 Here's a quick note, I've just arrived back in town yesterday, on the plane, while juggling BAR exam books and business plans for 2020, I stopped to think how different my life looks to most people. I chose to live as a purpose driven leader. In my life, I am I am in control.
Sadly, for most leaders, life controls them. They are a victim of circumstance. Sort of like a passenger on a boat that is drifting at sea, moving anywhere the winds and currents choose to take them. Hidden is the fact that tucked away in the back of that boat is a motor that can take you where they want to go. Cranking that motor is what leading with purpose is all about. Are you feeling like your life is drifting? Here's how to change it. The first step is the big picture. Take time to step away from the busy and the distracting. Look at the pig picture of where you want to go. Take time away from the busy day to day. Take time away from the constant busy-ness. Set some time for you and your thoughts. What is your big picture? What is the big picture for your company? Then write it down. Put it on the walls, keep it where you and your entire team can see it every day. Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower
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 Fear, Covid, oh my! Here's how to crush fear and create success regardless of the obstacles you face. Last week I achieved a phenomenal feat. Fear and its first cousin nearly stopped me.
Fear runs deep. Fear is what keeps us alive. Fear of the unknown balances childish curiosity and keeps us safe. The thing is, most of us are no longer children. But the fear still runs deep. But fear left unchecked destroys hopes and dreams. I remember when I had the remote thought to achieve something no one in my family had ever done... higher education. In my family, just finishing high school was a huge accomplishment. Get a a college degree? Now that was completely unheard of. I only had a high school degree when I dared to dream. Immediately fear gripped me. What if I failed? I mean after all, no one in my family has ever done anything so bold. It was more comforting at the time to dream in private and live my average life rather than to start a journey and have every one see me fail. Then I did something. More about this later. The fear of possible failure is bad enough, but the problem compounds when those feelings revolve around fear's first cousin: shame. Losing a video game in private is fine, but leadership decisions are not private and making a decision that causes your entire team to lose brings shame. Shame is the dream killer, because shame (or the possibility of shame) amplifies your fear of fear, keeps you from contributing and short circuits your willingness to explore. It’s one of the underlying drivers that hijack a leader's success. As soon as you give it a name, though, as soon as you call it out, you can begin to move forward. Fear of shame unspoken is fear of shame amplified. Look at the results you are getting in your life. Could it be that the real culprit is fear of shame? Are you sticking to the average road because fear of shame squashes your bold dreams? Having to navigate deep valleys in leadership is normal. This pandemic has certainly caused a panic. There are so many new adjustments every day. You may have experienced several failures since the start, but don't let fear of failure stop you from dreaming and exploring new ideas. The next solution is right around the corner. Be afraid of significant failure if you can quantify the downsides. But call out fear of shame because it is a waste and a trap. What did I do? I started. I failed, I learned, I kept moving forward. And last week I graduated from Law School. The journey took many dips and dives but because I refused to allow the fear of failure to stop me.... it didn't. Don't let it stop you either. Now get up, dust yourself off, and go out and shake up your world. Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  Here's a quick note on the one thing every successful leader must do to successfully navigate a crisis.
No doubt this world pandemic has disrupted your world to some degree. My world has drastically changed. I went from a packed schedule with daily drives, events, and meetings to a completely virtual connection to the outside world. The adjustment has been quite, how should I say,...an adjustment.:) One of the few constants in life is change. Even without a pandemic you will likely have to deal with a season of change at some point. Whether you are trying to support the bottom line, planning to run a marathon, or facing an empty nest you will need to develop this one skill that can help you finish strong. Knowing how to navigate change is a skill you will use many times over the course of your life time. Have you ever noticed how some leaders seem to adjust well regardless of the situation while others do not? You may see the positive results, but likely didn't notice what created that result. It all come down to one thing...think. Successful leaders know how to think in two ways. They know how to think into a current action to make it a better action, and they also know how to think to a future action that leads to results that no one has considered. The right thinking skills can help you land on the right solution at the right time. Here's some things to ponder. 1. What are you thinking? Seek solutions don't pondering problems. Don't get sidetracked with the problem, but instead, train your mind to acknowledge the problem in a way that seeks a solution. 2. How are you thinking? Do you have a thought partner that can help you flesh out ideas? Gather your team for a brainstorming session or find other leaders to help stretch your thinking. 3. When are you thinking? Now is the time to find your solutions. You may be thinking you will wait until you "cross that bridge" but if you do that it will be too late. Now is the time to consider options, even if they can't be currently implemented. Reminder: If you have not watched the 5 part Facebook Live series on Gaining Calm in a Crisis, check out our Facebook page for replays: 1. Gain Clarity from Chaos 2. Live Fear-less 3. Gain Traction instead of Dis-traction 4. Become a Barrier Blaster 5. Your Dream Life Starts Now Wishing everyone a safe quarantine time, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  Hope is a simple word with an impactful meaning. Regardless the situation, a ray of hope goes a long way. Even a small glimmer of hope can empower might to accomplish the unbelievable. Below are three ways to build, restore, and strengthen your hope for an incredible tomorrow.
1. Make a mindset shift: seek ways to add value to others. When you take the focus off of yourself you will see the needs of others more clearly. Leaders who are givers gain far more than financial rewards. 2. Own your power: You have the power to make an impact on the outcome of your future. Focus on what you can do this week, this day, this hour, this moment. 3. Find the possible: The answer is right there, you just haven't found it yet. Seek answers to your biggest obstacles by acknowledging you have limiting beliefs. Refuse to stop until you find an answer. If you have not watched the 5 part Facebook Live series on Gaining Calm in a Crisis, check out our Facebook page for replays: 1. Gain Clarity from Chaos 2. Live Fear-less 3. Gain Traction instead of Dis-traction 4. Become a Barrier Blaster 5. Your Dream Life Starts Now Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  I thought it best today to just celebrate businesses everywhere that have taken this crisis head on and made the critical adjustments to re-set their company to meet the needs of their clients.
Here's a quick inspirational story about a business who is doing well after her re-set. The Baton Rouge Spice company is a small family owned company, here in Louisiana, that sells spices and spice blends to customers and restaurants in the area. Anne, a chef, brought customers in daily by offering in house classes. The stay at home order by Louisiana's governor caused quite a shock to company. How would she sell spices if no one could come to her store? With this new change she anticipated a huge dip in sales that would threaten her business and disrupt the livelihood of her employees. Shaking off the shock, Anne gathered her employees and started brainstorming. After some time, they came up with an idea that has saved her company. She realized there is one thing she knew about, and that was teaching cooking classes. Starting with what she had she started the camera rolling. Things weren't perfect, but the raw and real feel of the classes, with an occasion cat walking across the screen, struck a cord with customers. In addition to Facebook Live cooking shows she also started delivering spices to local customers. Her re-set has been a success! Families who are forced to spend more time at home are tuning in to her shows. Photos of finished dishes proves that people are not just watching, but participating as well. Deliveries are going up and hope has returned to her little business. How are you doing with your re-set? I would love to hear your story. Share on Facebook or send me an email. Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  The most difficult part of a difficult time is the feeling of being helpless. Nature itself is in control of this virus and it is adversely affecting so many parts of our lives and businesses. Trust me I know. My poor husband had planned to retire in June. Now, everyday, as we watch our hard earned savings disappear, we feel a personal impact from this global change.
The good news is there are ways you can whether this storm and come out of it better and stronger than ever. The first thing to remember is that this time too shall pass. Once it passes, things will right themselves and we, as a society, and even a global community, will be far better than we ever have been. Life often hits a re-set. The 911 attacks forced us to re-think the airport security system. This pandemic will force us to re-think how we social distance, how we socialize, and how we can secure our community from the spread of germs. These re-sets are like a re-birth. Birth is messy and painful. It's a major change that will completely change how we operate moving forward. Just like we will never go back to the horse and buggy, you can be sure that this change will be here to stay for a long time to come. Right now we are going through the messy and painful part. But just like birth, it will not last. After it passes your future will be forever changed and, if you react correctly, your life and business will be far better than ever. How you respond right now can help how your future is affected. Today and each day of this global re-set you have two choices: you can react or respond. Reacting is what animals due. They just instinctively react to a stimuli with no thought of the future other than to get out of the pain of the current situation. It's usually quick, tense, and aggressive. A response, on the other hand, is well thought out action based on experience, intuition, and imagination. It's very thoughtful, calm, and non-threatening. A reaction typically provokes more reactions over a long time with nothing accomplished. A response, leads to positive results. You can't control what nature is doing right now. Nature is leading this Global change. We can’t control what is happening but we can control how we react. Here at Decoteau Co we are creating a plan to give you more free access to materials during this crisis. We want you to be prepared to whether this storm and respond in a way that will help you finish strong. Look for free Masterminds and Facebook live events coming early next week. Stay safe everyone and know we are with you through this re-set. I know you will finish strong. Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  Did you know you are the master of your results? Neuro-plasticity tells us that if you don't like your current results--whether in your life or business--you have the power to change it. Here's how to achieve the results you really want.
My first experience with neuro-plasticity came from the story of Christina, a Pennsylvania toddler who was experiencing debilitating seizures. To save her life she underwent a radical surgery that removed half of her brain. More on her amazing story later. Your brain has an incredible capacity to adapt to changes. Within your brain there are pathways that create action. These actions become our results. The simple act of picking up an apple has several neurological steps. First you see the apple that you want to eat. Then these pathways direct the impulses to move along your arm so you can retrieve the apple, much like electricity moves through a wire. The result is that you grab the apple and move it to your mouth. Impulses are also created for feelings that we produce with certain stimuli. For instance, we feel happy when we remember a particular moment in time. The moment in time you recall in your memory is the stimuli and it is this stimuli that causes the neuro-pathways to activate to bring about the result of feeling happiness. What neuro-plasticity tells us is that these channels can be changed.
This month and this week take one area of your life. Some mental obstacle that is holding you back from achieving the results you really desire. Be specific. Don't say I want to lose weight. Say I want to overcome the 2'o'clock urge to eat Oreos. I want to organize my day better, Wake up 30 min earlier. Establish business connections with ____. Tap into the infinite potential of your thoughts and discover new solutions to the old challenges. Your brain has the capacity, you have the capacity. What happened to the girl? Post surgery there were a lot of neuro-pathways to be rerouted if she were to lead a normal life. But with the help of therapists she is now a very normal looking girl who walks, and talks, plays, and dreams. She obtained both her bachelor's, as well as, her master's degree in only five years. You can read more about her story here.
Write your brain to feel better, live better, communicate more effectively, and lead forward smarter, faster and happier. Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  In the wee hours of Thursday morning I was awaken by searing pain in my right eye. After drops and much weeping I decided to try sleeping it off. When I awoke to brush up the Thursday leadership blog, the pain began anew. The inability to see out of my right eye and the searing pain had me quite distracted. After an emergency visit to the eye doctor I was told that I had somehow managed to tear the front part of my eye. Likely because my lid and eye dried together in the night.
Who knew? Thankfully there are modern remedies that can fix bizarre issues like this and I am now in mending mode. All that to say that my leadership tip (one day late) has been changed due to my experience. The real reason that my blog is late is not because of the bizarre emergency, but because I failed to put in place a back up plan for emergencies. You and I are not responsible for the emergencies that hit us out of the blue--but we are responsible to prepare for them. I made the rookie mistake of looking at the rosy side of life and falsely believing that my company and my life will continue to move in a positive direction. The reality is that life happens to all of us. Life isn't about a pretty march up to the golden gates of success. It is, instead, a winding road with hills and valleys along the way. As you seek success for your life and company, make sure you ask yourself some questions. Below are a few to get you started.
These are just a few ideas. Now it's your turn. I do have back up leadership tips that are ready to go for busy days, but I never set in place a contingency plan if I am taken out of the picture. A rookie mistake I won't make again. Live awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower  Ok, the secret is out. I'm a chronic procrastinator. If it weren't for following the tips below, I would accomplish very little in my life. In most areas of my life, except putting up the Christmas tree:), I live by these rules. It is the reason I have been able to accomplish a phenomenal amount of activities that specifically move me toward my goals every single day. It starts with a clear vision of what your really want. Imagine yourself achieving whatever it is that you most urgently want to achieve. Where are you? What do you look like? What do you feel like? What do the people around you look like? What are you doing? Research points to vision exercises like this one leading to greater rates of success: for instance, a basketball player is more likely to hit a greater percentage of his or her shots after envisioning shots being made. No matter who you are, a basketball pro, a C-Suite professional, team leader, or business owner, take a moment to get clarity on what it is you really want. After you gain clarity, set specific goals for yourself and focus on the path toward those goals. Rather than splitting up your attention, you want to zone in on a few choice goals and then direct all your energy and ability at reaching those specific goals that will move you closer to what you really want. Looking at any project this way, you will achieve your results more easily and at a higher frequency, because you are less likely to be distracted and thrown off your course. Your potential is limitless, but if you are not precise as you strategize – especially when you are starting work on something new – you are self sabotaging your own success. Ok, starting to visualize how wonderful the extra space in my living room will be right now... What about you? Visualize your own success and join us for Live2Lead. Click below to get your tickets today! Success does not happen in a day. It happens by taking small daily steps in the direction of your goal.  Here are 3 ways to be a top 8 percent achiever in 2020. According to a study conducted by the University of Scranton, just 8 percent of people achieve their New Year's goals, while around 80 percent fail to keep their New Year's resolutions, says US clinical psychologist Joseph Luciani. No doubt the last 6 months have been incredibly intense for me, but also it also brought me incredible success. People who understand the work it takes to create a successful business and to be a successful law school student just stare wide eyed when they discover what I was able to achieve in the last 6 months. I passed a mind blowing 25 hours of law school/MBA classes and remain in the top 3% of school. If that wasn't incredible enough, I also facilitated a record number of live events for my leadership business, launched I MATTER to bring leadership to youth, and even took time to give back to the business community. Living a life that is greater than average and ordinary is not for the faint of heart for sure. But it is intensely gratifying to look back and know you are achieving your dreams. How did your 2019 go? Are you moving closer or farther away from the things you want to accomplish? How can one person achieve phenomenal success? Any one of the accomplishments, named above, in the last 6 months takes a full-time schedule of time and energy. Besides the obvious of surrounding yourself with an amazing team, there are things you must do personally to create the results you desire. The key to success is proper planning. Below are the three key strategies that I feel help me achieve this phenomenal success in my life and business. If you follow them, I know you will achieve phenomenal success in your own life, as well as, your team or business. For more information and more on how to crush your 2020 goals download the free Now to Wow Guide to Extraordinary Success. (Be sure your pop-up blocker is off)
Success does not happen in a day. It happens by taking small daily steps in the direction of your goal. Live Awesomely, Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe) Success Strategist, Awesome Activator Encourage . Equip . Empower |
AuthorRenowned Speaker and Business Coach Angela Decoteau. 
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