Stop trying to lose weight. Forget about clocking more ZZZs each night. Let go of hoping to finish your first novel.
It’s not that I don’t want you to be healthier and more fit, or more rested and alert, or better understood and creative. Moreover, it’s precisely because you have every right to live into these experiences and more — reaching your full potential — that I invite you to refocus your sights in order to achieve success.
Everyday, I have the pleasure of partnering with incredibly talented people striving to make our world more just. These folks are strategic and dedicated. People work with me because they’re compelled to better the world and themselves. The two are inextricably linked. My coaching partners (aka clients) hold a belief that their being happy and whole leads to meaningful outcomes for themselves (I.e., more time, clarity about their career path, vitality) and those for whom they advocate everyday. I totally agree.
It’s for this reason that I tap into my coaching partners' strengths to reach their aims. Want to get fit? Let’s start by agreeing to pack your sneakers in your work bag. Check. Next, can you agree to find one day to walk outside for 30 minutes? Great. How about mapping two days each week to repeat this process? You get the point.
All too often, we send ourselves running from our goals before the ink is dry on writing our big dreams. It’s as if we are immune to utilizing for our own good the strategy and determination we bring to our work. Of course, we know this does not compute.
Here’s another example. There’s a nagging sense that you’d like to be doing something different with your time, but you’re not sure what. Give up on getting a new job, and start by giving in to that voice within.
Give in to listening. Give in to acknowledging what you do and don’t like about your current position, extracurricular activities, volunteer gigs, etc. Give in to the opportunity to ponder what you might like to learn more about. Give in to identifying just one person who cares about one thing you’d like to potentially explore. Then…wait for it…give in to acknowledging that you are worthy of finding fulfillment in your life. Yes, you. Yes, your life. Next, email and call that one person and ask for 20 minutes of their time. You following my drift?
If you’re still reading this, something within you is connecting with the invitation being extended.
To be the author of your life, you’ve got to give up on simply writing a juicy conclusion to any one chapter. Rather, start thinking about, actively writing, and investing in each sentence that comprises the epic journey of your life.
What will it look like when you give up and give in?