by Are you intellectually suffocating?
Do you feel as if the box you’re in is way too tiny?
There’s no air?
Maybe you’ve been active within a particular industry and feel it’s time for a change, but it seems impossible to find the right opportunity.
Perhaps you relocated, and find that the experience you gained in your last local market doesn’t count here.
Or maybe you’ve had a particular image as a leader, and even though you’ve successfully transitioned through different experiences, you don’t seem to be able to shake off that old reputation.
You’re stuck.
Friend, you’re not alone.
Many of my clients, leaders, have wanted to take the next step in their careers. They wanted to experience greater opportunities. Some of them wanted to find out whether there was a completely different way to live and earn money too.
The thing is… very few people are truly ready to immediately break out of their comfortable, known spaces, to expose themselves to a different existence, to leave the safety of where they are now.
I want to be clear here: I’m not an advocate of sudden, drastic change.
Way too often, I’ve seen colleagues jumping from one role to another or from one company to another, never finding the authenticity they were looking for.
Some chose to split from the corporate world and start their own business, only to find that it didn’t bring the change they wished for. These jumpers and leapers didn’t free themselves from the boxes they were in – the boxes they put themselves in.
It happens to all of us.
Has it happened to you? Are you in that state now?
If so, I invite you to explore what it is you TRULY desire instead of trying to end the suffocation by breaking out abruptly.
Ask yourself:
What reality would you create if anything was possible?
As you reflect, distinguish between your natural desires and those that come as a response to social pressure or from what others wish for you.
Why is this exploration necessary?
Before you can break free and successfully move into a new environment, you must first see yourself differently. And that’s not possible without knowing what you wish for yourself and what talents you desire to put to use in this life.
Only then will it make sense to create an environment that understands and responds to your desires.
We are dynamic creatures. We always experience new environments, new people, and new challenges. We adapt, we evolve, and we can’t stop it. Or at least not without the price of being uncomfortable in our own lives.
So instead of trying to live in a suffocating box or jumping into another one, allow yourself to break out!
Yes, it may be scary. But the energy you’ll gain from genuinely discovering what you want to do in this world will be rewarding, and life will effortlessly move in your desired direction.
And as you begin to be bold enough to explore and experiment, you’ll realize that there are no boxes! There are only endless possibilities of living an authentic life.
Interested? Here are a few steps you can take now to begin your exploration.
A little warning: This is a (beautiful) lifetime process. You won’t break free immediately, but you will get some interesting insights, perspectives, and clarity.
Enjoy the process!
- Make space in your calendar, sit down with your drink of choice, open a notebook, ask yourselves these open-ended questions, and capture what comes …
- What do you truly desire?
It doesn’t have to be a role or industry, but it can be. Jot down any elements that you’d like to invite into your life.
- What feels right? What feels logical?
- Are the responses to the last two questions the same things?
- If not, what does that mean?
- Once you’ve completed that round of thinking, set aside another “me time,” ideally not on the same day, and capture your thoughts around this next set of questions.
- Do I still feel/think this is what I truly want? What needs to be added or taken away?
- How much do I wish for this?
- If you’d like, use a scale of 0-10. If the score is five or less, ask…
- Is this enough to motivate me to leave my comfort zone?
- What am I willing to compromise on to get there?
- Who will be impacted by my choices? Who do I need to speak to?
- If you’d like, use a scale of 0-10. If the score is five or less, ask…
- Time to create your project plan!
- What small step will you take tomorrow to get you closer to your desired vision?
- What will you do the day/week/month/year after?
- Who can help you on that path?
- How will you know when you’ve arrived?
- Execute! You won’t make progress without action.
Feel your box cracking already? 🙂
If you don’t know where to start, or if you’d like help moving through the process, I can help.
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