I got Oprah-ed!

I had the opportunity to enjoy Oprah Winfrey and her Trailblazers “Life You Want” tour. I’m living the “Life I Want”, but a check-in always provides a directional boost. The weekend opened with an Oprah welcome, including her humorous yet moving story and motivational tidbits. During her grand entrance, the LED lights in our neon wristbands glowed. Throughout the event they emitted different colors, depending on the speaker and the topic. Oprah invited us to work through exercises in our notebooks between speakers, similar to exercises I utilize with my coaching clients. They included creating a vision of the life we want around spirituality, health and fitness, family and friends, environment, hobbies, contribution to the world, significant other, career and money. Of course, the money section of Oprah’s vision had a billion happy faces!

My girlfriend and I came away from the weekend energized and motivated. I asked her what she was going to do with the information. She paused to think, not sure how to proceed with the overwhelming mix of ideas and exercises. She committed to working on her wheel of life and vision for her future.

Would she be able to maintain the glow, like the lighted wristband, without the event to spark her energy every day? How can we tap into that energy over and over again after attending a training, viewing an inspiring Ted Talk, reading a book that makes us feel like “Wow, I could do that”, or immersing ourselves in an Oprah weekend?

Here are seven ideas –

1. Start right away. Decide what the first step is that you will take with this new information. Make a commitment by telling a friend or writing it down. Promise yourself you will do it and imagine how your life will be if you make this change. Attach some emotion to it. Connecting a feeling to the new habit will assure greater success.

2. Create a visual of how you would like things to be after you make the ideas part of your routine. It can be a drawing, a collection of pictures posted on your wall, a computerized vision board or simply a picture in your mind. Make a habit of thinking about your vision every day. Be open to ideas and people that come to help you along the way.

3. Make a list of all the things you don’t want to happen in reference to your goals. Then next to each of those write the exact opposite – what you do want to happen. Think about the obstacles in your way that prevent you from taking action. Focus on removing the obstacles and only look at what you do want to happen every day – not the don’t wants. Concentrate on moving forward by focusing on the positive.

4. Make a game or a competition for yourself or by competing with a friend to incorporate the new ideas into your life if this type of activity inspires you to action.

5. Place the notebook you received in your training in a convenient place, where you will see it every day and be reminded of your new insights. Don’t let it get covered up with clutter. The visual reminder will keep you processing the new thoughts.

6. Share the information with another person. Teach them some of the highlights of what you took away from the event. Teaching another person is one of the best ways to deeply ingrain the information in your mind and ensure use.

7. Hire a coach to work with you to implement an action plan for your visions and work with you to remove any obstacles in your way, like fear, doubt or negative self-talk.

My wristband is sitting on the counter in my kitchen. I discovered that when it was tapped it would light up again. Now, every time I pass it sitting there unlit and lifeless, I tap it on the counter and it lights up with a beautiful colored glow. Some days when I need an extra boost I wear the band all day. I am renewed and energized and on track to the Life I Want. Are you? Don’t let the taps grow fewer and farther apart. Stay sizzling, not fizzling.

Margaret Johnson—author, speaker, trainer, corporate/executive coach—takes clients from SOS to WOW.