Et si, pour influencer le monde, vous donniez la priorité à vos aspirations?

Mes amis et collègues peuvent en témoigner, je suis une personne exigeante. J'ai souvent du mal à définir les priorités car je veux TOUT faire en même temps, et de la MEILLEURE manière possible (c'est-à-dire «parfaitement»…). Je dis souvent que la priorité est A, B… et C et D car, avouons-le, tout est lié, urgent et important. Si cette approche permet de progresser et de créer des ponts entre différents domaines, c’est aussi - il faut le dire - très fatiguant.

Vous est-il déjà arrivé de penser que vous jonglez avec trop de choses en même temps? 

• Si c’est le cas, rassurez-vous, vous n'êtes pas seuls. Et puis, promis, il est possible d'impacter le monde tout en préservant votre écologie intérieure.

• Si vous n’avez pas ce genre de soucis, quelle chance vous avez!. Mais continuez à lire pour aider vos proches qui rencontrent des difficultés à établir des priorités ;). 

MON CHEMINEMENT COMME CAS D'ÉTUDE  

Quand je me suis lancé dans des études pour devenir coach professionnel, je menais deux missions au sein de mon entreprise. Comme tout le monde, j'étais sur le point de découvrir les conséquences - personnelles et professionnelles - d'une épidémie mondiale.  J'étais pleine de doutes, excitée, et prête à jongler avec les attentes de différents mondes, même si cela nécessitait de se lever à 5h30 du matin. 

En 2020, j'ai fait face à plus de défis que necessaire pour le petit humain que je suis. 

• En tant que manager, j'ai dû gérer le départ inattendu d'employés, tout en rassurant et motivant une équipe dispersée et multiculturelle. Il a fallu donner corps au concept d'agilité afin d’ajuster, maintenir et enrichir nos projets. L’enjeu était de taille. Il fallait faire de cette période incertaine, une opportunité pour nos missions de développement durable et de raison d'être. Ensemble, nous avons tenté de jouer sur plusieurs tableaux. Nous avons, par exemple, lancé un podcast pour les acteurs de la transformation écologique; organisé des comités de parties prenantes externes pour “challenger” notre direction sur les risques et les priorités d'action en cette période, mais aussi accompagné nos équipes opérationnelles dans des projets clés comme le déploiement de centres de collecte responsables avec et pour le secteur informel.

• En apprenant et testant les techniques de coaching liés aux neurosciences, j'ai alterné entre un état de 'flow' et un sérieux syndrome de l'imposteur. Ce sentiment d'amateurisme fut d'autant plus effrayant en construisant mon blog (vous imaginerez peut-être le défi si je vous dis que je tape encore avec quelques doigts sur mon ordinateur …). 

• Comme pour de nombreux expatriés, j'ai connu cette expérience étrange d'être enfermée hors de chez moi. Au Japon, il fallait choisir. Soit on restait. Soit on partait. Pas de demi-teinte. Cela étant dit, je dois admettre que ma situation était bien plus vivable que celle de certains amis résidant dans des pays plus stricts. 

• Au-delà de ces expériences, mon véritable défi fut la bataille qui se jouait en moi. J'étais déchirée entre ma reconnaissance pour la confiance et le soutien de mon réseau (ou ce que j'avais tendance à percevoir comme une naïveté optimiste), un sentiment de fierté au regard du dévouement de mon équipe et de mes petits progrès en tant que coach, un sentiment d’anxiété et d’épuisement lié à l'état de notre monde, et enfin, une grande culpabilité de «ne “pas en faire assez». Pas assez pour qui ? Et bien pour le monde. Pas assez par rapport aux opérateurs de mon entreprise qui étaient sur le terrain à traiter nos eaux usées ou à enlever nos déchets dans les rues. Pas assez par rapport aux médecins, infirmières et humanitaires qui sauvaient des vies.

Tout cela pour dire que je me débattais avec des pensées telles que «je dois tout faire» et «je ne dois pas me plaindre». Jusqu'au jour où j’ai découvert un outil :  “The balance wheel” ou la roue de l'équilibre. Attention, ce n'est pas une baguette magique, enfin quoique… Cet exercice est très puissant pour cartographier vos priorités tout en assurant une harmonie avec le reste de votre vie. 

Grâce à cet outil, j’ai gagné en clarté et en confiance sur ce qui était vraiment important pour moi et mes missions. J'ai pu identifier comment tirer parti des synergies existantes entre divers objectifs. J'ai compris que, moins j'étais centrée ou alignée, plus j'étais fatiguée et dépassée, et moins j'étais utile aux autres. Alors maintenant, chaque fois que je me sens dispersée, j'utilise cet outil pour centrer mon attention sur mes aspirations profondes. Je peux alors tirer parti de mes valeurs, de mes talents et de mes merveilleux alliés pour créer un cercle vertueux d'actions positives. Cela me permet d’avancer - de manière plus fluide - au travers du flux des circonstances extérieures.

***

S’activer pour changer

Un simple outil

• Tout d'abord, demandez-vous quels sont les éléments importants qui vous permettent de vivre une vie harmonieuse.

• Dessinez une roue et divisez-la en 8 catégories. 

• Ajoutez vos idées dans l'ordre de votre choix. 

• Sans trop réfléchir, notez votre niveau de satisfaction lié à chaque enjeu (la ligne externe rouge représente un niveau de satisfaction de 10 sur 10).

Simple illustration with the key topics at stake in 2020

• Prenez de la hauteur et regardez votre roue. Qu’est ce qui vous frappe?

• Si vous pouviez améliorer un élément qui augmenterait votre niveau de satisfaction générale, sur quoi mettriez-vous l'accent? 

• Quelle action spécifique - dans votre contrôle et en harmonie avec le reste de vos priorités - pourriez-vous entreprendre ?

• Supposons que vous avez progressé sur ce point, quelle est la prochaine priorité? 

Un Mantra

“Tous les hommes pensent que le bonheur se trouve au sommet de la montagne alors qu’il réside dans la façon de la gravir”

— Confucius.

Maintenant, à votre tour…

Aujourd'hui, à quoi voulez-vous donner la priorité, pour (re)trouver la paix intérieure tout en étant utile?

Voulez-vous devenir le. la leader que vous souhaitez pour le monde que vous attendez ? Est-il temps de trouver et d’affirmer votre leadership ? Souhaitez - vous intégrer les enjeux d’impact positif et de raison d’être au coeur de votre organisation ? L’enjeu est -il d’accélérer l'engagement de votre écosystème pour créer un changement systémique ?

Si vous répondez par l’affirmative et si vous voulez être accompagné.e sur votre chemin, contactez-moi ! Voici un lien pour réserver un entretien d'exploration et le formulaire pour élaborer davantage votre ambition et vos défis.

Can prioritizing your aspirations influence the world?

My friends and teammates can testify, I am a demanding person. l often struggle with prioritization as I want to do EVERYTHING all at once, and in the BEST way possible (i.e. “perfectly”…). I often say the priority is A, B … and C and D because, let’s face it, everything is connected, urgent, and IMPORTANT. Even if this approach allows me to stretch myself and leverage systemic connections between different areas of my life, it sometimes feels overwhelming.  

Have you ever felt you are juggling too many things at the same time? 

• If so, trust me, it may take time for you to be the changemaker you want to be while preserving your inner ecology and peacefulness.

• If not, lucky you ;). You can keep reading to find ways to help your close ones who are experiencing difficulties in prioritizing. 

MY JOURNEY - AS A CASE STUDY 

As I embarked on my journey to becoming a certified professional coach; I was leading two missions within my company and - little did I know - I was on the edge of facing personal and professional consequences from a worldwide, viral epidemic. I was full of self-doubt, and yet, super excited, ready to juggle both worlds, even if it meant waking up at 5.30 AM. 

In 2020, I faced more than enough challenges for the little human that I am. 

• As a manager, I faced the unexpected departure of teammates, as well as the difficulty of reassuring and motivating a remote, multicultural team. I had to be agile enough to adjust, maintain and enrich our projects so as to turn this uncertain period into an opportunity for sustainability. Together, we launched a podcast for ecological change-makers, organized external stakeholders committees for our management to assess the business risks and priorities for action, and accompanied operational teams in key projects such as the launch of sustainable waste collection centers for informal waste pickers.

• I navigated between a sense of flow and an imposter syndrome while learning the coaching techniques, testing them on clients, and building my blog (you may be able to imagine the challenge if I tell you I still type with a few fingers on my computer…). 

• As it is with many expatriates, I had to cope with the emotional stress of being prohibited from traveling back to my home country. That being said, I must admit that my situation in Japan was more acceptable compared to other friends in more restrictive countries. 

• Worst of all, I was battling against myself. I was torn between gratefulness for my network’s trust (or what I tend to perceive as optimistic gullibility), pride in my team’s dedication, anxiety related to the state of our world, and finally, guilt from ‘not doing enough. What I mean is I was not doing enough to help the world compared to my company’s workers who were removing the waste in the streets, or the doctors, nurses, and humanitarian workers who were saving lives.

All of that to say, I was pretty much struggling with my “I want to do it all” and “don’t complain” syndromes, until one day, I discovered the balance wheel exercise! Spoiler alert, this is not a magic wand.., although this is not far from it. This exercise is very powerful to map your priorities while balancing all important areas of your life. 

Thanks to my usage of the tool, I progressively became clearer on what was really important for me and my missions. I realized that the less centered I was, the more tired and confused I became, and the less helpful I was to others. So now, whenever I feel overwhelmed, I use this tool to recenter my attention to my deep aspirations. I can then leverage my values, talents, and wonderful allies to create a virtuous cycle of positive actions. This allows me to move - in a smooth way - despite the unsettling flow of external circumstances.

***

actualizing your change

A SIMPLE Tool

• First, ask yourself what are the important factors that would allow you to live a harmonious life? 

• Draw a wheel. Divide it into 8 categories and add your ideas in any order you want. 

• Then, without too much further deliberation, write down your level of satisfaction related to each item (the external line representing a 10/10 level of satisfaction).

Illustration with the key topics at stake in 2020

• Looking at your wheel, what does that tell you? 

• If you could improve one element that would boost your whole level of satisfaction,

  • What would you focus on? 

  • What specific action - within your control and in harmony with the rest of your priorities - could you take? 

• Let's suppose you progressed on this item, what would be your next priority? 

***

A MANTRA 

““All men think that happiness is found at the top of the mountain, whereas it lies in the way of climbing it. “ ”

— Confucius.

Over to you

What do you need to prioritize today, to find inner peace and yet be helpful?

Feel free to share how such an article resonates with you, I’d love to know. Besides, if you want support to become the leader you want for the world you expect, contact me! Here is a form find to further elaborate your ambition and challenges: English / French

Sommes-nous libres de choisir le chemin de notre vie?

Le Cheminement de pensée

Avez-vous déjà eu la sensation d'être coincé(e) ou frustré(e) dans votre vie? Personnellement, j’ai eu la chance de vivre de belles expériences mais je me suis souvent prise à rêver d’habiter sur une île grecque, travaillant à distance sur les sujets de mon choix et à mon propre rythme.

En tant qu'occidentale, j'ai été élevée avec le mantra «quand tu veux, tu peux». Pensons aux milliers de décisions que nous prenons chaque jour. Nous sommes les seuls à décider de sauter hors du lit ou de repousser l'alarme, de prendre une douche ou un bain, de devenir végétarien, flexitarien ou mangeur de viande. Chaque jour, nous prenons des milliers de décisions. Ceci étant dit, bien qu'attirante, je trouve la théorie du libre arbitre un peu trop simpliste et oppressante pour certains individus. 

Quel est NOTre vrai pouvoir de décision?

Être libre implique l'absence de contraintes extérieures pour faire ou dire ce que vous voulez. Par exemple, j'ai décidé d'éviter de manger de la viande et de réduire ma consommation de poisson car je voulais me concentrer sur ce qui était en mon contrôle, en matière de lutte contre le changement climatique, tout en honorant mes valeurs de responsabilité et de citoyenneté. 

Pourtant, certaines personnes me diront que j’ai été influencée par mes amis, mes lectures et mon travail dans ce choix. On peut effectivement se demander si nos actions sont plus influencées par notre écosystème que par notre simple pouvoir rationnel. Par exemple, malgré les preuves scientifiques, certaines personnes continuent de penser que les humains ne sont pas responsables du changement climatique.

Quelle est la part d’influence des causes externes dans notre prise de décision?

De nombreux penseurs ont démontré que les événements sont en fait déterminés par causes précédemment existantes. Le sociologue Durkheim a expliqué que nos idées, nos pensées, nos habitudes et nos actions sont fortement influencées par le contexte socio-économique dans lequel nous vivons. 

Selon cette logique, je ne serais pas qui je suis - certaines personnes diraient une «bobo» bénéficiant d'une carrière internationale - sans les antécédents sociaux, valeurs et le réseau de ma famille, entre autres facteurs.

Je suis sûre que mes racines ont eu une forte influence sur mes conditions de vie actuelle. Pourtant, tout est-il déjà préconçu? Sommes-nous aveugles ou naïfs dans nos choix?

Et si la voie VERS la liberté dépendait de notre pouvoir de perception? 

Plutôt que de considérer les humains comme des automates ou comme des personnes toutes puissantes, Freud a introduit une troisième façon de penser avec ses concepts du «moi», «ça» et «surmoi». Ces agents en interaction, représentant notre conscient, inconscient et subconscient, sont nourris par notre écosystème, nos normes sociales, nos pensées intérieures, nos pulsions et nos désirs. Fondamentalement, nous sommes confrontés à plusieurs sources d'influences, intrinsèques ou extrinsèques, en vivant nos vies.

Pour faire (très) simple, grâce à la psychanalyse, nous pouvons prendre acte de notre pouvoir et de notre responsabilité en rendant nos schémas de pensée inconscients, conscients. Ce faisant, nous pouvons nous libérer de nos croyances limitantes.

Accepter nos déterminants augmenterait-il notre liberté?

Avoir la volonté de reconnaître et de se détacher de nos déterminants, internes et externes, peut nous donner un certain contrôle pour construire notre avenir. Nous pouvons changer notre état d'esprit en ce qui concerne nos circonstances. Nous pouvons nous permettre d'imaginer l'avenir selon nos propres conditions et faire confiance à notre intuition. Oui, cela peut sembler épuisant. Personnellement, je n'y parviens pas toujours. Mais cela vaut le coup d'essayer car, quand cela fonctionne, le monde semble rayonner de lumière et de plaisir!

Pour le philosophe Descartes, on obtient la vraie liberté quand notre volonté et notre intelligence (capacité illimitée vs. capacité limitée) sont harmonieusement alignées. Ce postulat m’interroge. La liberté serait-elle une question d’équilibre? Un équilibre entre le fait d’accepter nos racines comme nos déterminants intérieurs tout en créant librement nos possibilités futures; un équilibre entre nos limites physiques et notre imagination illimitée, un équilibre entre nos attentes et notre confiance en l'inconnu. Un opposé nourrissant l’autre pour créer une fusion libératrice.  

La voie du changement

L'OUTIL

Vous souhaitez être libre de choisir votre chemin de vie? Il peut être judicieux de commencer par comprendre vos moteurs profonds et vos potentiels blocages, puis d’aligner votre action avec vos attentes.

Plus facile à dire qu'à faire. Je sais! Voici une astuce pour vous aider à avancer: le jeu préféré (et revisité) des enfants… le jeu du «Pourquoi» ?! 

• Tout d'abord, considérez votre envie: “J’aimerais X” 

• Ensuite, creusez afin de chercher le besoin profond. Demandez-vous «qu'est-ce que X dit de ce qui est important pour moi? J’ai besoin de Y. Ok Qu’est ce que dit Y de ce qui est important pour moi? et ainsi de suite jusqu'à ce que rien de plus ne sorte. 

• Finalement, repartez de la source jusqu’au désir initial pour évaluer comment un tel besoin peut influencer votre comportement dans le futur.

L'ÉTUDE DE CAS 

Prenons l'exemple d'une entrepreneure sociale désireuse de recruter des femmes au sein du conseil d'administration de son entité et confrontée à la résistance des fondateurs de l’entreprise. La conversation avec un coach pourrait ressembler à ceci: 

• Qu'est-ce que ce souhait de positionner des femmes au niveau du conseil d'administration dit de ce qui est important pour vous? 

• Eh bien, c'est évident: l'égalité. Et d’ailleurs, je suis en colère parce que clairement ce n'est pas reconnu et… 

• Ok concentrons-nous un peu sur cette notion si vous voulez bien. Qu'est-ce que l'égalité vous donne qui est encore plus important? 

• Eh bien, la reconnaissance du pouvoir de la diversité. 

• Et qu'est-ce que cette reconnaissance vous apporte qui est encore plus précieux? 

• Hum…l’acceptation de tous les êtres humains quels qu'ils soient. Rien n'est plus important que ça, vous ne croyez pas? 

• En étant pleinement accepté, qu’est ce qui change pour vous? 

• Je me reconnais et n'ai plus besoin de la reconnaissance externe. J'accueille ma différence et celle des autres comme un cadeau et comme un atout. 

• Et comment ce changement de perception vous aide-t-il dans votre projet de lobbying pour obtenir plus de femmes au sein du conseil d'administration? 

• Eh bien, les femmes ne devraient pas être représentées parce qu'elles sont des femmes. Nous avons simplement besoin de trouver différents acteurs qui enrichiront le débat et la décision au niveau du conseil. Donc des femmes, oui, mais pas n'importe qui et pas seulement les femmes. En fait, j'ai besoin de trouver les talents et les expériences qui nous manquent. Si les fondateurs comprennent la valeur d’avoir des personnes différentes dans notre start-up, nous ne devrions plus nous battre. 

Le MANTRA

«Mieux vaut une erreur corrigée que pas d'erreur du tout» 

Il vient du livre de Charles Pépin «Ceci n'est pas un manuel de philosophie» qui simplifie admirablement les concepts philosophiques sans endommager leur profondeur et leur signification. 

À VOUS DE JOUER!

Quelle décision et expérimentation voulez-vous faire aujourd'hui? 

***

Voulez-vous devenir le. la leader que vous souhaitez pour le monde que vous attendez ? Est-il temps de trouver et d’affirmer votre leadership ? Souhaitez - vous intégrer les enjeux d’impact positif et de raison d’être au coeur de votre organisation ? L’enjeu est -il d’accélérer l'engagement de votre écosystème pour créer un changement systémique ?

Si vous répondez par l’affirmative et si vous voulez être accompagné.e sur votre chemin, contactez-moi ! Voici un lien pour réserver un entretien d'exploration et le formulaire pour élaborer davantage votre ambition et vos défis.

Are you free to choose you life’s path?

FINDING MEANING 

Have you ever felt stuck in your life’s pattern? As I reflect on my life, I realize my path has been filled with intense and exciting experiences. Still, I have caught myself dreaming of living on a Greek island, working remotely on matters of my choosing and at my own pace. Have you had similar wishes?

As a westerner, I have been raised with the mantra “when you want, you can”. Let’s think about the thousands of decisions we make every day. We are the only ones to decide whether to jump out of bed or snooze the alarm for a bit, take a shower or a bath, become a vegetarian, a flexitarian, or a meat eater. Every day, we are the final decision-makers. While attractive, I find the individual’s free will theory too simplistic and oppressive for some individuals. 

What range of power do individuals have when making their choices?

Being free implies the absence of external constraints so that you can do or say whatever you want. For example, I decided to avoid eating meat and drastically reduced my consumption of fish. Why? Because I wanted to focus on what was in my control when it came to the fight against climate change. Besides, I wanted to honor my values of responsibility and citizenship. 

Yet, some people may say I was actually influenced by my friends, readings, or work in making such a choice. I cannot help but wonder: What if our actions were influenced by our ecosystem and our thoughts rather than influenced by facts? For example, despite the scientific evidence, some individuals believe that humans are not responsible for climate change. 

Can external causes influence our decision-making ability?

Many authors have demonstrated that events are actually determined by previously existing causes. Sociologist Durkheim explained that our ideas, thoughts, habits, and actions are actually strongly influenced by the socio-economic context in which we live. I wouldn’t be who I am - some people would say a “bobo” enjoying an international career - without my family’s social backgrounds, values, and network, among other factors. 

I am sure my roots have had a strong influence on my current life’s conditions. Yet, is everything pre-designed for us? Are we blind or naive when making choices?

What if our freedom depended on our power of perception? 

Rather than considering Humans as automatons or omnipotent, Freud introduced a third-way of thinking with his concepts of the “ego”, “id”, and “superego”. These interacting agents, representing our conscious, unconscious, and subconscious brains, are nourished by our ecosystem, social norms, inner thoughts, impulses, and desires. Basically, we face several sources of influences, either intrinsic or extrinsic, when living our lives. 

Through psychoanalysis, we understand our power and responsibility, is to turn our unconscious patterns of thinking into conscious patterns. By doing so, we can free ourselves from our limiting beliefs.

Would accepting our inner and outer determinants increase our freedom?

Having the willpower to acknowledge and detach ourselves from our determinants can give us control to build our future. We can change our mindset in regards to our circumstances. We can allow ourselves to imagine the future on our own terms. Yes, this may seem exhausting. I personally don’t always succeed in doing so. But it's worth trying!

For the philosopher Descartes, real freedom is obtained when our will and our intellect (unlimited vs. limited capacities) are harmoniously aligned. It makes me wonder: What if freedom was a question of balance? The balance between accepting our roots as our inner determinants while freely creating our future possibilities, the balance between our physical limitations and our unlimited imagination, the balance between our expectations and our trust in the unknown. 

ACTUALIZING YOUR CHANGE

The tool

Do you want to gain back freedom in choosing your life path? Start by understanding your deep drivers and blockages. Then align your action with your expectations.

Easier said than done. I KNOW! Here are a few tricks to help you move the needle: the twisted four-year-old favorite Game of “Why”! 

• First, consider your wish: "I would like X".

• Then keep digging for the root cause. Ask yourself “what does X tells me that is important?” You may find out you need Y. Repeat the question; “what does Y tells me that is important for me?” and so on until nothing more comes out.

  Finally, go backward and assess how such a core driver affects your behavior. 

The illustration

Let’s take the example of a social entrepreneur willing to get women at the board level and facing resistance from the founders. The conversation with a coach could go something like this: 

• The Coach: What does that wish for women at the board level says about you that is so important? 

• The Changemaker: Well, it’s obvious: equality. And I am mad because clearly this is not recognized and … 

• The Coach: Ok, let’s focus on that notion for a bit if you will. What does equality give you that is even more important? 

• The Changemaker: Well, the recognition of the power of diversity 

• The Coach: Oh, and what does this recognition brings you that is even more precious? 

• The Changemaker: Hum… acceptance of all human beings. Nothing is more important than this, don’t think? 

• The Coach: What’s the value of being accepted fully and completely? 

• The Changemaker: I recognize myself and don’t need external recognition anymore. I welcome my difference and one of the others as a gift and as an asset. 

• The Coach: And how does that change of perception help you with your project to lobby for more women at the board level? 

• The Changemaker: Well, Women should not be represented because they are women. We simply need to find different players that will enrich the debate and decision at the board level. So women yes but not anyone and not only women. I need to find the talents and experiences we are missing for. If the founders understand the value of such diverse people for our start-up, we should not fight anymore. 

The Mantra

”Better an error-corrected than no error at all” 

It comes from Charles Pepin’s book “Ceci n’est pas un manuel de philosophie” which beautifully simplifies philosophical concepts without damaging their depth and meaning. 

Over to you:

What life experimentation do you want to start today? 

***

What was useful to you in this article? Hit the reply or comment button and let me know! Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me using this form (English / French)

Three ways to avoid feeling powerless

I was recently remembering with a friend how discouraged we were (and sometimes still are) when reading about human pollution, natural and sanitary catastrophes, social inequalities, or similar problems. Thinking of our world’s future can be quite depressing, so that sometimes we may lose hope and wonder about the meaning of our actions.

Sounds familiar? The good news is, you can be a changemaker, feel empowered and still be authentically optimistic. One success factor lies in our mindset and our perception of reality.

1. Acknowledge the reality

What resists, persists. Yes, this is hard to acknowledge how dysfunctional humans are. But acknowledging this fact does not mean validating this human and societal condition. When you only keep saying “it should not be this way” without taking constructive action, it’s a bit as if you were facing a house on fire and waiting for it to disappear without doing anything to change the situation. Chances are that if you quickly acknowledge the danger and call the fireman, the situation will be resolved rapidly.

Overcome your mirage. In “Loving what is”, Byron Katie applies “The Work” in allowing a person to accept their reality while answering those questions:

- Is it true?

- Can you absolutely know that it is true?

- How do you react when you believe this thought?

- Who would you be without this thought?

Finally, she asks the person to turn the thought around. Let’s take an example: The original thought of “I have no positive impact on the society” would become “my thoughts have no positive impact since they demotivate me to shift my way of living and working to bring a positive impact” or “ I have a positive impact if …”.  In realizing this, you move from being a victim to being responsible for your interpretation of events and your reaction to them. 

This approach may be criticized for its simplicity, especially in front of some complex issues. Yet, it may also help someone become conscious of their limiting thoughts and find “a way to change the projector - the mind - rather than the [thing] projected.”

2. Accept THE duality: YOUR limits and potential

Being part of the problem and the solution at the same time is acceptable. As the Eastern culture teaches us through the ying and the yang theory, forces that may seem opposite are actually deeply interconnected. 

Just by buying food, we generate certain sources of pollution. Yet, we can also mitigate our impact on the planet by aiming for zero waste.

Act consciously in your own way. Yes, we are more or less all responsible for climate change. Yes, it is linked to a larger system of production and consumption. No, this is not a reason to wait for others to act first. If one simple individual cannot solve all the complex challenges of the world in one go, acting as a “Colibris” (Pierre Rabhi) may help you to realign with your values, make a positive impact and - who knows - create a collective shift towards a caring and responsible society.

3. Refine your strategy to maximize your impact

First, make sure you are clear on what’s really important for you and what’s relevant to your professional and personal activities. The issues of the world are endless. It is easy to feel overwhelmed just thinking about them.

To be useful, focus on your ambition and be pragmatic. You may want to distinguish between what you empathize WITH, and what you want to act upon. Then, decide how to proceed in real life while being aligned with your values and hopes for the world.

get inspired: a Case Study

Here is a story inspired by a real-life story. Our character's name is Sandra. She is a smart and committed woman who believes in the public sector’s leadership and the power of collective action. The problem is, she faces drastic budget restrictions and a seeming lack of motivation from her colleagues. She has thoughts like: “I am isolated, I am torn between my values and my day to day reality. It is hopeless. I can’t do anything. I can’t even succeed in making a simple positive change in my own institution."

• To the question “is that true?” the answer is a direct and immediate “yes!”

• To the question, “Can you absolutely know that it is true? What’s the evidence of it?” A long silence occurs. Then, “Well, I don’t know. At least, I am trying. I have launched different projects at work. I keep educating myself and I have reduced my waste at home.”

• When asked about the opportunities for hope, she recalls the weak signals given by one or two colleagues. She has found potential allies!

• When it comes to possibilities for action, the trio of women mingle, brainstorm alternative ideas, and come up with the idea of creating an urban farm. It’s a way to partner with local actors, grow eco-friendly products, and engage the staff.

They keep lobbying towards polite yet silent top management leaders. Still, the trio keeps planting some seeds. Eventually, some employees start sharing their wish for more commitment from upper management for their concerns, but they are afraid of potential consequences to their employment. From three persons, they become thirty. They organize collective debates outside working hours and collectively keep reinforcing their aims whenever possible.

One day, they receive a letter from the head of the institution announcing an innovation contest for “sustainable initiatives." They discovered the daughter of the director was their best ally. She had overheard him complaining to his wife about his inability to address his employees' requests. For three weeks his daughter kept asking him what he was doing to contribute to her future. One night, he remembered why he had joined the public sector, and it was to give power to the citizens. A day after, he wrote a letter about the contest!

activate your power

The best tools are often introspective questions that will trigger the most relevant and practical answers for you. Here are some that you may try to answer. Seat in a calm space, focus on yourself, take a deep breath (or two or three), and give it a try, even for one second per question. Listen to the immediate thoughts that come to you. You will be amazed by the strength of your mind.

What “fire(s)” do I want to put out?

If you struggle to answer such a direct question, you may want to break it down into manageable segments: What are the subjects that interest or affect you the most? Why so? What’s the real issue at stake? How does this relate to your daily life? The more clarity you have, the easier it will be.

What am I aiming for in focusing on such an issue?

Here you want to dream big. Answer questions like: What do I wish for instead? What would be the ideal scenario? What benefits would that generate and for whom?

How can I move forward?

This is the time for realistic planning. If you have no immediate answers, perhaps practical actions will be revealed if you ask yourself the following questions: "What is the first step I can take? Whom can I rely on? What resources will I activate? When do I commit to doing so?"

Over to you: Click on the button below to share your thoughts and comments with me!

““Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.””

— Les Brown

WHAT IF Responsibility MEANT Impact AND freedom ?

In our daily lives, being responsible is often seen as a burden or a price to pay for a mistake. “You are responsible for this mess.’’ “It is our responsibility to take care of the planet.” “This is not my responsibility but yours.”. Who has not felt stressed, angered, or even powerless when hearing similar statements?

Is having to be responsible so troublesome? Is there an alternative to either suffering from or ignoring our sense of responsibility? 

FINDING MEANING 

“where does our responsibility start and end”? 

Originally, the notion of responsibility was positive. In Latin, “respondere” means “answer to, promise in return”. Basically, having the capacity to hold oneself accountable. What shall we be accountable for?

• Shall we still be held responsible if the requests we face are unrealistic? When your boss asks you something impossible considering the resources at your disposal, should you try to turn the impossibility into a possibility?

• Is it a person’s responsibility to take care of others’ irresponsibilities? For example, should Greta, a 15-year-old child, be responsible for fighting the climate change crisis created by previous generations?

The growing awareness of our human responsibility, for climate change and epidemics like the Covid19 pandemic, illustrates a shift in the people’s perception of their sense of responsibility. Whereas pre-industrial societies thought that natural catastrophes were caused by forces external to humans, modern society holds a different understanding.

If it is important to face reality, putting the job of changing human behaviors on the shoulders of individuals’ may be too overwhelming. Rather than being empowered, our reptilian brain tends to activate our “fight-or-flight” mode in front of such a monumental task. Could we see our responsibilities as a trigger for our expressing our humanity and sense of creativity?

FreeDOM to Determine our responsibility

We are neither omnipotent nor powerless. If we can't change the many circumstances of our world, we can change our perception of it, by tapping into our superpower called consciousness.

If we are conscious about what we think of a situation, we have the power to decide what we want to do about it. In doing so, we regain the ownership of our responsibility.

As Victor Hugo said, “everything that increases freedom also increases responsibility”. Yes, it is scarier to be accountable for our choices. But isn't it also exciting to see we have the power to act upon our environment and control its effect on our lives?

What impact do you want to HAVE? 

When facing a situation, thinking about the reality you want to shape (rather than the effects or causes of that situation) may help you shift your mindset around the notion of responsibility. 

Let’s escape from your rational brain for a second. Let’s imagine you’re diving in the Indian Ocean. You are enjoying being immersed in another dimension and being surrounded with nature. You’re peaceful… until you see a plastic bag on a coral reef. 

Here, you have a few options:

• You may think: “What a shame! Nature is getting destroyed! People are irresponsible!" You most likely feel pretty angry, ashamed or depressed.

  • You may decide to do nothing because, you have nowhere to put this bag, and there are so many other tragedies in the sea that it’s useless to take this singular action.

  • Alternatively, you may become enraged, pick it up and spend the rest of your dive being infuriated with human society. 

• Another way to think could be: “This is unfortunate and terrible for nature. We need to change the way we produce and consume on the land. In the meantime, since I saw it, I can pick it up even though it’s not convenient. It will at least be one less threat to fish.” Proud of your sense of responsibility, you enjoy the rest of your diving experience. 

Some will say this reframing of the situation is positive psychology’s brainwash. Others will think that we will not save the planet by focusing on an individual’s small actions. Someone else may simply wonder what is the “right” attitude to have in this situation. 

Honestly, this question is too complex for a simple singular answer. It’s up to you to decide what you want to think and do in relation to a given circumstance. Your impact depends on YOUR CHOICE. 

actualizing your change

A SIMPLE TOOL 

When facing either an obstacle, a fear or a rejection, what about taking a step back and asking yourself:

• What are the facts?

• What thoughts are generating a negative emotion within me?

• What do I want to be like instead?

• How may I act the way I want to feel? 

Here is an example: 

• Facts: a business leader is explaining “sustainability is, at best, a cherry on the cake that shall be tackled only once the rest is taken care of and if time and resources allow”

• Thoughts & emotions: “This is so wrong. With this kind of thought, our world will end pretty soon. I can’t work with people like that. I am feeling hopeless, exasperated & drained”

• Ideal me: responding with empathy, trying to understand the real needs of the person and the smart ways to demonstrate sustainability’s added values 

• Aligned action (amongst many others): “do you feel overwhelmed and pressured with all business development & cost savings targets you are facing”? If yes, “what about discussing your challenges and seeing if we come up with some sustainable solutions?” 

A MANTRA TO ACCOMPANY YOU 

““If you own this story you get to write the ending.” ”

— Brene Brown

Now, back to YOU! How do you want to be responsible for your story today?

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Feel free to share how such an article resonates with you, I’d love to know. Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me in using this form (English / French)

Can I be useful to others and self-loving at the same time?

AN ENLIGHTENING STORY

(adapted from a real-life story)

Lana is a high achiever and corporate change-maker. Her most important driver in life is to be useful: useful to others, useful to projects, useful to good causes. Until recently, her identity was crafted around her capacity to always be there when someone needed advice, an ear to talk to, “a helping hand” when needed for a project. She was thrilled to be the go-to supporter who lightened up the lives of others. 

As a superwoman, she kept organizing herself and multi-tasking to anticipate the needs of her close ones, colleagues, and even strangers. Yes, it was tiring, sometimes even alienating. Being everyone’s savior often implied forgetting her own needs and desires. But she did not see any other choices for herself. In her own words “this [was] the normal life of a dedicated, working woman.”

Together, we decrypted - without judgment - what “being useful” meant to Lana. We looked for the underlying beliefs that were nurturing such a consuming need for usefulness. As it turned out, the notion of utility was linked to her need for acceptance. To avoid rejection, she believed she had to be the perfect daughter, student, colleague, boss, friend, mentor, mother, and lover. Being perfect meant satisfying others.

In reality, she was turning herself into a “pleasing tool”, and it felt as if she could never fully please herself nor satisfy others. This was a vicious circle. One day, she realized she was giving to others out of a feeling of guilt and misery rather than love and selflessness. While advocating for the importance of self-love to others, she was the first one to reject any help or opportunities to take a well-deserved rest. She was lying to herself and others, and this had to stop. 

If Lana was consciously eager to change, a part of her was resisting. Was she “allowed” to start prioritizing herself? Was she willing to take the risk of losing her sense of identity? Who would she become? She was terrified. It was as if she was on the bank of a river, desperately aiming to reach the other appealing side, but being afraid to cross what seemed to be a torrent of rushing water.

To tackle her recurring objections, we used a coaching tool called the “core outcome exercise”. Lana understood those mixed feelings were different parts of herself screaming to be heard. We listened, respectfully, to each positive message behind her feelings. She recalled her most important values in life: human accomplishment, freedom, and pleasure. To her, everyone who is fully aligned with themselves is able to develop their full potential to answer to the world’s needs. She used to think that her accomplishment depended on how useful she would be to persons who crossed her path. But in striving to please others, she lost sight of her own freedom and pleasure and lost herself and her ability to make her greatest impact. Instead of expressing her values, she was demonstrating an ineffective counter-model.  

With that realization in mind, she revised her past, inner belief and created a more liberating thought. She created a morning routine and a decision-making tool that helped her to respect her own needs and to find the courage to choose whom and what to support. She turned her method of engagement upside down and started to lead by example. She demonstrated that being useful to others depended first on self-love. 

THE TOOLS

Does this story sound familiar?

Do you want to be useful even though you still have some difficulties deciding when to give, whom to give to and when to receive? In wiling to be useful to others, are you afraid of being perceived as a fraud if you don't always put your beneficiaries' needs ahead of your own?

If so, you are not alone and you CAN find a balance!. Imagine you are a sponge. If you want to help clean surfaces, keep releasing the water you hold inside. Otherwise, you won’t be able to absorb any more water. 

***

To help you to make a change, here are a few tips: 

When starting your day (or while reading this article), ask yourself:

• “How do I want to show up today?” You may say “peaceful, excited, or even confident”. 

• “In that regard, what are the 3 actions - 1 for myself, 1 for my private life, and 1 for my work - I want to take today?” If external requests start accumulating during the day, delegate and postpone tasks as needed to meet your priorities. 

During the day:

• Pay attention to your body’s signals. If you have a headache, cravings, or body tension, chances are you are controlling and resisting an inner need. 

• Go to a calm place (this can be the bathroom or even closing your eyes) and ask yourself: “what am I needing right now?” You may not be able to answer that need right away. Still, acknowledging your need, and planning some time to answer it, will help avoid an escalation of tension. 

• If someone insists and plays the emotional blackmail strategy, saying simply: “I hear you. Today is complicated. I’ll get back to you!” may do the trick. Put the request on a note to assess which strategy is best to deal with it, in the next few days (not today!)

***

And YOU, what is your level of balance between self-care and caring for others?

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What was useful to you in this article? Hit the reply or comment button and let me know! Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me using this form (English / French)

A Real-life lesson: From struggle to impact

FROM feeling useless 

Three years ago, I was exhausted. Every day I would hurry from one person to another, trying to tackle one person’s expectation after another. I was desperately trying to make a positive impact on the company, the society, and the environment and did not always see the relationship between my day to day efforts and my mission. I was feeling overwhelmed and useless. 

I was willing to make an impact without really knowing how to do so. Our planet and society’s challenges are so monumental and complex. I thought I lacked the competences and legitimacy to turn my ideas into effective actions. I was like a little mouse in an infinite tunnel with too much agitation and danger.

This state was progressively damaging my self-confidence and other parts of my life. Everything was falling apart and I knew that if I did not change, I’d lose it all.

via INNER TRANSFORMATION 

So I started to take a step back and redirected my focus. I took time to strengthen my connections with the people I valued and made cultural and intellectual discoveries. I created a routine to nourish my mind, body and spirit.

I (finally) accepted that the search for perfection is an illusion. Change Management & Sustainability are such large, intrinsic, urgent, complex, evolutive and crucial topics these days that it is easy to lose oneself while trying to make useful contributions, easy to feel like an imposter.

On a personal level, I decided that if I can’t win the battle of plastic packaging in Japan, I could mitigate my impact in using my own bottle and grocery bag, creating my own toothpaste and laundry, using a bioplastic toothbrush and so on. 

At work, I strengthened the connection between my purpose and my actions. I explored what had been my personal and professional journey, how those experiences shaped me and revealed why I was acting the way I was. I formalized what my dreams and hopes were, and my values and talents to realize them. I am now confident that - if stretching ourselves is essential to grow - we can leverage our unique strengths, experiences and passions rather than being obsessed with our weaknesses. This is why I started to believe in my creativity, my vision and my leadership to achieve what I am aiming for. 

TOWARDS IMPACT 

Now, I am happily leading a multicultural team of changemakers. Together we act as catalysts for change. We tend to disrupt the business in a way that benefits both society and the planet.

We have made efforts to fully own our company’s purpose and to clarify our department’s mission in that regard. Most importantly, as we assessed our department's mission, we evaluated how well that aligned with our individual purposes, and how that alignment would help us to use our inner talents to maximize our contribution. The recipe for success? Build a collective strategy that makes all those elements work together in an interconnected and meaningful way.

Spoiler alert. I am not saying that our vision is set in stone, our impact is a given and our days are smooth. We know that achieving this ambition is an endless process that requires commitment and the collective effort of each stakeholder. What’s different now is that we have full clarity on what we are aiming for, how we want to work and engage people to make our common purpose a reality.

One way to act as a catalyst for change was to organize creative business workshops. One way to act as a catalyst for change is to organize creative business workshops. Every year we gather people from all across Asia and diverse backgrounds around one operational project. We take time to learn from business units’ approaches to sustainable development, as well as new corporate tools and insights. Most importantly, we spend time discovering the day to day life of operators and we help them overcome their specific challenges via collective brainstorming. All during the year, our sustainability team then follows up with the site to implement the plans that were drawn from such wide, innovative and deep exchanges. In doing so, we have supported some sites in expanding a wetland, building an educational center or even reframing their carbon footprint analysis.

TIME TO SAVE YOUR ENERGY 

Being aligned with our higher purpose helps effectuate a positive impact and inspire other people to act according to their own approaches and capabilities.

That is why I have made it my mission to support wannabe changemakers - working in organizations just like me - to aim for a meaningful impact. Doing so, they feel aligned with who they are and useful to the society and/or the environment they live in. I empower them in taking advantage of my experience, strategy planning tools, deep inner work, coaching and visualization techniques.

• If you are curious and interested in this kind of support, feel free to reach out! 

• If you find all this information compelling but you are not yet clear on what concrete steps to take, sign up for the newsletter to receive new articles that will hopefully refine your ideas!

Meanwhile, in case you are wondering:

• Your PURPOSE is the reason for which you wake up every day. The driver and magical inner power that makes you want to achieve things in life. In assessing your deep purpose, you answer questions such as WHO, WHY and FOR WHOM.

• The IMPACT is the force of impression of one thing on another. An impactful action has a significant or major effect - either positive or negative - on an audience or on a project. It answers the WHAT, HOW and WHEN of a plan. 

• AIMING for an impact that is meaningful to you is the key to happy success.

To finish, let me ask you: 

• Before reading this, Why do you wake up in the morning? 

• And now, why do you want to wake up in the morning ;)?

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Feel free to share how such an article resonates with you, I’d love to know. Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me in using this form (English / French)

One Thing Every (Wannabe) ChangeMaker Must Understand

Everyone seems eager to “lead change” these days. I keep hearing people say: “ I want to be a changemaker”, “I transform the way our company does business”, “I am a social entrepreneur”, “I support others to go through inner transformation” and so on. 

Yet, when we do experience change - like the mind-altering Covid 19 crisis - it often scares people off. Besides, our ego put aside, the fact remains that change does not wait for us to initiate it. Heraclitus warned: “The only thing that is constant is change”.

So, what’s about “changemaker” label that makes it so sexy? Who’s a “changemaker”? Can we even become one? How, so? All these answers lie within ONE simple truth. 

FINDING MEANING 

What does “changemaker” mean? 

Funny enough, when I looked at the Merriam-Webster dictionary, I found a single definition: “a device that mechanically supplies change in coins of desired denominations upon the operation of the proper levers or keys”. I guess this is not what you had in mind. 

Yet, it gives us some clues. It implies a process of transformation, a shift from one original state to a desired one thanks to the action of an external subject and the use of resources. One may then wonder if every person’s thought or action - whether writing, speaking, cooking or working - makes him or her a changemaker. After all, everything done by an individual is, by itself, a unique way of creating a reality.

Is “changemaker” just another way to speak about any human being? 

Well…. Yes and no.“Changemaker” is a term coined by Ashoka organization as “ anyone who is taking creative action to solve a social problem”:

• The label “changemaker” could apply to someone like Esther Duflo (Economic Nobel Prize) recognized for her approach to alleviating global poverty; or members of inclusive digital schools like Simplon; or students who participated in the global green strikes; or corporate sustainability workers who walk the talk of the Global Compact; or disadvantaged people who are developing their own innovative solutions and so many others.

• No barriers of any kind - neither geographical, social, economic, political, gender nor age-based - can hinder someone from being a changemaker.

Yet, not everyone is a changemaker. So, how does one acquire this status? Aiming at solving a worldwide issue (either social, environmental, or economical) for the common good is a first “selection criteria”. Turning ideas into action - despite the many hurdles along the way - is another. The capacity to be disruptive in striving for a future goal is a third attribute.

I could continue on and on with many other characteristics, categories and learning methods. Is that what really matters? 

look into YOURSELF to activate your power 

Everyone has the possibility to be a changemaker. Thanks to Aristotle, we may understand that those that become changemakers are simply turning this option (a “potentiality”) into a reality (an “actuality”). Everyone has the inner power to use his/her story, strengths, emotions and intelligence to build and/or amplify smarts sustainable solutions for the world. What really matters is the answer to “what changemaker do I want to be?”.

Confused? Let’s break it down. 

• It’s a Sunday afternoon. A 30 year-old corporate women looks through the window: spring is coming, the sun is shining, it’s a new start. She has worked hard to figure out she desired to move from auditing to human resources. She will leverage diversity for individuals’ creativity and well-being to boost the company’s global impact. She is a changemaker in “power” (“potentiality”). 

• Months go by. It’s September. She is leading an internal survey to understand how to disrupt the system and make diversity a reality within her organization. She is, now and in real life, a changemaker (“actuality”). 

Bottom line: YOU CAN and YOU DESERVE to actualize your inner power to contribute to society and the environment in your own way. 

actualizing your change

a simple Tool 

You may then wonder where to start or even how to reconnect to this inner power. Here is a simple approach that may help you to get the ball rolling. 

First, let me ask you: are you fully satisfied with your mission and impact at work? 

• If yes, great! I invite you to think about what is working so well and what can be done to boost your impact and excitement.

• If you’re like “well… I like (e.g my job or company or colleagues …) but I am (eg. less motivated, confused on the value of my contribution…), you may want to ask yourself if the frustration and/or the desire for a better situation is strong enough to overcome your fears (yes we all have many) and make a change.

• If it’s a clear “I am lost and it’s time for me to change.”Celebrate your honesty and courage as it is a KEY step!

Now: don’t worry - dare greatly. Becoming the changemaker you want to be (even if you don’t really know what it means) is possible... It’s a great and endless journey that evolves and gets refined over time. It simply takes patience, faith, personal efforts, and care. 

How to start? Take a few minutes, think back over the past 1 to 2 months and ask yourself: 

• What activities did I love doing? Why? 

• When did I feel useful or proud? Why? 

• What did I hate or dislike doing? Why? 

• Looking at all that, what do you learn? 

Tips: I recommend you to write and your notes for later. If it can motivate you, send me your answers. I would love to read them!

The Mantra

““The only thing you are sure you won’t succeed in is in the one you don’t try” - Paul-Émile Victor, French ethnologist ”

Feel free to share how such an article resonates with you, I’d love to know. Besides, if you want support to find (or refine) your purpose and boost your impact on society and on the planet through professional activities, feel free to contact me in using this form (English / French)