Politicians who want to get elected understand the need to create a platform describing what they stand for. A platform focuses their campaign, enhances understanding, garners support and amplifies the effectiveness of their work by helping their constituents understand what is really important to them. We could benefit by exploring this concept in our own lives.

It is important first to identify your core values as the critical pieces that act as drivers, influencers and supports for our lives. With values as our foundation – holding us up – what then do we stand for? What is our WHY? Simon Sinek’s brilliant TED talk examines how we must start with our WHY, our reason, our cause, our beliefs, in order to live an inspired life or inspire others. Without knowing our WHY, any vision or action plan is rudderless.

I thought I would test out the question the other night while out for dinner with a coach colleague. When I asked our young waiter “What do you stand for” he hesitated and said “Wow, that’s a big question.” After a few minutes he returned to our table with visible excitement and said “I stand for ‘experiences’ – because that’s how we grow”.

I invite you to get excited as you create your personal platform while considering the 3 keys below.

3 Keys to Creating an Inspirational Personal Platform

1/Make Your Platform Clear and Hold it Near

Create your platform with simple, brief statements, not encumbered with extraneous detail. Begin writing your statements with “I believe in …” or “I stand for….” To hardwire your platform in your brain, you must pay it repeated attention. Write out your platform, read it aloud daily, discuss it with your loved ones, your colleagues, your coach.

2/Connect Your Platform

a/ Connect to your values: It is critical that your platform be aligned with your most deeply felt beliefs. If there is a disconnect between your platform and your core values, there will be a subconscious reluctance to move forward boldly. If connected with what you hold as most important, energy will flow.

b/ Connect with others: A platform that is solely about you is your ego talking. This is about contribution, not ego. Go outside yourself and create the connections between what you stand for and how that can impact others. What you here on this earth for? What will your legacy be?

3/Make Your Platform Compelling

Inspire yourself and you will inspire others. Really delve into your “WHY” and your feelings around why you stand for what you stand. Create a picture of what you stand for using your 5 senses – What does that picture look like? Feel like? Sound like? Smell like? Taste like?

It’s the emotional element that expertly transfers that picture into your brain’s memory cells. Think about the emotions you will feel when you live into your WHY. What does it feel like in your heart, your gut, your soul when you think of your platform? Allow your body to respond to the feelings associated with the picture you have created. A compelling platform will act as an energy driver and create the momentum to inspire both you and those around you.