‘What is standing in your way?’
The presenter asked the audience at a recent business planning seminar.
I’ve been to many seminars over the years since being in business.
For example, how to build a business online in ten minutes, don’t sell your soul, sell yourself, how to get the most out of your day, how to be the best you can be in business.
When a planning for success seminar popped up and it happened to be in the very building my office is based I thought all I’ve got to lose is two-three hours out of my day for something that I probably know more about than the people who are delivering the presentation.
Unsurprisingly the above was true but as my ‘About Me’ page says I live by the adage that the older you get the more you know you need to know.
Whilst I listened to the presentations the following statements were presented on the screen:
I’ve lost interest
I have no vision or motivation
I’ve lost interest in my business
At the start of the seminar I wasn’t really thinking about how I was feeling at that point but, when I read the words on the screen I had that moment, ‘that’s exactly how I am feeling all three applied to me’.
I must have been feeling this way for a few months and in spite of those feelings of self-doubt, worry and failure I am a person that is committed to the job.
I show up at my desk even when I feel grim the customers never know this, in fact on the outside I’ve never taken an official sick day off in over twenty years.
Through the years I’ve had many successes.
I’ve worked with great customers and I have a good business which I am grateful for but when I walked into that seminar that statement was subconsciously rooted in my way of thinking.
But, by the end of the session, something happened.
I felt rejuvenated, motivated and excited again.
I walked out of the room with a spring in my step, a sense of purpose and whilst the print side of the business is slow the freelance writing and copywriting business is developing.
Why did that one statement change everything?
I realised that I’ve been standing in my own way.
Human beings are very good at doing that, getting in our own own way because of fear.
Fear of success, fear of failure and fear of making a fool of ourselves and because we are women.
Unwittingly I have been putting up roadblocks, standing in my own way to success and change and had settled into the comfortable status quo of that’s just the way things are.
I had forgotten how good I am and know exactly what it takes to run a successful business.
This might sound arrogant but the point I want to make is that so many of us work for a company, report to a boss, run a business, look after the home, care for others the list is endless and we never feel fulfilled or satisfied.
When was the last time you felt valued?
When did you last feel great about something you did at work, what you do or have achieved?
When was the last time someone said ‘thank you for a great job’ or maybe you did something that was personal to you like speaking out at a meeting to make a point and then thought ‘I am good at that?’
That seminar reawakened what I had thought was dead and buried; the joy, fun and love of what I do.
I had forgotten how much knowledge I have acquired over the years, how much I enjoy helping people and I felt good about that.
And then I wondered why we put these roadblocks in our walk through life?
Why do we start off excited and full of enthusiasm and then shut down because life’s journey gives us a few kicks and knockbacks?
We question our ability, validity and our worth.
It took two hours for me to see things clearly.
I am more focused on where I’ve come from and where I am heading and it is exciting.
Getting stuck in my personal rut meant that I forgot what it felt like to get excited about something.
The key to owning our lives is to find passion in a hobby, work or change of job or career.
We can steer the path our life takes by making some changes that can determine whether life is humdrum, boring, fearful, exciting and fun.
Making the choice to do something that we get excited about when we get the opportunity means that life is more interesting, fulfilling and meaningful.
If you find yourself waking up feeling like you’ve lost interest are demotivated and have no idea what to do about it, find that thing that really gets you excited whatever it might be and make that change.
Most of all, don’t be afraid.
Further reading for you
https://onewomansview.co.uk/why-superwoman-doesnt-exist/
https://onewomansview.co.uk/what-it-really-means-to-be-a-working-mother/
