Is Coach Training Right for You? Read our New Guide for Potential Coaches!

Does it Motivate You? (The Voice, Part 4)

We have been talking about the negative and mean voice that you have inside your head. The one that says, “You are not ___.” “You cannot ____.” “You have to do more or you will lose your job.” “You have to lose weight or people won’t like you.”

I believe all behavior has a purpose behind it.

When I ask people, “What do you think this negative voice does for you?” often they say, “It motivates me.”

And then I ask, “How does it feel when you listen to this voice?”

They always say, “Terrible.”

And so I will ask you, as I ask them, “What happens when you feel terrible like this?” “How does it feel in your body?” “Does it make you want to do more or less? Stretch or take a nap? Excel or do the bare minimum?”

Because yes it makes sense that this voice is there to motivate us. I think maybe we grow up that way. But the fact is, it does not motivate us. Check for yourself.

So what is the purpose of the voice? We talked about this last week. The purpose of the sabotaging voice is to keep you safe. This might be necessary if you were living in prehistoric times in a cave with saber toothed tigers outside your door. But you are not. And there is little that you actually need to be kept safe from. And those things that you do actually need to be kept safe from you can see, you will know and you will avoid it.

So there you go. Same homework – learn to recognize it. Choose not to focus on it.

______________

Coming to Sacramento July 25, 2017:

Discover the Secrets of Effective Communication

Ever feel like other people are “speaking Greek”?

Do other people misunderstand YOU?

What would change if you learned to communicate effectively with different kinds of people? How would that affect your ability to manage well? Bring in new Clients? Communicate better in your family?

Join Cami McLaren in this upcoming seminar that will teach you how!

  • Learn the 4 basic communication styles: Driver, Analytical, Amiable & Expressive
  • Learn and use your own style and how to determine the styles of others
  • Learn the best & most effective ways to communicate with all different styles
  • Learn the strengths and challenges of each style

$109/person
Take $5.00/person if 2 or more from same company

TESTIMONIAL

My husband and my staff attended Cami’s Styles of Communication training. The workshop was extraordinary for both my professional and my personal communication. Cami’s Styles of Communication workshop was one of the most fun and effective trainings I’ve ever attended.

– Jennifer Duggan, Duggan Law Corporation

REGISTER HERE

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

Picture of Cami McLaren

Cami McLaren

is the owner of McLaren Coaching. She has been coaching professionals and leaders since early 2008. She runs Transformative Coaching Essentials, a coach training program that produces first rate Professional Coaches and "Coach-Style Leaders." She coaches individually and works with organizations to improve communication, time management, productivity and ultimately bring greater results.

Get Our Newsletter
Recent Posts

Coach Highlight – Nicole Radoumis

Nicole Radoumis completed Transformative Coaching Essentials in 2020 and came away with one thing: curiosity. It shifts communication from trying to figure people out to meeting them where they are — with grandkids and business associates alike. Coaching sits alongside IT consulting and building houses....

Read More

The Window and The Mirror

The question that comes up in nearly every organization is how to make other people more accountable. The honest answer frustrates people: you can't. You can only make yourself accountable, and trust that others model what they see. Jim Collins called it the window and...

Read More

Reflective Listening – Dealing with Anger

Anger shows up — at work, at home, in the middle of a coaching call. The instinct is to smooth it over and move on. But people who don't feel heard don't move forward. Here's how reflective listening acknowledges both content and emotion, plus the...

Read More

Coach Highlight – Bodhi Young

Bodhi Young shares how becoming a coach transformed their life, teaching them that authentic presence is the foundation for helping others create meaningful results.

Read More

Share this Post

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email