You’ve made the plans. You’ve created your well-formed goals. Consequently, you’re taking action. And then you hit a barrier. Everything begins to unravel. Suddenly, you have choices to make. Or maybe you’ve already decided. Have you packed up and retreated to your comfort zone? Alternatively, are you regrouping and adjusting your plans? Life is rarely straightforward and change only really happens if you can adapt. Sadly, many adopt the former, giving up because it all got too difficult. So, where are you in all of this? What happens when it all goes horribly wrong?
In a coaching linear model, you go from where you are to where you want to be. Firstly, you understand the reality of now. What’s working and what do you want to work better? Secondly, you create an exciting and compelling future. You do so in a well-formed way. Thirdly, you take action. Finally, you succeed. You achieve your goals. You realise your plans. And then you celebrate.
The reality is far from clear cut. Obviously, at times it works out just fine. Indeed, for some it always seems to work out. Is that you? If it is, keep doing what you’re doing.
In a recent podcast I talked about this. The linear process is fine when it works out. Yet, there are multiple ways that it can all work out differently. For starters, you may get to where you wanted to be and end up disappointed. Alternatively, you may end up somewhere other than where you wanted to be, and be delighted.
There’s always the possibility that as you start to take action, you change your mind. You realise that there is something better, something more, that is even more exciting and compelling that your original plan. And that’s OK. Change course and make it happen.
Of course, there are also times when it all turns out to be too difficult, a step too far. Sometimes, that’s the reality. I know that I’ve made plans, set goals, and then, once I’ve started, that it was way more difficult than I expected. Genuinely, I think it’s OK to have that realisation and change your mind. However, if you’re doing it all the time, I think you need to reflect on the plans that you’re making and how motivated you really are.
Further to this, there is so much that can go awry. This includes things within your control and things without. That, plain and simple, is life.
Essentially, it’s what you do when it’s going differently from what you wanted that counts. Acknowledge how you’re feeling. Regroup. Work out what matters, adjust course, and keep on moving forward.
From my perspective, the only bad move is giving up and getting back into your comfort zone. Even that, though, is OK if it’s a temporary move while you take stock and reorganise your plans.
So, if you know what to do, do it now. If you’re not sure, book an initial consultation here, and then take the next step. You know that you can do it, and you know that it makes sense, don’t you?