What do you need to have a breakthrough?
Sara Wilson, CPCC, ACC |
I’m inspired to write about breakthroughs today because of two conversations I had in the last 24 hours with two leaders who said they are “stuck.” Who has been there? Do you need a breakthrough?
You are stuck if you keep trying to do something without making progress, or keep turning over the same question/problem. Are you using “should” a lot about a particular situation? All of these are signs of the proverbial state of “spinning your wheels in the muck.”
Think about all the energy it takes when your car–or bike–just spins its wheels. And you don’t go anywhere. Heck, sometimes you just get deeper into the muck. Stuck Sucks!
One of my clients is a leader who has been in the executive director position for several years. There were lots of variables in the job that were not positive and were not changing. The executive’s job was secure, personal values were aligned with organization’s mission but both professional and personal satisfaction were low. The executive wanted a more fulfilling life.
Can you relate to any of this? Maybe you are stuck in your job. Feeling stuck with a personal change you want to make. Stuck on a big question.
Albert Einstein said “the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result.” I’ve had a personal experience with this approach to expecting a different result. I knew I should get more exercise. My partner is a walker; we live steps from a trail/bike path that traverses Milwaukee and into adjacent counties. I kept telling myself I should walk for exercise and you guessed it, I didn’t go for those walks. I spent a lot of energy saying “I should;” finding fault with myself about lack of motivation for exercising; and finding real or perceived excuses.
What does it take to get unstuck?
- Realize you are stuck.
- Decide you want to get unstuck.
- Be willing to do the work.
- Realize you may need a coach (certified, of course!)
- Take action
The rest of the story: Leadership Coaching helped
The executives: As their Coach, I helped them get clarity on what it meant to them to lead a fulfilling life. They took action. They had breakthroughs.
Me: I got unstuck about exercise through working with a Life/Leadership Coach and my own hard work. In fact, I crushed my roadblock on exercise. I connected to my reason and it motivates me, still. Sneak peek: I’ll soon be in my first Open Water Swim (OWS).
If you need a breakthrough, let’s chat sara@mayeswilsonassociates.com or call 414-807-4319.