Dusting off a project that lies dormant

Posted on 28. Jan, 2011 by in Life Coaching

January is coming to a close, can’t quite believe it, and what about those New Year resolutions? Fortunately for me, I don’t “do” resolutions, but I do draft out ideas, goals, and plans every so often throughout the year. I resolve to take on specific projects and plans that both personally and professionally have meaning.

For example, last year I started a project that required a great deal of effort given it was new and somewhat enterprising. However, it never fully took flight although it began with a real enthusiasm and approach that garnered support.  About mid-way through, the project came to a pause, similar to reading a lengthy novel and never getting to the climax soon enough to keep reading. So like a book, it was laid down and set aside until the story spoke to me again.

How often do we conjure up an idea, a goal, or project with a tangible enthusiasm that somehow fades out or looses momentum? We see this countless times when people declare war on unhealthy habits, making goals to lose weight and create a healthier lifestyle, or attempt to take on something they have not done before in their lives or business.  All sorts of things come up to test our resolve.

For weeks, my colleague and I drove for out-of-town meetings to share our idea, generate leads, and collect information critical for our success. Every week, we learned something and were given suggestions on who, what, and where to go next. We drafted, designed and collaborated on our project continually with supporting enthusiasm along the way; yet, each time we came away with more work and yet another step to take. After many strides, it felt like walking up and around a mountain, with new terrain to navigate and often turning pack to our original idea and wondering will this ever land?

In this particular collaboration neither myself or my partner has spoken or reconvened, not over any particular problem; other than, we lost steam and quietly got on with doing other things. I think it’s fair to say that life and work marches on one way or another and often those well-intentioned projects that require great effort lose traction. Just for a moment, consider any of the goals, projects, or resolutions you mapped out a month back or possibly earlier. It’s human to wax and wane; and yet, encouraging to note the moment will come again when the energy is there and restored once again. So for my project, I now believe it’s time to dust it off and ask the questions: Why go back to it now? What’s in it for me and for others?

Curious, who else out there is somewhere between the wax and wane and ready to dust something off that is quietly (or loudly) calling for your attention? How do you know? Well it goes something like this: you bump up against something unexpectedly, a spark ignites through conversation, a message lands in your inbox, you notice something that draws your attention; and all of these prompts take you back to your original plan, goal, or project.  It’s the universe’s way of saying “hello” I’m still here and you aren’t done with this yet!

So starting next month (and we have 11 more for 2011) I will open the book and reacquaint myself with the story, the characters, and the plot. By answering the questions addressing the why, this will inform my choice as to what I do next: read on, move to the next chapter, or close the book entirely.

Often there are reasons that ideas, plans and projects come to a pause, but in the moment we realize, I must re-open this, we know something has been left undone with the potential to unfold another plot, another path, another story.

What goal, project, or plan are you ready to dust off and revisit again? It would be my absolute pleasure to walk beside you and co-create, and indeed as a lifestyle coach I’m here to help – but you need to do the dusting first!

Send me a note, it’s time isn’t it?

Susan

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