Last time, I shared a bit about my dream of creating a peaceful, nourishing and inspiring sanctuary for women. It will not materialise over night, but putting it out there makes it feel a little bit closer to becoming a reality.
As I ponder the process of bringing a project, program, or dream to life, the thing that keeps appearing in my mind is that such processes are comparable to landscaping your property. You will need to have the following things in place:
A Vision; a Purpose and understanding of WHY you want what you want! (I’ll talk more about that below.)
The necessity to create a Plan, or Road map to achieve your vision– you won’t get there over night and you won’t get there all by yourself.
Plan of Action – the real work! Just as in a garden, your plan involves planting your seeds, watering, weeding, pruning, supporting and reaping the harvest!
Guess what? Life and your business requires all the same elements if you want to truly thrive … cool, eh? It all starts with a plan or a VISION! What are you wanting to create and experience? Can you see it? Can you feel it? Are you able to experience it in your mind’s eye? To stick with the landscaping theme, do you want something beautiful for curb appeal only (A.K.A. to please yourself and others), or are you looking to attract birds, butterflies and bees (a greater purpose)?
Maybe you want a display of colour that will bloom and create stunning displays all year long! Perhaps you have always dreamed of being able to grow enough vegetables to feed your family and share with friends. The possibilities are endless, so it is really important to visualize WHAT you want, and WHY you want it.
Let’s switch over to your life and/or your business goals. How do you want your life’s garden to unfold from this day forward? What do you want to create and why? How will you feel as you experience life in this way? Who will you experience it with and where will it take you? Who do you want to serve, and why?
Follow these personal questions with this: What difference will it make for ME?
As I became a new people manager, my first “real” career-planning meeting with my boss started with a question about my goals. Naively, I said, “If I can have a positive effect on at least one person, I will be happy.” Needless to say, that was not what he was looking for at the time, yet it really was true for me.
Helping others excel in their work and lives by focusing on their gifts and talents, and playing to their strengths is my passion, and it isn’t bad for business either! Striving to minimize conflict while we get the work done is in my bones (to a fault at times, I now know). Ensuring clients and colleagues feel heard, understood and valued means I create time and space for them to express themselves openly and honestly. It allows us to create a plan of action together that will support their business and personal goals.
Back in corporate, I was “criticized” for having too much patience and allowing employees too much time to “get their act together” … AND now, I am okay with that!
After all, as humans we learn differently and at a pace that is all our own. We always have something else going on that either propels us forward, sets us back, or holds us in place until we are ready for the next step.
What I did neglect was focusing on my WHY. My goals were all about making sure everyone else was okay, or shining bright, but I was neglecting the reasoning behind these goals.
I have always lived by the mantra of “it’s more important to be interested, than being interesting” when around others. But WHY? Was I was searching for someone to be interested in me? Did I thrive on others hearing and valuing me as a person, versus assuming I walked through life following others in a sheep-like fashion? Perhaps being interested in others allowed the spotlight to be on them, instead of on me. Although I was a chatterbox, I was actually quite shy. Okay, I might be lying … I was not shy as much as I was afraid of looking foolish, stupid, awkward, or needy. By diverting the spotlight to others, I felt I was allowing myself a “safe” place, or really a buffer space, where I never had to worry about standing out and potentially being ridiculed.
I could bring harmony and calm to any situation while virtually being invisible. That was enough for me, yet I never felt like I was enough!
But, where has that safe way of life taken me? On a GREAT journey! I am happy to say, however s-l-o-w it may feel looking back, that as great as it has been I want more! I want to feel more, experience more and be more. Starting today and every day! I can write the script for the rest of my journey and so can you.
I am and have always been a people person. My passion is helping those around me, my family, friends, clients, colleagues. I want them to feel good about themselves, and believe in their abilities and their life so that they can take inspired action to get them closer to their dreams. But, WHY? Because as I work alongside others, I too become increasingly confident in my own abilities and more comfortable in my own skin. I feel fabulous when I help clients see themselves in a new light and become excited about all the possibilities. I also want this for myself, which is one of the main reason I have my own coach!
So WHY does the dream I shared in my last blog matter to me? It means I will provide a peaceful, nourishing and inspiring experience for me too… and that is ultimately what I want. If I can achieve what I help others achieve, I will continue to grow and flourish by living my life true to who I am! All the while setting an example for those around me, including my Grandson who is expected to arrive later this summer! (Squeals of joy!!!). Life is meant to be lived and enriched by each experience!
When your why is BIG enough, you will find your how! Discover your Purpose… #DiscoverYourWhy
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Take a look back at your journey so far and anchor it to where you are today.
Now, close your eyes and see where you will be in 10 years.
What is your big dream, or vision for the next 10 years?
Where will that vision take you?
WHO will be with you? WHAT will you be doing? WHERE will you be?
HOW do you feel? WHY does this matter to you?
The WHY behind your vision will become the fuel behind every action.
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