Unless you know where you are, you won’t know which direction you should go.
As with any journey, there needs to be a place to start. To find your bearings you need to know exactly where you are right now. Most of us never take the time to think about this. At some point we get into the routine of life, and before we even know it, it has become a rut.Definition of a rut: A grave with the sides kicked out.
Life is made for living and experiencing. We are supposed to feel a range of emotions – we should feel glad, sad, and even mad sometimes! We aren’t meant to live in sadness and madness, but we do still need to feel them. One of the tools I teach my clients is how to recognise and manage their emotions in a healthy way. We can’t change what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond or react to it.
So let’s have a look at where you are right now.
1. What are the roles you play in your life right now?
- In a notebook (or if you like electronic, open up a document in Word), and write down every single role you play in life. e.g. mother/father, daughter/son, sister/brother, spouse, business owner, employee/employer, gym bunny, whatever. List every single one.
2. Which roles are creating “noise”?
- Are any of these roles or hats that you wear creating any kind of noise in your head? Do you worry about them or are they causing any negative emotions for you? Circle these.Using the Noise Chart, figure out which ones need your attention and which ones you need to put in the “let it go” jar.
3. Who and what do you need to say goodbye to?
- In order to move forward and enter a new phase in our life we need to leave certain activities, people or things behind.
- Make a list of some things you know you need to END. (If it is a spouse on that list, I highly recommend you consider sitting down with someone and having a chat about this. Some things are worth fighting for.)
4. What are your strengths?
- What are you naturally talented at? What comes easily for you? It makes sense to do more of the things that you were wired to do and less of those things which take lots of effort and hard work. Understanding what you are naturally good at and wired for is incredibly helpful in finding out what you are “made to do”. Our TAGS (Talents, Abilities, Gifts and Skills) are clues to what we are designed for, what will be fulfilling and what we will be successful at.
One of the other things that will help you move forward with clarity is Strengths Coaching. This can be done for you as an individual or with your team. Personal Strengths Coaching consists of an online assessment and 3 face to face or Skype sessions with me, which will put the assessment into perspective, help you to work out how to “play to your strengths” and then assist you with some strengths statements aimed at finding your ‘sweet spot’ in life.
You may be thinking I don’t have time for this, but I encourage you to take the time to do this as soon as you can and you will see the fruit of it very quickly. Feel free to connect with me should you get stuck or would like to tell me how it went.
