What is a zone of personal brilliance? And why is it important?

You may have heard me talk about your ‘zone of personal brilliance’ over the last couple of years, so what exactly is a zone of personal brilliance and why is it important in coaching and in life?

I first coined the term through some reflective practice after working with clients who wanted to step up in their leadership or wanted to show up as the person they knew they could be but felt stuck or that it was out of reach.

These clients wanted something better, but what did they want to move toward? Personal best? Peak performance? Finding fulfilment? A new version of themselves? 

And what was missing? Lack of motivation? Lack of drive? Lack of purpose? Lack of joy?

Through conversations and reflection I discovered there were common threads with the clients I was working with at the time.

They all wanted to step out and shine - they wanted to Live - to live life to the full - they wanted to feel alive and present and engaged and excited. They wanted to believe in themselves and embrace the possibilities that came before them. 

And so for me, it was about creating a space, a zone, a ‘defined entity’, that these people can step into, in order to become the person they knew they could be.

A zone of human potential.

A zone of personal leadership.

A zone of personal brilliance.

You will have noticed people who have already live in the zone. They have already made the step, created their space, carved out their area of comfort. You will recognise them. They walk with confidence, talk with ease, and carry an air of purpose and ‘being-ness’ about them. 

These people are not self righteous or entitled. They simply recognise their own self worth and value and believe wholly in their cause. They have a seat at the table and wouldn’t settle for less.

And neither ought you!

However so so many of people do not fit this picture, do not believe in themselves, have low self esteem, low self worth, lack in confidence, energy and joy.

There are many factors that affect this poor quality state of being; external environments, toxic work or family members, negative belief systems set from childhood, cultural assumptions, gender based values. There are many imposed rules and regulations set throughout our lives. The list is long.

Our job, our responsibility to ourselves, our inner work, our personal development is to hold these up for what they are and ask if they are true to us. Are those impositions a reflection of our own values? Is this a reflection of me? Is this how I want to experience the world around me? Have I even recognised that this is having an impact on how I show up?

It all starts with awareness!

So what is a zone of personal brilliance?

A Zone of Personal Brilliance is a space where you, me, the client, everyone, can build a picture of who they want to be, how they want to show up and what purpose they want to serve in this short and wonderful life. The journey to the Zone of Personal Brilliance takes on board the inner and outer environments - the people, the spaces, the assumptions, the beliefs, the habits, the patterns - and teases apart the tightly knitted fabric of identity that we carry to the present. It acknowledges where we are.  It removes the toxic assumptions and bad habits and thinking that holds us back. It celebrates the strengths and wins. It looks to the future and allows a delightful breathing space, a safe space, a creative space to honour and hold a version of you that you will be proud to look back on in years to come. 

It’s a space we create through the coaching journey, and although it’s always different, it’s always a delight to witness. If it’s something that you’d like to access in your world just get in touch.