Episode 20 is a fantastic interview with executive coach Terry McDougall. Terry is also the author and a great book called ‘Winning the Game of Work’ available on Amazon.

In our chat today we cover a lot of ground and some great tips on this subject. We start with an assessment of what mojo is and how to spot when your own might be an issue. Many of us, especially currently, could be forgiven for getting tired, de-energised or disengaged.  This is normal given the pressures we’re all under. When this becomes a consistent feeling though, it’s more likely to be ‘telling you something’.  The key is to manage those symptoms rather than persistently ignore them.

What does that mean?

Many of us are logical individuals favouring the task at hand and spending lengthy amounts of time analysing situations or problem solving. So, when our emotions start telling us something and we are too busy, there is a tendency to ignore them. That’s in favour of tackling the issue later. Whilst that’s still possible it might not be doing you any favours. Instead, you’ll find your tiredness can grow and lead to further symptoms. That’s when you might disengage and feel permanently drained. Whilst this might be indicative of burn out there is still a lot you can do.

What else?

Many Executives are used to setting goals in business, but perhaps less used to working out what they want in life and setting goals to achieve that too. Instead, they are driven, competitive and want success, but in the pursuit of that might miss what makes them happy! It may not feel as if there is a road map for that so it can sometimes be valuable to step back and review where you are. “Is this where you want to be, and are you enjoying it?”. These are worthwhile questions, and they tackle the bigger issue. That would be whether you’re doing what you truly want to do. Recognising if you are or not, can help with the stress and as I’ve mentioned in previous episodes, stress reduces once you’ve decided to take action.

Another tip?

Make sure you are doing this for you. We all like approval from others so it’s easy to get locked in to the path we’re on or the route we expected to take in life. We might need to realise we can still be successful but may be better if we pursue it by a different route.