Personal empowerment is the sense that you are in the driver's seat of your life. It supports you in making positive choices, and in taking action that will bring you closer to achieving your goals and ambitions.
Personal empowerment means giving yourself permission to succeed. Most likely, you'll need the input, support and guidance of others to achieve your aspirations.
Being empowered is connected to having healthy self-esteem and self-confidence, but true empowerment comes when you take inspired action.
To become more self-empowered, use this four-step process:
1. Who are you? Explore your motivations, perspectives and your strengths and weaknesses.
Self-awareness: the more you know and understand yourself, the better prepared you are to be clear on the steps that will result in your success and fulfillment.
What are your strengths? Weaknesses?
What motivates you?
What are your views on success, change, power, failure?
What fears do you have related to your goal?
What or who controls your destiny?
When you are clear on your own strengths and weaknesses, you can build on your strengths and learn how to deal with your limitations. This builds your sense of empowerment.
Uncovering any fears and limiting beliefs around success, change, power and failure are important to address as you proceed on your path.
Understanding that you are the master of your own destiny can enable you to take responsibility for your own empowerment, and to adopt a mindset that fosters learning and growth.
2. What do you want? Identify the aspects of your life that are the most important to you, and where you can create meaningful change.
Pinpoint the areas of your life where you feel unhappy, or where you feel a loss of power in. What do you desire in those areas? How do you want to feel in your life? About yourself?
Focus on the areas that mean the most to you, and which correspond with your personal values. With your health, for example, you might want to reduce your medication, increase your physical fitness, or feel lighter and more energetic in your body.
Create realistic SMART goals along with an action plan that is achievable. Then track your progress and wins as you proceed which will build your sense of empowerment.
3. In what areas do you need to grow? Develop the skills or qualities that will support your success.
To feel empowered, be proactive by asking for support in gathering the resources you need to build your skills.
Revisit your SMART goals and think about the skills or knowledge that you need. These could be personal qualities, such as tact or initiative; relational skills such as communication and conflict resolution; technical skills, like learning a new app; or a combination of all three.
To avoid becoming overwhelmed, start small, and work your way up to bigger steps.
4. What is your best next step? Identify and take your first step!
Review and reflect on your progress and adjust your approach if necessary. Seek feedback from your health coach and support system to ensure that you stay on track.
If your actions have moved you closer toward your goals, you have already succeeded in empowering yourself, and hopefully you will feel more energized too.
If that's not the case, you may have to re-work your plan – and that's normal. Results rarely happen overnight.
Having persistence and resilience are empowering in themselves, and gradually, as you learn from experience and refine your approach, your sense of personal power will grow.
© inHealth Medical Services, Inc. 2020