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I remember my first week at a very large, well known organization and my first observation was the lingo.  It was corporate speak on steroids and very specific to the organization.  Over the years, large, branded companies create their own language.  It fascinated me, not picking on them, much of the jargon was effective in making a point in a way that fostered continued communication and strong camaraderie.  In truth, I still quote some of the phrases.

The frequently repeated phrase that stood out was, Ah Ha Moment.  Oprah Winfrey coined this phrase back in the early 2000’s.  Now, I’m an Oprah fan and had known the term Ah Ha Moment but to watch middle aged white men who I suspect had never made it through a whole episode of her show use the word on a regular basis was very curious.  Was it real insight they were talking about or did they have a buzz word?  Were they encouraging employee insight or advocating their insight from the top down?  Fast forward nearly 10 -years later and Ah Ha Moment is even more buzzworthy.  I sometimes fear we have watered this idea of personal insight down trying to be trendy.

I was sitting in a continued education class this week for coaching and the instructor was speaking about the formula for our clients to experience REAL change.  It always comes down to the client’s own specific and BOLD insight.  Their Ah Ha Moments.  With so many of us looking to continually make lasting and life improving changes, making sure we are available to our insights is critical.

Here’s a list for Turning Insight into REAL Change:

  1. Make Yourself Available to Specific Insight. Simply decide you want to function at a level of excellence and know that new insights are the path for improvement.  And then … pay attention.  Find space in your schedule, meditate often, and slow down to the speed of life.
  2. Be Intentional About Content Collection. You know what they say, garbage in … garbage out. Read, watch, and digest content that fosters positive insights.  Unless you work in politics, the morning cable news can be awfully unhelpful to your day.  It typically won’t show you something new about changing a bad habit or offer you a thought around new technology.  Being intentional about how we learn and choosing to actively gain insight from sources we admire makes a difference.
  3. Trust that Specific Insights are Available and Showing Up Right on Time. How often do you get a new insight ‘out of thin air’ and you think, “If only I had figured this out earlier?”  While frustrating, it’s also proof that our Ah Ha Moments always show up in perfect time.
  4. Godspeed from Here. Now that you know to be on the lookout for your specific insight, there is no stopping it.  You will repeatedly receive insight into the areas you want to change.  It will keep showing up until that perfectly specific Ah Ha Moment inspires you into the REAL change you desire.  Just enjoy the insights as they come and keep moving forward.

Do you have an Ah Ha Moment that offered you REAL change?  As always, thank you for reading.  We learn best from each other. Please consider sharing in the comments, maybe you will be offering another reader a specific insight.