In 2018 I wrote an article titled The Value of Feeling Uncomfortable. I had been challenged by a Coach, put on the hot seat, had my excuses batted away, felt my irritation (and dislike for this person) rise – then emerged out the other side. In other words, tasted the (temporary) bitterness of my own medicine. How is this COVID situation feeling for you? Mildly uncomfortable? Completely uncomfortable? Or somewhere in between?
You are spending 24/7 with people you are not used to spending this amount of time with.
You are overseeing your children’s schoolwork and (unless you’re a teacher) feeling entirely out of your comfort zone.
You are being challenged by the intricacies of working from home – adapting to technology, missing the social connection you enjoy with your colleagues, feeling isolated from your team.
Worrying if your leadership skills are up to this New Normal. How do you know if you’re leading effectively?
Your work defined WHO YOU WERE. Who are you now?
Immersing yourself in social activities and 'busyness' excused you from spending time with your own thoughts – this situation has forced you to turn inward.
You’d just gotten back into the gym…….or back onto the dating scene……and you’ve had to swivel.
You had PLANS. They grew wings and hightailed it out your window.
Your routine is out of whack, no matter how you try to create some kind of balance. You’re tripping over kids and spouses and dealing with slow Wi-Fi and video conference calls and taking your life into your hands at the supermarket. You had to cancel your cleaner so the house is mess and you just can’t face the dirty bathroom. The wine and beer fridge seems to be constantly full, then empty.
To top it all off, you can’t go out and visit friends and family.
So where is the value I mentioned earlier? Discomfort creates change. And change is of value. Some of us seek discomfort to create transformation, whilst others wait until they are kicked along by life. No matter where you are sitting on the Discomfort Scale today, I guarantee you there are incredible skills, strengths and gifts emerging from you RIGHT NOW. Ones that will serve you for years to come. You are transforming. So is your team, your colleagues, your boss. So are your kids. So is your spouse, your friends and your family. We are not ‘going back to normal’. There is no ‘going back to normal’. Our next phase will not look like it does now, but it won’t look like it did before, either. And this creates a huge opportunity for you! You have been given a, most likely, once-in-a-lifetime chance to truly look at the life you’ve created for yourself and decide if it’s the one you want to have moving forward. What a gift! If you wish to play, I invite you to ask yourself these questions: Where and how have I GROWN in the past month? What professional and personal skills, gifts and strengths have emerged from and through me?
What have I enjoyed about this new normal I am currently in? What am I LOVING that I am determined to keep in my life when ISO is over? Are there any steps I can take NOW to make this a future reality?
What have I enjoyed NOT doing in this new normal I’m currently in? Why was I doing them in the first place? Are there any steps I can take NOW to ensure they don’t creep back in?
Now I have been given the space to open my luggage and remove everything – what will I repack for my next phase of life and what will I leave behind? Have fun!
If you are ready, there are some more options below to support you during this time. One is for expansion of mind. The other for true GROWTH during this time - emotional growth, business growth, relational growth, career growth, leadership growth, transformational growth- with me as your coach.
RISE. the free email sequence to help you navigate your current circumstances is still open for registration. One short email per day for 14 days to serve you during this time. CLICK HERE TO JOIN
PRIVATE ONE-TO-ONE COACHING MORE YOUR STYLE? The world has changed and we have challenges coming that we may not have faced before. How WE RESPOND is going to be key. If you love up-levelling in a private safe space 1:1 coaching may be for you. But be warned, there's nowhere to hide. CLICK HERE.
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