Do you ever look at personal development posts, books or TED talks and feel overwhelmed? Do you think it all sounds too good to be true? Do you want to change your life but aren’t really sure you have what it takes or even where to start?
I have, and I hear you.
It’s hard making changes, especially ones that require us to re-evaluate our thinking or to challenge our current world view.
It’s also brave, bold and inspiring.
I don’t think enough people talk about the actual process of change and how it can be challenging, uncomfortable and raw. But I’ve learned repeatedly that the discomfort is an essential part of the process. It means that we are learning and growing.
This is my first blog post since I’ve started my business as a coach. Since writing my website, I’ve been in hiding. I’ve been fighting my own demons, or what are known as limiting beliefs in the personal development world. Starting a business has held a magnifying glass up to these beliefs and I’ve been trying to work my way through them.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve come a hell of a long way with these beliefs in order to:
● Quit a corporate job
● Retrain as a nutritional therapist
● Realise it wasn’t for me
● Start a business as a coach
This has taken guts and determination. However, something has been holding me back from completely letting go of old stories.
● Am I good enough?
● What will people think?
● Can I really make a living doing something that I genuinely love but which isn’t a ‘traditional’ career path?
All those annoying, nagging beliefs that are exhausting and I so desperately want to break free from, yet still have some sort of hold on me.
It’s like I’m stuck straddling two sides of a canyon. On one side, I’m creating this life of freedom that I absolutely love, but on the other side, I’m second-guessing my every move and trying to shoehorn myself back into the traditional 9-5 way of working.
Why am I telling you this? After all, I’m a coach whose mantra is to cut out all the noise and live a life you love. How can I tell my clients to do this when I haven’t eliminated my own limiting beliefs?
Because I am human. Because I have figured out SO much on my own journey and I continue to learn and grow. Because I want to show you that the journey is messy, it’s uncomfortable but it is also eye-opening and liberating. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I also want to stress something really important. If you only take one thing from this post, know this – development isn’t linear. There will be ups and downs and twists and turns. You’ll go forward and then you’ll go backwards. Change takes time and courage. Please know that just because you don’t find it easy, doesn’t mean you have failed. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be willing to learn.
The journey isn’t magic, but the results can be truly magical.