True Balance

Picture yourself walking down the street in a busy urban area of New York, London or Los Angeles.  Moving along you are mesmerized by magnificent architecture, the innocence of a child’s laughter, the fancified shop windows, the smells and sounds of the city.  You are completely lost in thought when by the grace of a complete stranger,  you are saved from being run over by a rogue vehicle blowing through a red light.  Your heart is racing and you are wicked stunned.  You thank the super hero on the street by offering him your first born and stumble off  grateful to be alive.  Your wake up call has been delivered.

What will do with this message?

It’s time to get out of your own way and begin taking action in the areas of your life you deem most important. There is no more time for ego-teasing lip service or negative self-talk. If you need help getting focused,  schedule a no cost coaching session with me or another coach out in the world and move one step forward on the path of your desires.

One of my coaching clients is a brilliant creative visionary. Her vision of idealistic greatness paralyzed her for years from taking action on the small things which bit by bit, drop by drop,  add up to the full life she is desperately seeking. Couple this paralysis with brutal self-talk and we have a smidge of a vision versus reality challenge.

Like the fantastical dreamer meandering through the city,  this bright woman was preoccupied with rich textured dreams and magical notions.  She almost missed the harbinger of a tragic nightmare threatening to suck the life from her extraordinary vision.  We are working together to travel back to the beginning of her story with the commitment of making plans and celebrating incremental actionable steps over a clear and specific time line.

Big Ideas —> Plans Phases —> Action Steps  = Critical Path Time Line

Creative people overflowing with ideas and wacky scenarios love to play. Dabbling here and experimenting there can be big fun and certainly not as scary as stepping into your power to create your life’s dream.  I enjoy experimentation as much as any creative,  but have learned that too many trials lure me away from the laser focus I am finally learning how to surrender to and flow with.

As a personal coach I share my time inspiring creative entrepreneurs to accelerate their journey toward a full and balanced life on their terms. In my opinion, the best way to foster liberation is to live it, breath it and study it.  I am ecstatic to shine a focused stream of dazzling golden sunshine with the purpose of illuminating each bold and interesting plan of the people I play with.

Getting Out of your own way looks like this:

• Learning how to be happy with incremental victories that lead to your BIG VISION

• Being grateful for your experience and talents - There is nobody in the Universe quite like you.

• Reminding yourself daily of all you have accomplished

• Setting realistic daily, weekly and quarterly goals

• Kicking your own ass,  hiring a coach or tapping into a mentor to accomplish short-term plans

• Creating an environment of daily creative productivity

• Communicating with like-minded people who are happy to be a part of your support system

Open your eyes and look around.  You can get out of your own way and honor your creative vision.

It is never too late to begin again.

“Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.”  -Ralph Waldo Emerson

My friend and sister entrepreneur wrote a great article about her experience  hiring and working with a professional coach. If you have ever considered working with a transition coach this post will help you make an informed decision.

• I’m stuck. My business has been moving along for the past few years, but I feel like I’m in a rut, doing the same old things the same old way. Or, I’m new at this business, and can’t figure out my next step, but don’t want to (or can’t) take too much time and energy away from my work.’

Why reinvent the wheel? Whether you’re a new business owner or a seasoned entrepreneur who just needs a new perspective, you can benefit from a coach who has direct experience in building a business. A good coach can help you choose your direction and give you action steps to reach your goal.

• I want more; Clients, income, time. These are three things I never seem to have enough of. It’s time to move to the next level!

Who better to help see you toward your goals than someone who has been successful him/herself? Growing your business involves calculated risks and a leap of faith. A good coach can help you assess your readiness for growth allowing you to carefully look before you leap!

• I’m out of ideas. I want to create a new product or program, but I’m not sure where to begin. What are my options?

Not knowing what’s out there, what the market trends are, and what works / doesn’t work is often a hurdle to starting a new product or offering a new service. Why not brainstorm with someone who has their ear to the ground in the online market? A seasoned coach can help you develop your ideas, become more market-savvy and avoid pitfalls.

• I know what to do, but I need a push. I have all the tools and knowledge I need to reach my goal/create and roll out my new product or service. The only obstacle in my way is ME.

You need somebody to answer to besides yourself. A reliable coach can help you set goals and will hold you accountable, so you’ll stop procrastinating and start succeeding.

• I’m burned out! Truthfully, I’m not enjoying myself, and I’m not sure I want to be in this business anymore.

Before you give up all you have worked for, consult someone who has been there. A coach can help you identify what aspects of your business are causing you distress, and do something about it. Whether you need to let go of a few things, or make a radical shift in your business model, it helps to have someone at your side who can help you sort things out,be your biggest cheerleader, and offer workable solutions so you can do what you love, and love what you do.

Hiring a coach was one of the best things I have done to help me navigate my business through growth, change, and some tough economic times.  If you are at a crossroads in your business, it may be time to consider working with a coach. It is an investment that can save you time, money, and sanity as you build your business!

Want to know about Life Coaching and Business Coaching ?  You are welcome to visit the True Balance Website for access to an interesting global study, 101 Things to Work on With A Professional Coach, and a complimentary life on your terms coaching session.

Donna Toothaker is CEO and founder of 1st VA the highly sought-after online marketing and consulting company. 1st VA specializes in providing online marketing support and services to entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who wish to effectively build or improve their online presence. To discover how 1st VA can help your business - visit http://www.1stva.com.

My talented and brilliant mentor coach,  Deb Martin shared some valuable information with me awhile ago about the 4 stages of transition.  This material along with my personal story have become a big part of the focus of my life coaching business.

The purpose of sharing the 4 stages of transition with you and my life coaching clients is to shine a light on human behaviors and feelings through the natural cycles of change.

Any transition serious enough to alter your definition of self will require not just small adjustments in your way of living and thinking but a full-on metamorphosis.  -Martha Beck

Not too long ago, I made one of the most important decisions in my life. The promise to leave corporate America and give my entrepreneurial calling a shot.   When the corporate culture  I was immersed in changed to a game of micro-management, I began to feel a slow and certain suffocation. It was time to leave the job that was killing my soul.

Today I understand that without the extreme discomfort, I may have never allowed myself to follow my dreams.

Stage 1 - Discomfort

A change is coming on. You can feel it. You can smell it. But you might not be sure what the change is or what to do about it. The more you fight it and try to get logical about this change, the longer you’ll stay in the discomfort stage.

You may feel:

• Reluctant, Fearful, in Grief, Angry, Confused,Uncertain, Negative, Defensive, Reactive and Trapped.

• You may Distrust your decisions and your intuition.

• You are likely to Worry more than usual.

Recommendations:

• Stay with your routines that you know Work for you.

• Don’t Over Commit to others at home or at work.

• Allow yourself to go Internal when you need to.

Create a 10 Luscious Daily Habits list and stick to it. Make these “habits” nurturing, easy and fun. Now is not the time to try to lose weight or start a new exercise routine. Create habits that nurture you without calling up your willpower.

Items on my Luscious List:

Meditation, yoga, bubble baths, reading, watching the sunset, fresh flowers,
listening to great music, playing with my daughter, drinking a cup of tea and writing.

As important as it is to nurture yourself through your pain and discomfort, going internal is key to healing and flowing into a graceful transition.

Stage 2 - Going Internal

You may start to protect yourself from the discomfort and go internal. You detach from your “old” self in order to allow for your new change or transition.

You may become:

• Contemplative, Seeking, Questioning, Protective, Spiritual and often Emotional.

• You are likely Quiet, Detached and Withdrawn.

Recommendations:

• Journaling is a great activity at this stage.

• Sometimes reading can be helpful.

• Get yourself into nature, preferably alone.

• Walks on the beach, an evening around a warming campfire, digging in the dirt, a hike along a woodland path, collect pine cones or stones - Anything to immerse yourself in the great outdoors.

When you begin to heal from the discomfort by nurturing your mind, body and soul its time for exploration.

Stage 3 - Exploration

In this stage, you are starting to feel like you have some direction. You have an inkling, about your upcoming transition and what it’s all about. You are ready to learn more and give birth to this new change.

You may feel like:

• You are experiencing new Energy and Security.

• You become Optimististic, Confident, Willing to Experiment with New Ideas, and Learning.

• You are Eager to Dream about new possibilities.

• You are looking for a new path and ready to commit to it.

• You’re discovering a vision.

Recommendations:

• Read about new things and continue to journal.

• Explore relationships and new connections.

• Learn more about what interests you.

• Take a class. Get some training.

• Do something creative.

• Allow yourself to experiment.

Now that we have navigated  through the initial discomfort of a transition, going internal to heal ourselves and rolling up our sleeves to explore new frontiers, we are ready to move into the Renaissance stage.

Stage 4 - Renaissance

Your vision is becoming clear and you’re ready to live your dream .

You will experience:

• You are highly committed, creative and optimistic.

• You are also determined to make changes and do so at a much faster pace.

• Things seem to flow for you.

• Mentally and physically, you’re at the Top of Your Game.

• Everything is Possible.

Recommendations:

• Allow yourself to flow, Allow things to happen.

• Be in love with your new Discoveries and your new Energy.

• Ride the wave.

• Rejoice in your new found freedom.

Each transitional stage can last from weeks to months. You’ll move more quickly through a difficult stage if you honor yourself . Renaissance, feels like it will last forever. It doesn’t.        Transitional stages are cyclical …

What stage are you experiencing right now?

How long have you been in this stage?

What have you learned you need to do right now for yourself and to honor the stage you are experiencing?

After navigating the 4 steps of transition I have successfully reinvented myself by living my dream and have become an Unconventional Bohemian Goddess. The natural cycle of  discomfort, internal time, exploration and renaissance, allowed me to become a best selling author, certified yoga instructor and professional coach with a thriving life coaching practice.

Discovering your groove and creating a luscious life is all aboutallowing for grace through the transition.