Driver Energizer- From Distracting to Dominating

Part 1 of this blog series called The Patterns of FEBI digs into the Driver. In this five-part series, we explore each pattern measured by the FEBI. The FEBI is a validated psychometric assessment and coaching tool that measures four fundamental patterns of personality and the various contexts in which they are expressed; cognition, physical movement, emotions, environment, etc. Enjoy!

Have you ever had a day like this?

9:00am – Start work

9:15am – I’m off to a good start, better check that email

9:30am – Still checking email

9:35am – I’m sick of email, but I’m one click way from Facebook

9:55am – Still have time to get work done before 10am, get off of Facebook

10:00am – Back on track working on that project!

10:01am – Ding! Is that my phone I hear? My best friend texts me their latest crisis.

Noon – After more emails, phone calls and games of Angry Birds, I realize how behind my work is today. Looks like I’m taking another “working lunch”

Many of us know this type of day, some more than others. And who can blame us? Our phones are practically mini-computers. We get constant ding and ping noises occurring all around us, triggering us to check our email, text or social media accounts. Oh yes, accountS with a capital “S”, whether it is Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Google+, LinkedIn or that yet-to-be-created site. And if you work at home, which is an ever growing way to work these days, you also have the doorbell, those dirty dishes, and the dog to pull you away from your work. Distracters like these can not only be an annoyance, they can do real damage to our ability to get anything done at all! Not only does it take us away from our work, it takes us away from the good quality work we do when we are in the zone. Every time we come back from a distraction, it takes us time to get back to that zone and, over the course of a day, all that time adds up.

With distracters all around us that can derail our day, how do we get back on track? This looks like a job for the Driver! The Driver is one of four energy patterns of personality measured by the FEBI. The Driver is a pattern that gets things done, is laser focused, challenges others, and loves to win. It is a pattern that embraces competition, pushes through barriers, and sets stretch goals. In other words, the Driver is a warrior, fighting against the destructive force of distractions and making sure we get the job done! Although it is certainly true that, like any personality characteristic, people vary in the degree the Driver shows up in them, the good news is that with a little practice, we can all bring up the power of the Driver to keep us on task and get stuff done! Here is your first lesson:

To engage the laser focus of the Driver while sitting at your desk, start by planting your feet on the ground. Really feel into the ground beneath you, especially through the balls of your feet, sitting on the edge of the seat as if you were ready to jump up at any moment. As you do this, put your hands together and with your two index fingers, and point to a spot in front of you, siting down your fingers to the spot with intense focus. Continue to press down with the balls of your feet. Now, pay attention to how this feels, having uninterrupted focus on this single point. Physically, you may notice your brow furrows and your hands naturally push against each other. Emotionally, you may feel strong, powerful and focused. Take this same intense focus with you as you go back to your agenda. Ask yourself, “What’s next?” Then, with your newly energized Driver to focus, EXECUTE!

For more ways to engage the Driver in you, download this Driver Pattern Energizer from the bestselling book Move to Greatness. Next in our Patterns of FEBI blog series we will explore how the Organizer energy pattern can bring our great ideas to reality. Stay tuned.

Are you a coach and would like to bring FEBI to your clients? Join us on April 18th at 11am EST for a free webinar on the FEBI and how to become a FEBI-Certified Coach. 

-Anthony Attan