INNERmedia Coaching

Posted By admin on September 28, 2009

A couple of months ago I visited my good friend, The Chiropractor, who while aligning my out-of-whack neck, shoulders and back, asked how my business was going. I told him that my business had stopped; in fact, I had stopped working. Frankly I was surprised to hear my words out loud. Though I’d been at my desk and my phone daily, I hadn’t been honest with myself about my status.

I’ve been described as having “trademark tenacity”, which I am rather proud of. As a child I honed my ‘never quit’ mentality with the encouragement of my parents, my maternal grandmother and my ballet teacher. As a result, I am driven to always try, to perform to the best of my ability. “Let’s take it from the top one more time,” my dance teacher demanded at every lesson. My grandmother, plagued by Multiple Sclerosis, is lovingly remembered by her never-give-up attitude.

It is part of my genetic code to keep going and never quit. My trademark tenacity has earned me recognition, awards, a handsome income and the respect of my peers. Yet in the face of an insurmountable obstacle called The Recession, I had stopped. Like Forrest Gump who ran until he decided he didn’t need to run anymore, I had simply ceased pressing forward.

Did I quit? The Chiropractor and I discussed our respective professional situations and he gave me an example from his work that seemed to fit. Sometimes, he said, it just doesn’t make sense to keep pushing against a bone that is out of adjustment. Sometimes you have to massage the muscles and release the tension on the bones around the one that is stuck in order to give it room to move back into place.

It was then I realized I hadn’t quit; I had simply taken a sabbatical. I had pushed back from my work and decided it was OK to do so. Accepting my decision to create a personal time-out, I relaxed a bit and focused on other areas of my life, such as my health. In a short time, my creative juices began to flow and I began to see new opportunities all around me. I am feeling much better, more energized and more optimistic.

In the years to come we will discuss the Great Recession of Our Time, what we did and how it impacted our worlds. My hope is that you will give yourself permission during this stress-filled time to allow yourself to back away from your situation and consider the options before you. Whether you take a vacation or a sabbatical, give yourself the opportunity to recharge your batteries, sharpen your focus and create a new plan that takes advantage of the opportunities that lie within the challenges ahead.

Categories: Entrepreneurship, coaching, life transitions
Tags: coaching, life transitions, starting over