Article first published for Focus-info/org Magazine- Relocation UK
Change is part of life. Change can be a necessity, an urgency or something we thought of for a long time without taking action-
Be it in your personal or professional life.
Change can also trigger resistance, fear of the unknown or anxiety; or simply, we don’t know where to start and what is best for us. The consequence?
We stay in the status quo, persuading ourselves that it’s not the right time to start our transformation.
Today, through my story, let’s explore how you can start your journey towards your transformation.
I was at a crossroad 4 years ago. My life purpose was not in sight. My job, though I had enjoyed it for many years, was not giving me the satisfaction and reward I once had.
I yearned freedom and adventures and what I had was security and routine.
What was rewarding and fulfilling for some was restrictive and unexciting for me. Why?
“Why can’t I be happy with what I have” was the question rolling in my head for at least a couple of years.
Save some time and read on!
Some of the questions I had:
How do you choose what is right for you?
How to implement changes? Is it even possible?
How do you overcome self-doubts?
How to start taking action?
When you flip the questions, in a coaching session, it becomes
What if you succeed?
What if you are better off?
What if you made the right decision at this time in the present
5 steps to begin with:
- Clarity: What is you ultimate goal/dream? When/how will you know you have reached it?
For me it was changing my life to become independent and work anywhere in the world.
Having a clear, atteignable and realistic goal is one of the key to success.
- Motivation: How important is the change for you? On a scale of 1 to 10 how prepared are you to make the effort. I really wanted to transform my life. My motivation was 10 out of 10. Ask yourself what needs to happen to get a 9-10?
- Actions: What are the top actions you need to implement?
The most important at this stage is to decompose those actions into micro steps. Sometimes you cannot do it alone. I hired a coach at the time. I didn’t want to make avoidable mistakes and I needed to build more confidence. It will save you time, money and sanity!
- Self-doubts: What could stop you from reaching your goal?
Self doubts, stress can creep in. We are humans and we often are our own enemy. It leads to giving up, reversing to our old patterns because there are so familiar, and reassuring even though they don’t make you happy anymore.
👉Solution: Be prepared to counter your self-doubts. Transforming your life, personal or a professional, is not easy. It requires dedication, consistency and action.
- The ultimate feeling: How will you feel when you start working towards your dream? Always keep in mind your end vision and how you will feel when you have achieve it. Proud, joyful, free, excited, alive, empowered… What will it be for you?
My wise words: There isn’t a one size fit all in life you know that, so why are we comparing ourselves to people who are ahead of us?
You don’t know what you don’t know.
Projecting yourselves into your ideal future and vision and have a role model to look up to is fantastic. On the other end, criticising and blaming yourself because you’re not where you should be in your life is damaging. Be it professionally in your career or your self-employed journey, be it personally in your personal development, in your relationships or the lack of it or in your expatriate life.
We all have a challenge to solve and even Cindy Crawford has a midlife coach:)
My take away from my transformative journey:
What did I learn and how I can make you save time?
I learned to slow down
I understood who I really was and what I needed and wanted at this point of my life
I invested time, energy and money in MYSELF
I took small steps but I kept moving towards my vision: training as a coach, reading, connecting with like-minded people, and also learning how to be a successful entrepreneur.
I gave myself a break and only focused on the present not what I still had to do, yes celebrate your little victories!
I believed. I believed I could do it and everyday I reminded myself of why I was making all these efforts, why change was not only a necessity but a condition to stop being so frustrated everyday and to my mental health and wellbeing.
In times of self-doubts: there were many; I dared. I dared talking aloud, I dared posting on social media, I dared being visible, I dared taking action and more importantly I dared dreaming of my big goal: being a successful coach and making a difference in the life of my clients and into their transformative journey.
The Moral of the story:
Looking back, it’s the best decision I ever made. Having a coach by my side was key to me for not giving up. I have never enjoyed my work as I much as I do now.
My professional transition changed me as a person. I am more assertive and more confident in all my relationships for example.
What about you? You have a dream too, a vision? Maybe it’s still very blurry. Having a conversation with a professional outside your close circle, can help you assess if it is a fantasy or if it is actually realistic and absolutely atteignable!
You are unique! What makes your neighbour/friend/family member/partner happy will be very different to what makes you happy.
When will you start your transformative journey?
Last words of advise
Invest in yourself
Allow you to believe (it’s possible)
Get the help of a professional
Surround yourself with growth mindset people
Be accountable
Adjust your plan if necessary
Be kind to yourself (no comparison!)
Celebrate you wins along the way
This is my journey and where I am today. You may be further ahead of me or at the beginning of your transformation. This reflects my present state of mind and this article will probably be different if I were to write it in 5 years from now. So what! You don’t have to have it all perfect to be inspiring, sincere and authentic!