highest value but you are being told you must put your family first - instead of allowing you to be happy and focused at work which in turn will actually make you a better mother, wife etc.

That is not to say that all of the other values are not important and do not need focus, they do but allowing yourself to understand your highest need and that of those around you means there is much less frustration and all of the other areas become more aligned.

Want to understand better where you are 'values mismatching' in yourself or your team? Check out www.themomentumarchitects.com and find out how we can help.

Back for another season the Momentum Architects are going to be talking all things stress, productivity, mindset and general 'life' over the next 13 episodes.

To kick it all off Dr M and Kerry D will be revisiting the age old question of 'why'. It's something that flows through everything they do both from their own perspective and also in what they teach in organisations.

A key element of momentum and achievement is alignment in work, life and play. To achieve alignment, knowing your 'why' or your personal mission, what lights you up, what gets you out of bed in the morning really sets you on the right track and helps you keep on the right direction.

It might end up sounding like a tagline but it can provide massive momentum by tapping into your true motivators.

Want to create massive momentum in yourself and your team? Check out www.themomentumarchitects.com and find out how we can help.

In this episode, the Momentum Architects wrap up the latest season of the Momentum Life Project.

This season, the focus was all about the strengths set - one of the key pillars used by The Momentum Architects in their work with organisations to enhance team performance, culture and motivation (with the other key pillars being what they like to call 'life set' and stress set').

When talking about strengths and about building a strengths-based approach, Dr M and Kerry D are talking about an underlying philosophy of really focusing on potential and a growth mindset to build momentum.

The key to this is knowing yourself and having a really keen awareness of how you operate and how others around you operate and one of the best ways to open the conversation and build the initial foundation for this is through behavioural assessments.

Our favourite is by far the CliftonStrengths assessment as it's in-depth but practical at the same time (find out more about this in episodes 6 and 12) and can provide great and immediate change in organisations that embrace it.

Also this season we've looked at Myers Briggs, HBDI, DISC, Strengths Profile, 16 Personalities and the Enneagram as well as looking at 360 reporting and the various learning styles.

In a nutshell, Dr M and Kerry D believe that in the coming years the change that we will see in our workplaces will be phenomenal. More and more, those inside and outside of the organisation will demand a more purpose-driven approach and organisations that will flourish are those that understand how to create exponential growth starting with their people and enabling them to reach their true potential.

The Momentum Life Project will be back with a new season on 25th April.

…and remember global change starts with individual momentum.

In this episode, the Momentum Architects revisit their favourite topic - the CliftonStrengths assessment. In previous episodes they've discussed the value of this from an individual perspective and now they're delving into why it is so great for organisational teams.

The research is showing that there is an ever increasing disengagement and a lack of motivation from employees as the pressure to perform and drive results keeps growing.

However, if you embrace a strengths based approach this has been shown not only to positively impact the individual, but also have great results in terms of productivity, performance and profit.

There's a reason why 90% of the top Fortune 500 companies are using CliftonStrengths.

It gives a common language to the team and enables team members to explore not only their talents but also those of their colleagues. This greater awareness not only reduces frustration but in turn drives greater performance.

…because remember, positive global change starts with individual momentum

In today's episode the Momentum Architects talk through the pros and cons of the Enneagram assessment.

A little different from some of the other assessments we've been delving into this season - this particular test is a modern synthesis of ancient traditions and takes its philosophies from places such as greek mythology, Buddhism and Judaism.

This one has much more of a spiritual outlook and starts to examine the human soul.

As with all of the tests, the results tend to be quite accurate and this one is particularly valuable once you have already done a lot of self development and are already quite self-aware to be able to really start taking things to the next level.

Is it useful to be able to drive organisational change? Maybe, maybe not. As a practical tool, again we feel the CliftonStrengths assessment wins because it's something that can be used every single day to set intention around what you're doing and how you want to behave.

As with so many of the tools, the Enneagram is great retroactively in determining why you behaved in a certain way but possibly not as effective in driving future behaviour.

...and remember global change starts with individual momentum!

In today's episode of the Momentum Life Project the Momentum Architects continue their look at come of the key behaviour and personality testing tools out there on the market. Next up is the fun, quirky test - 16 personalities.

With a similarity to Myers Briggs but a leaning towards the Big 5 Personality Traits, this one is fun, free and gives you a cool insight into who you are and why you do what you do.

If you'd like to do the test yourself - check out this link (note: Dr M was really taken by this one as she got back a picture of a wizard!)

The more of these tests you do, the more you will get to the point where there is no new information but there's a reinforcement of what you already know. This is itself is valuable as it all builds to allow you to grow exponentially rather than in a linear fashion

The downside of this one, it does use your results to start suggesting good and bad career choices for you. Kerry D in particular is quite anti-this as she doesn't like to add labels to people which can manifest into limiting beliefs.

So - if you've got a spare 10 minutes, check it out - it's free, it's fun - and let us know which character you get!