One constant in life is change
I found the first quarter of this year tough both in my business and personally.
Somehow though the recent lockdown weighed heavier and in March I found myself at a crossroads both professionally and financially. This led me to a decision to go back into paid employment and to continue coaching as a side hustle. I started my new role in April and so I’ve not been able to give as much time and energy to coaching as I would like as I found my employee feet again.
If I’m honest it hasn’t been an easy transition. I left my job in the corporate world at the end of 2019 with a dream of having a fully booked coaching practice. As the pandemic’s shock waves continued to sweep across the world, I began to feel a sense of failure, that the dream had ended and I had to admit I couldn’t sustain my life as was and needed to have a regular income..
In March I took a step back and spent some time exploring those feelings and what I wanted and what I needed.. I looked at different options and did not rush into anything that felt out of alignment with my values.. I feel fortunate to have found a role in a company that shares my personal values, plays to my strengths, offers an opportunity to use my coaching skills and meets my need of working four days a week, giving me space to focus on my coaching business.
We experience numerous crossroads moments in our lifetime. It could be work and financial changes, changes in home or personal life or even inner changes. Whatever that crossroads is, what I’ve learned is that when we reach one, there’s a period of inner reorientation and exploration to go through in order to move into a new chapter and to incorporate those changes into your life. William Bridges, author of Transitions, suggests all transitions have three phases - The Ending, The Neutral Zone and the New Beginning.
Using Bridge’s terminology of the Neutral Zone, it's a place of reorientation and self redefinition. An opportunity for exploration but a trigger for paralysis as we are presented with different options. We may feel a fear of failure, of being selfish, of not being ready or not enough all of which keep you in your comfort zone, unhappy, frustrated, unfulfilled but safe!
However, embracing this place can help you to;
Being comfortable with being uncomfortable. Growth is uncomfortable, being out of our comfort zone is scary, but discomfort signals that change is happening. Reframing and acknowledging discomfort from a positive and energetic perspective makes it easier to explore new possibilities and helps increase your confidence.
Understand who you are: Exploring what’s important to you, what do you really want and what you need in your life to feel fulfilled and happy.
Think about the what: For example if you are going through a work / career transition, what does it look like, what are the possibilities, what are your strengths and talents, skills, that are transferable and what do you need to develop. What additional resources or support might you need to transform possibilities in to reality ie flexibility, commuting time, childcare, qualifications, training etc
If you’ve been getting that feeling that something doesn’t feel right. Maybe you don’t feel the passion in your work or in the wrong job and you feel drained of energy and self-confidence, or you feel burnt out and you want more work / life balance. I would love a conversation with you. Book a 30-minute introductory call and let’s explore what you really want in your career