The 6Ps for Profound & Positive Living
I developed a framework that involves starting my day with an early morning ritual around being purposeful and clear around my principles, priorities, and the people that I needed to work, interact, and communicate with. I find that when I do this, I tend to be more focused and intentional throughout the day.
Over the last several years, I have shared this tool with clients and friends, and have received great feedback. Many have expressed that they have found the tool to be useful in helping them stay clear, focused, and disciplined in their daily lives. I hope it helps you as well.
I recommend making this an early morning ritual and reviewing them daily.
The 6 P’S FOR PROFOUND AND POSITIVE LIVING Worksheet
P1-Purpose: How can I ensure that this day is filled with significance, meaning, and passion? My coaching and teaching purpose: remember that my primary purpose as a coach, educator, and facilitator is to connect with others in trust, appreciation, and understanding and to leverage that connection to support their efforts to be effective, productive, engaged, and successful in all facets of their lives.
P2-Principles for Living: How can I stay centered on a few powerful and poignant principles? (I use the acronym CHICK to remember my five principles below.)
Compassion and Empathy: Everyone’s life has struggle and heartache; how can I fully appreciate what others are experiencing and provide a place of refuge and support for them in the midst of whatever challenges and difficulties they may be going through
Humility: In my time with others, what matters most is serving and supporting them; what do they need? What do they aspire to? What are their obstacles and barriers? What are their talents and strength?
Integrity: This is about seeing our work lives as integrated with all the other elements of our lives and integration of what we live, with what we espouse. How can I help others gain greater insight into their own integrity and how they might see opportunities to strengthen that?
Courage: Sometimes the best I can do for someone is to facilitate dialogue that may be uncomfortable and that requires me to be courageous in creating some tension and discord.
Kindness: Every human being regardless of ethnicity, geographic origins, and social economic conditions will encounter sorrow, pain, and disappointment at one point in their lives. One of the ways I can serve others is to extend to them as much kindness as possible. It is easy to render, and one never knows the positive and uplifting impact it may have on them.
P3-Priorities for this day: Given my purpose and principles, what are the very most important things I must accomplish to maximize this day and move me closer to my goals?
P4-People: Who in my life do I need to touch, affirm, support, challenge, and connect with beyond the meetings I have currently scheduled for this day?
P5-Perspective: Life presents challenges to us all and yet it is far too easy to let the small and insignificant things dampen our joy and happiness. Perspective is a powerful tool to reflect that our life’s difficulties are relatively small in comparison to those who are suffering immensely from harsh realities such as civil war, famine, starvation, violence, and brutality. Often, our woes and difficulties, when compared with these, are insignificant and can warrant an appreciation for the lives we do have.
P6-Presence: All we really have is this present moment. The past cannot be undone or relived, and the future is yet before us. How can we be fully present to each and every present moment and make that moment as meaningful as possible? Presence is a powerful tool for us to remember to be ever present to the now of this moment. And research has shown us that several tools can enhance and support our efforts to be present:
Gratitude: Taking a moment each day to reflect on the blessings in our lives and to be grateful for these blessings can be a powerful enabler of our joy and happiness.
Movement: Our bodies were designed for movement and research has shown that as we age, maintaining a balance of aerobic and strength workouts can slow down the natural decay of not just our bodies, but also our minds.
Mindfulness: Research only increases regarding the positive impacts on our mental, emotional, and even physical well-being of a daily meditation practice where we are disciplining our minds to slow down, focus, and even be quiet and still.
Prayer: Regardless of our religious affiliation or disposition, prayer is a means to intentionally connect with the divine in whatever form we experience it and to connect and ground ourselves with that divine force. Sometimes asking for divine intervention for our family, friends, community, and ourselves can bring us greater peace and allows for us to be more open to the present moment.