It can be quite uncomfortable when you hit a juncture in your personal or professional transformation effort and begin to question the following:
“Am I or [project X] headed in the right direction?”
Whether you’ve lost sight of the overall purpose or are uncertain about which direction to head, a lack of clarity can easily distract or stop you from progressing.
You do not need to give up or turn back at these junctures.
Instead, you can face the doubt head-on. By assessing what you’re sensing and feeling, you can determine the root cause issue. For example, is it uncharted territory, someone else’s input, a limiting belief, a lack of patience, or diminished control that has caused the fogginess? Once you understand the why behind what you’re experiencing or avoiding, you can let go of what’s holding you back and explore ways to gain momentum and propel yourself forward.
As Lewis Carroll said:
“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take, relationships we were afraid to have, and the decisions we waited too long to make.”
Growth is about “stretching” outside of your comfort zone.
Having greater awareness and understanding of your strengths, blind spots, and triggers can help you lean into your assets and emotional intelligence capabilities, boosting your confidence and ability to release patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
As Gina Milicia has said:
“A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there.”
“Edge” toward the unknown to unlock your potential.
It’s okay not to have all the answers in your field of work or study. Having the skills to think strategically, problem-solve, and figure things out, when emotions are impacting your decision-making, is crucial.
By coupling patience and perseverance with a curious and courageous mindset, you can open yourself up to discover new possibilities and get out of the murkiness.
Here are some techniques to help you do so:
Stop and strategize.
Sit with what you do know and listen to your gut. Clear your mind and begin to see what emerges. Tap into your five senses and focus on your breath to stay present. From this balanced and peaceful state, allow the ideas to flow and surface without judgment. Then when ready, you can organize and prioritize your thoughts and trust your instincts for the next steps.
Revisit what makes you come alive.
We all have different things that energize and motivate us. A great way to reclaim your focus is by reminding yourself what inspires you and integrating aspects of that inspiration into your work. For example, as a Sparketype® Advisor/Nurturer, I’m much more enthused when connecting my “to-dos” in service of others. If you’re struggling to make sense of this correlation, reach out to others for their opinions and perspectives.
Explore your resistance.
There are usually warning signs inside you when you’re ignoring something you must tackle head-on. These indicators can show up as tension, tightness, or discomfort in your body and as distractions, blankness, or ruminating thoughts in your mind. Before reacting or acting in a state of distress, reflect on the situation so you can acknowledge and process how you feel rather than push the emotions aside. Then when ready, you can choose how best to proceed from a place of calmness and clearness.
Determine how you want to show up.
If your frustration or setback is related to others, focus on what’s in your control, such as your capacity to modify your approach. Look at what’s working and what’s not and address any beliefs or behaviors preventing you from moving forward. Almost all change projects and transformational programs are grounded in creating “buy-in” and persuading others to get on board with the new direction. Consider how you present yourself and check out some techniques to encourage others to support your endeavors.
Take one step forward.
Once you know how to proceed, take one small action and commit to staying on track. Keep your mission and next steps visible, as clarity fosters excitement, confidence, and engagement. When you reach a key milestone—small or big—pause to celebrate. Notice how far you’ve come over a short time and treat yourself as you would a good friend, with kindness and compassion for any delays. As you do this more and more, the old things that used to get in the way will start disappearing, and the better, brighter version of you will shine through. The feeling is worth it. So don’t give up.
Success is within your reach.
Self-leadership is about getting to know yourself better and applying that knowledge. To align with what matters to you most and live more congruently, you can use these various assessments as the foundation for growth and development. My approach is personalized and customized to help you harness your YOU-ness and activate your best. Schedule a call to find out more.