On this week’s Friday Partner Call, Xperience CEO Chris Suarez walked through a well-known coaching model, The Control Circle. We all have things in our lives that we can control and things that we cannot control. It is important to know the difference and critical in both our personal and professional lives that we take time to consider what those things are. The control circle is an easy way to bring those ideas into focus. It is a good tool to be used with a mentor or a coach but it is also a tool that you can put into practice on your own.Draw a circle.Inside the circle make a list of things that are 100 percent in your control.Outside the circle make a list of things that you cannot control.The ONLY things that you control 100 percent:

• Thoughts– You can control your thoughts. Sometimes your first thought may just pop into your psyche but thoughts are just seeds that can be nurtured to grow.

• Actions– You cannot control the results but you can control your actions. Think about whether your actions are in line with your vision and your mission.

• Attitude– Attitude is the bridge between your thoughts and your behaviors. You truly do have the power to control your attitude.

• Effort– You 100 percent control your effort. Every day regarding everything that you do during that day it is up to you to bring 100 percent of your energy.

If you have anything other than these four things inside your circle, scratch them out. Focus on these things. Sometimes we think we can control what people think about us or at least their perception of us. We cannot. We cannot control other people’s decisions or the weather or numerous other things. But those are not the things we should focus on. Put your circle where you can see it. Create the space you need to focus on your control circle. Focus on what you can control and what you cannot control will become meaningless. Making space or focusing on the things you can control will help them become part of your psyche.