Starting new

Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by Susan Wright in Life Coaching

It feels odd to write “starting new” when it’s December 1st and the last month of the year. For me, it’s something I have to do consciously everyday to achieve the results I want; and more so, to stay in the  process of change, no matter how uncomfortable. Just yesterday I told a friend that I enjoy starting something new, I’m comfortable charting undiscovered territory, and I’m okay with ambiguity – that’s until I get caught, of course! What do I mean by this? Well, in the process of change, I have to risk a certain part of myself that feels awkward, less confident, and somewhat timid.  I also have to be okay with taking a nosedive from time to time.

Last week I was told: “you are being too hard on yourself.”  I told myself the opposite: “I just need to work through this.”  Sometimes, it’s helpful to stop: stop doing, stop trying, stop being so damned hard on myself.  I knew I was tired, I couldn’t thread a sentence together without re-writing it a few times, and even then, it wasn’t clear. I felt beat up and ultimately packed it in for the day. I was trying to do it all: balancing the creative aspects of my business along with the day-to-day things that need to get done, not to mention tending to my family’s demands. It just struck me to wanna sing “I’m an everyday woman…” is there such a song anyway?

Seriously though, it wasn’t until I accepted that my own standards and expectations were getting in the way of progress that I could finally relinquish control.  I’ll admit, I did a last ditch effort fully aware that it wasn’t yielding my best efforts. This costs me on all fronts: my personal effectiveness takes a dive, and soon after my enthusiasm for business activities bellyflops as well.

So today, after a little processing over the weekend, I decided to start anew. I was gently reminded to stop when needed, reconnect, and then, move forward. Isn’t this what I tell my clients? It’s not easy to switch gears or stop when we are committed, ambitious, and invested in our life and business. The challenges come in waves and sometimes without notice. They often arrive when everything else is running at full tilt.  That’s why it’s essential to really listen to what we need.  It’s okay to take a moment, ask for help, call on our supports, and most importantly, stop until we can begin again.

Change doesn’t come without its challenges but at least I know I’m expanding and growing when I’m confronted by them. It’s refreshing to know that everyday I get a chance to start over and potentially to learn something new. It also helps to recount what I have achieved in order to move forward with confidence and clarity.

How might you start new this month?

Susan

Tags: change, confidence, move forward, personal effectiveness