Intentionally Integrate
Integration is the ability to incorporate learning in a complete and holistic manner. It’s the ability to transfer information, techniques and strategies into knowledge, skills and principles.
Applying intention and focus we can accelerate the process of integration of our experiences and interactions into our lives, relationships and businesses. How we connect and weave together these strands of life lessons to deliberately apply them to other areas of our life speeds the process of integration and allows a greater realization of success in all aspects.
The principles for success are split up into two parts. The first is an internal infrastructure of mental consciousness, courage and grit. The second group of principles are more dynamic consisting of action and mental acuity to learn, improve and persist.
Infrastructure Principles of Success
Awareness ~ Mindfulness ~ Integrity ~ Courage
Dynamic Principles of Success
Do It ~ Learn From It ~ Improve It ~ Keep Doing It Better
Every person has been or is in the process of learning something in their life or business. The first and most crucial step in everything is always awareness. Stop and ask yourself what am I experiencing right now? How is my experience linked to a particular life lesson I’m learning?
Being aware of the lessons we are learning we can choose
to intentionally integrate and speed the process to success.
Integrity is the ability to be congruent with what we want, say and do. These three components have to be aligned in order to consistently move forward and be successful. Ask yourself, what do I want? What am I thinking and saying and how does it impact my outcome? What am I doing and how does it effect my results? What do I need to change in order to be more congruent and have integrity? Click here for a values exercise.
The key to success is not a mystery. Successful athletes, business executives, entrepreneurs, leaders, artists, physicians, musicians, writers or researchers all have a greater ability to integrate quicker, deeper and more effectively than others in their field.
It’s a fine line between risking enough to bring us to our edge of growth or challenge and being scattered, reckless or paralyzed in fear. On the other hand staying safely within our comfort level we seldom experience reaching our true potential. The ability to admit and acknowledge perceived limitations requires courage to face our fears. Successful people know themselves, their edge and consistently choose to challenge, grow and develop past fear. When was the last time you bumped up against your edge? What was your most recent experience in facing your fear? If you are having a difficult time remembering chances are you may have become complacent in the comfort zone. If you feel excited and afraid at the same time you are probably living close to your edge. The ability to choose experiences and situations allows us to face our fears and is a crucial component in building the infrastructure of success.
Common Fears to Face: How do these bring you closer to your edge?
Pain, Safety, Security, Rejection, Loss, Success, Failure, Commitment, Uncertainty
Success requires action. This is a simple yet powerful principle. All planning and no doing perpetuates stagnation. When in doubt of what to do, choose a direction to move forward. The “right” way becomes obvious when we get into motion. Doing the footwork is the fastest way to find the next step. What fear do you need to face in order to move forward? Getting into action facilitates working past fear. What excites and scares you at the same time? What do you need to do it!
Doing creates the experience to learn, analyze and improve the information, technique or strategy. First do then improve the process to create effective steps to repeat. Awareness of these small successful steps transforms learnings into knowledge, skills and principles quicker, deeper and more effectively.
The last step is to apply persistence to keep the momentum going, keep improving the system, keep creating effective processes and eventually success accumulates and integration is complete. The knowledge, skill and principle become the success that is woven into the core of your being.
Once we have success we can transfer this knowledge, skill or principle to other areas. Here is an example of a coaching process that demonstrates the power of intentional integration of a lesson, goal or skill:
A financial advising client is working on developing the ability to “strategize” client communication instead of “reacting” immediately to requests. This mindful approach supports a creative, thoughtful process to delegate to an assistant for more effective communication. Success in delegating to the assistant creates growth and trust for the assistant and the advisor. The process starts with emails and soon grows to include voicemail and paperwork as well. Upon further investigation through coaching, the advisor says, “I’ve noticed I no longer “react” but respond to my colleagues, manager, friends and family.” It’s exciting to noticing the transfer process occurring! Coach asks further questions:
“What else have you noticed through this learning and integration process?”
The advisor answers, “I’ve become a person who is strategic and mindful.”
The advisors actual story of how they perceive themselves has changed. When our story of who or what we believe about ourselves changes everything changes!
“What does this mean for you?” The advisor answers, “because I’m a strategic and mindful person my
approach for everything is more calm, confident and competent.”
So the integration grew from having a strategic communication skill to being a strategic and mindful person to increased calmness, confidence and competence.
“What other areas could you integrate?”
The advisor said, “I’d like to apply these principles when doing financial plans for my clients.”
We now have the next desire or goal to improve and integrate! How can you apply these questions and use this approach to intentionally integrate and be more successful? How strong is your scaffolding of success?
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copyright © 2011 Lou Ann Bennett
