We read books, take classes, participate in seminars, and keep up with the latest info on social media to gain knowledge and increase our understanding of a topic. But that’s the easy part – it’s putting all this knowledge into practice that challenges many people.

Since practice makes perfect, I’m going to share three easy ways to put all your knowledge into practice – and gain the real-life experience that counts.

Fake It…Till You Make It

How many times have you heard that phrase? HBR author Herminia Ibarra says that this effective process often breaks down as people gain experience. When we become more assured of our abilities, it feels fake, almost like we’re a “fraud” of some sort, to mimic others.

But we run the risk of sticking with what’s natural for us, never stepping outside of our comfort zone. “And that’s precisely what gets us in trouble as we hit career transitions that call for new and different ways of leading,” explains Ibarra.

New college grads just stepping into the workforce often emulate bosses or other colleagues they look up to, until they eventually find themselves growing into the role. No matter where you are in life, you can “fake it till you make it” – using your knowledge to guide you as you gain real-world experience.

Incorporate Your Knowledge

Share your knowledge by spreading the word to others – family, friends, or colleagues. This accomplishes two things: you get to share your understanding with others, possibility introducing them to a new concept or topic. And, by talking about it, you build confidence about what you’ve learned and allow it to become more ingrained in your mind.

Take action by incorporating your knowledge into your life. Implement a concept you’ve learned into your daily life. Put something new into practice at work. Make a new routine at home. Don’t be afraid to ask others for motivation to help you.

Develop Your Confidence

Ibarra tells the story of Clara, an HR specialist who was promoted to Director of Operations. This meant she would now be managing people who were once her superiors. And, she was asked to oversee functions, like finance, in which she had no proficiency.

Of course, Clara understood what was involved in being a good manager. But she said managing areas without actually understanding the intricacies of the work made her feel like a “fraud”.

Clara began to emulate people she saw as effective leaders; for instance, when she met with the finance manager, she greeted her cordially in a similar fashion she’d observed her own boss do in the past. She started trying out a blunt, direct way of speaking she’d noticed other directors using.

Even though “playing the role” was exhausting, sometimes embarrassing and even depressing, Clara kept on. Then something interesting happened: after about a year, she says, she realized she had grown into the role: “As I began to gain confidence in my own ability to do this job, I also began to fall into a leadership voice that felt more like my own and less like an imitation of my former bosses.”

Knowledge is power, and gaining more understanding about any topic is an excellent way to build your skillset. But if you don’t put this knowledge into practice, you’ll never gain the real-world experience you need to soar to new heights. Make it a point today to take action with your knowledge. After all, practice makes perfect.

Has a lack of confidence kept you from putting your knowledge into action? Don’t miss my FREE confidence e-series! Sign up here, or reach out to me via email anytime.

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In a previous post, I talked about why living your values is one of the five practices of authentic leaders. In reality, living your values is a practice that virtually everyone can benefit from – whether you’re an entrepreneur just starting out, a college student about to enter the workforce, or a seasoned professional ready to take your game to the next level.

Drifting Off Course…

Think back to the beginning of the year. You probably heard a lot of people talking about New Year’s resolutions – goals to advance in a career path, lose weight, improve a skill or learn a new one, buy or sell a home, deepen spirituality – and the list goes on. Maybe you, too, had an outline of goals you wanted to achieve this year.

As author Rebecca Knight affirms in a recent HBR article, it’s one thing to state a goal – and something entirely different to actually accomplish it.

Why do so many people drift off course? And, what can you do to increase the chances of achieving your goals to meet your desired outcome?

How Your Values Guide You

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, professor of Business Psychology at University College London, explains that we often “set goals that go against our nature”. What this means is that everyone has character traits and habits that have been ingrained over the course of a lifetime. Very often, major life goals involve breaking those ingrained patterns.

Many people fail to achieve a desired outcome because it’s very hard to break those ingrained patterns. When the goals you set aren’t in alignment with your values, it’s like you’re being pulled in two opposite directions.

Yet, many people fail to recognize the critical role their values play not only in establishing clear goals, but in achieving those aims.

When we’re not aligned with our values, we often make fear-based decisions. We allow “what-if” thinking to creep in and react not from a place of poise and confidence, but one of hesitation, doubt and/or fear.

Staying Aligned with Your Values

Before you establish your next goal, examine your values first. Here are helpful tips:

• Identify your most important values. Write or type them to make them real and tangible for you. Your values might focus on: service to others, family, community, leading with authenticity, honesty, lifelong learning, compassion, hard work, etc.
• Keep your list handy, so that you can refer back to it when you’re faced with a challenge, when you need to establish a new goal, or are asked to make a decision.
• Put a support team in place made up of spouses/partners, family members, mentors, trusted friends and even colleagues. Even the most outwardly confident, successful leader needs a trusted network to help her stay on course.

Keep in mind that your values will change during your lifetime, so you’ll find yourself reevaluating your values from time to time. In fact, many people don’t know what their true values are until they’re tested under pressure. When your success, your career, or even your life hangs in the balance, you will learn what is most important to you.

In the words of Roy E. Disney, “When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier.”

Has a lack of confidence kept you from staying true to your values? Don’t miss my FREE confidence e-series! Sign up here, or reach out to me via email anytime.

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When some people hear the term “leader”, prominent politicians or C-level execs come to mind. Yet, leaders are everywhere among us – in the boardroom and in politics, on the home front and in schools – and in small businesses around the globe.

There’s no doubt that being a leader is high-stress work, whether you’re the head of a sole proprietorship or managing an entire team. Below I’ve named five leadership qualities that strongly benefit entrepreneurs, no matter what field you’re in or how far along you are in your entrepreneurial journey.

1. Vision. As a leader, it isn’t enough simply to have a vision – you must achieve clarity with your vision to be able to articulate it well to others. Be willing and able to reevaluate your vision as needed to ensure that it’s still in alignment with your values and goals.

As an entrepreneur, you’ll likely be asked to communicate your vision to others just like any other leader, so think of the process as painting a picture with words, as Entrepreneur.com suggests. Get personal with it – bring some passion into your vision – voice it, write it, draw it, feel it.

2. Authenticity. Whether you’re just embarking on your entrepreneurial voyage or a seasoned professional, authenticity has everything to do with becoming a leader who stands out from the crowd. More than 1000 studies over a 50-year time-frame have not produced a single profile of the ideal leader. Why? Because such a profile does not exist.

Leadership emerges from people’s life stories and from their ability to develop self-awareness about their experiences. If you want to become more authentic, you must commit to discovering who you are. The benefits are profound: heightened efficiency, effectiveness and motivation, a greater balance in life, more empowered team members, and noticeably superior results over a sustained period of time.

3. Balance. Integrating our lives is one of the greatest challenges that all leaders face. To lead a balanced life, we need to bring together all of its essential elements—work, family, community, and friends—so that we can be the same person in each environment.

Remain ever-aware of the significance of staying grounded. Make time for family and friends, exercise regularly, engage in community service, and of course, set aside time just for you. All are essential to being an effective leader.

Achieving balance isn’t just an excellent way to enhance our leadership abilities – flexible workplaces are good for businesses and the economy.

4. Communication. This vital quality seems like a no-brainer, but it’s so important it deserves a mention on any list of strong leadership traits. Whether you communicate with someone in person or via another method like phone, email, or Skype, give that person the gift of your presence.

Be proactive. Listen to the other person. Give – and be willing to openly receive – feedback. Send a greeting card to acknowledge a holiday or birthday, organize an after-hours meetup, or simply ask someone how they’re doing to show that you care. After all, as any smart business professional knows, good relationships drive careers.

5. Perseverance. When the going gets tough, the tough keep going. One of the hallmarks of any great leader is the ability to persevere in the face of adversity. Entrepreneurs in particular are all too familiar with hard times, and that’s why perseverance makes the list.

When met with an obstacle, an experienced leader remains committed to her mission. No matter what comes your way – criticism, unanticipated barriers, or other challenges – rise above – even if a solution isn’t immediately available.

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“Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”

–Napoleon Hill

We all put off what we don’t want to do. It’s human nature.

Technically, the dictionary defines procrastination as “the habit of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention.”

And when we put things off, things we know we have to do, it increases our stress level…until we have put off so much, we don’t know where to even begin.

By doing so, we dig a hole so deep for ourselves, it’s hard to see a way out.

It’s The Unpleasant Feeling We Avoid

In a Harvard Business Review article, author Peter Bregman wrote about his fascination while watching surfers. He watched as time and again, each of the surfers swam out into the ocean, got on a wave and ended the same way as before: by falling.

Bregman contrasted the surfers to how we might handle our everyday lives. “What if we all lived life like a surfer on the wave?” he asked. “The answer that kept coming to me was that we would take more risks.”

“Many people procrastinate because they fear the drudgery of the difficulty of the task they are avoiding,” said Teresa Amabile, coauthor of The Progress Principle and Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. “Putting it off doesn’t make it go away. Getting it done does.”

“Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.”

–Christopher Parker

So just do it. You’ll feel better inside…and finally see accomplishment on the outside.

Practice Your Way Through Procrastination

Bregman writes that we put off what we don’t want to do because we simply don’t want to feel bad.

“Taking risks, and falling, is not something to avoid. It’s something to cultivate,” writes Bregman.

So take something on your to-do list. Tell yourself: I can do this. I can learn from it.

Psychiatrist Ned Hallowell, author of 12 books, offers up tips to help you. Is it something you don’t like to do…or something you just don’t know how to do? Once you answer that, give yourself a timetable to accomplish your task.

Bregman learned from the surfers. They all kept going back into the water, knowing the end result would be falling…which is exactly how we can overcome procrastination…with practice. “…Which you get by taking risks, feeling whatever you end up feeling, recognizing that it didn’t kill you, and then getting on the board and paddling back into the surf,” he writes.

The key is to keep it at. Overcome that ‘dread’ feeling about whatever it is you’re putting off by just doing.

You might fail. So what?

You’re not the first person. Learn from it.

“The essence of procrastination lies in not doing what you think you should be doing, a mental contortion that surely accounts for the great psychic toll the habit takes on people. This is the perplexing thing about procrastination: although it seems to involve avoiding unpleasant tasks, indulging in it generally doesn’t make people happy.”

– James Surowiecki

See the End Result…and Feel It

Let’s face it: we avoid what we don’t like. But with that knowledge, we can face what we’ve been putting off by envisioning the task done.

Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking, the founder of True Focus Coaching, is no stranger to procrastination. In a recent interview, she explained that it’s integral to first understand your priorities: work and personal.

The next time you get asked to do something, or a new opportunity shows up in your life, take a moment, take a deep breath, and ask yourself if this matches up with how you want to be spending your time. If it doesn’t, you might want to say “no” to it.

And if there’s something on your to-do list that you want to get done, visualize the end result and ask yourself what it would feel like if that task were complete.

Been putting off cleaning and sorting your closet? Think how it would feel to have it orderly. Take a box and start tossing in items you don’t need. You’ll find yourself energized and motivated to see the task through to completion. Plus, you’ll soon be enjoying that feeling of accomplishment.

Have you been putting off exercising? Start by telling yourself, “I can do 5 minutes on the treadmill.” Watch how those 5 minutes quickly turn into a longer session – because you have started – and you’ve stopped procrastinating.

You’re on your way now!

“Much of the stress that people feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started.”

– David Allen

If you’re looking for innovative ways to overcome procrastination in your life, I have exciting news… On March 31 to April 3, my brand-new online training event, Ladies’ Leadership Secrets, will be featuring over 20 powerful, successful women (including Dr. Reiff-Hekking!) who are sharing all the tools you’ll ever need to live and lead with power and grace.

Claim your FREE spot by clicking here.

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Let’s be honest. Life can overwhelm us sometimes.

When you’ve had a tough 8+ hours at the office – only to come home and discover an unsettled family situation, you ask yourself: Can work and home life ever be balanced?

Then the second guessing starts: Am I too “devoted” to the office?

Guilt is next on the list: Am I not spending enough time with my family?

You’re not alone.

Juggling work and home is a challenge that affects working women and men worldwide.

It’s All Up to You

From 1986 to 1996, work-life balance was mentioned 32 times in the media.

In 2007, it was mentioned 1,674 times.

Obviously, it’s a big issue for working families everywhere.

A Time article by Eric Barker put one basic fact up front: “Thinking that if you spend enough time you will ‘get everything done’ is an illusion. You will never be ‘done’.”

How often do we think that we can do it all? We need to be real and acknowledge that no one can do it all. No one is perfect.

But what we can do is learn to delegate. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. Lean on those strengths.

At the office, delegate the work to the best person for the job. At home, follow the same policy. Delegate the laundry – it’s not such a big deal. Delegate some of the food prep. Work together and see accomplishments. Avoid fighting – which accomplishes nothing and actually wastes time. Like the old adage says, many hands do indeed make light work!

It May Not Be “Perfect”… But its Meaningful

In an HBR article, the authors drew on five years’ worth of interviews with nearly 4,000 executives from all over the world. Their research revealed that complete balance between work and home is an illusion. But by aligning with our values, making careful choices, and being diligent, we can achieve a sense of equilibrium.

We must decide what we want our lives to look like. A good starting point is to examine your definition of what you want your home life to be like.

Many women feel pressured by cultural and societal expectations. They feel emotional guilt for not spending enough time with their children and families.

Yet, some have found innovative ways to overcome this guilt. The Harvard research team found that some executives will choose one particular aspect of their children’s life – like soccer games – and never miss one. They prioritize the events just as they would a business meeting.

Work Zone Vs. Comfort Zone

“Life is a balance of holding on, letting go, and knowing when to do which of the two.”

-Anmol Andore

Carve out an area of your home that you’ll use just for work, adding whatever that you’ll need to make it a workspace, like your computer, books and other references, and just about anything else you’d use for working. Keep this space separate – this is your work zone.

Only work in your designated “zone” – this will help prevent you from allowing work to spill over into other areas of your “home” life. Also carve out some “me space” in your home – a whole room or just a little spot – that’s just for you. Fill it with the things you love. Even if you’re a minimalist, you can add fresh floral cuttings to offer brightness and add dimension.

Use your “comfort zone” as a sanctuary where you can go to escape, relax, and return refreshed and ready to tackle the next challenge.

Try a Little Tenderness Today

And when you need a productivity boost, try tenderness. Yes, tenderness.

Think about a time when you were fatigued and stressed. When you took a time out to exercise, nap, or just take a half-day off, I but you got a lot more done when you returned to work, right?

What about the way you talk to yourself when you’ve made a mistake? Do you tell yourself you’re the worst person/manager/parent/spouse in the world – or do you give yourself credit for trying and being human?

I’ve found that tenderness has helped me to soften my perception of myself, and in doing so, to make fewer mistakes and even improve my performance more quickly than I’m sure I would have if I would have continued to beat myself up over something.

The next time you’re ready to dig into yourself with harsh words, try repeating a gentle phrase instead, like “That’s ok…I’m human…everyone makes mistakes sometimes.” Do your best to integrate tenderness into your everyday life as well – practice good self-care, try yoga or mediation, get a massage – and give yourself permission to just “be.”

If you’re looking for creative ways to establish balance in your life, I have exciting news! On March 31 to April 3, my brand-new online training event, Ladies’ Leadership Secrets, will be featuring over 20 powerful, successful women who are sharing all the tools you’ll ever need to balance your life, follow your calling, and rock your world in ways you never thought possible!

Claim your FREE spot by clicking here.

Images courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net