Hitting The Wall

I  just listened to a podcast about transition and 'Hitting the Wall' - wow in that less than 2 minute blurb, a million thoughts started to go through my head. On another call last night my coach said “transition is ubiquitous’ – in other words life is always throwing stuff at us that pushes us into transition - nothing is static or same especially in these challenging times. I don’t know about you, but almost every friend or acquaintance I have has been touched by layoffs, downsizing, bankruptcy or just plain bad bosses, they now find themselves in middle age having to look for alternate employment - and in many cases settle for what we used to call McJobs.

A friend shared with me last night the plight of a group of long term employees who just heard that they have lost their jobs. Many have worked at this firm for over 25 years- that’s a lifetime with friends who have become family – that’s hard to give up, what a crushing blow. Many were escorted out of the building by security guards – how humiliating! I know how heartbroken they felt. I myself remember a similar closure at the same company where one of my team - a woman with over 25 years at this company left with her belongings in a green garbage bag. I will never forget that image; I will never forget the tears and the heartbreak.

What does this do for your confidence? Many will go through the normal stages of grief:

Denial – This didn’t happen - I can’t believe it!
Anger - It’s not fair – why me?
Bargaining – What if I can change this? Get my job back?
Depression – There may be lots of time on the couch in front of the TV
Acceptance – This is the stage where you finally realize that you cannot change the situation and this is where you will find the momentum to move on.

Many people ‘Hit the wall’ and never get back up. Over our many years of experience we collect so much training and wisdom, only to end up being marginalized or thought of as ‘past our Sell by Date’. What a shame, that our society sees wisdom and experience as ‘past it’. I myself have hit that wall on many occasions, and even now – hit the wall occasionally. So how do you manage to get up – brush yourself off and keep going?

The first step is taking back your confidence, learning and knowing that you are worthy and that you have an amazing gift to give the world. Every human being has this gift inside. The good news is that there is a road back – there is help along the way. The trick is to keep believing in yourself, even if you can only do it for one day a week, after a while, you will find yourself doing it more often. For me, coaching does it for me, whether it is one on one or in a group setting – talking things through with someone really helps.

So, what’s your wall?

- Lost your job?
- Stuck for a new idea?
- Business in a slump?
- In trouble at work?
- Single Mom struggling with bills?
- Stay at home mom feeling isolated?

Inside this gift of TRANSITION, there is an opportunity just waiting to be uncovered. It is a new beginning waiting to be unwrapped, with a voyage of adventure and challenge on the other side.

Accept your gift – it’s yours for the taking!

Who's sailing with you on your journey?

My mother always told me to watch the company I kept – of course what did she know? Seems she knew quite a lot. Whether we like it or not we are influenced by the people we hang around with, and others judge us by the company we keep.
There is an old exercise that has you choose who you would have in your lifeboat if you were cast adrift, your compass out of whack – your oars overboard. This is such a useful exercise to use when you are at your lowest ebb (pardon the pun) and need to draw upon the people who most influence and support you in a positive way.
This is a great journal exercise – come back to it again and again to see if you choose the same people – you must choose 9 people – here are the rules:

First, the people you select to accompany you in your lifeboat must be individuals you really want to be there. Adding family members because you think you should, could sink your boat.
Second, the nine people chosen can be alive or dead, however you must have known them personally – William Shakespeare doesn’t count – come on… no way you could have known him!

Make your list of people who you really count on:
- Who is there with a shoulder to cry on?
- Who helps you out when you are too sick to drive the kids to school?
- Who congratulates you on the terrific job you are doing?
- Who tells you like it is when you are being self indulgent?
- Who looks for opportunities to help you build your business or career?

You get the picture – come back to this list every time you need to know who your loyal fans are, who gets you – who you can count on.
Have some fun with this, draw pictures, write a story about how you finally survive. Bon Voyage! May the Winds speed you on your journey!

Looking for daily inspiration at an affordable cost?

mylifecompass.com/ireneA

Yes, a coach is available 24/7!

G.R.O.W

Ever feel that if you had a coach at your disposal 24/7 that you could accomplish so much more in your life? Well, you do - and it's you! Yes, you can benefit from some very simple methods to get your off the couch - outta your funk and into ACTION! Use the G.R.O.W model to get you going...

G - What is your goal? Even if it's a goal you have for the day - write it down, ask yourself these questions:
- How will I know that I have achieved the goal?
- What specific actions can I take to achieve the goal?

R - What is my current reality? What if anything is preventing me from reaching my goal? Questions to ask yourself:

- What am I doing now?
- What is the result of that?

O - Explore your options - brainstorm with yourself, make lists of ideas. Ask Yourself?

- What else can I do?
- What of this or that constraint were removed?
- What are the benefits of each option?

W - The way forward, or the will to move ahead. Make a commitment to yourself, ask yourself:

- What will I do and by when?
- How will this option help me to succeed?
- What else will I commit to do to reach my goal.

Simple, but it works - I challenge you to try it and share your results with me. or..

contact me for a sample coaching session..


Need more help? Try out Compass Coaching - get daily coaching for a very affordable rate

www.mylifecompass.com/ireneA