Building Your Inner Steadiness

A key reason that you can lose your way in today’s fast-paced work environment is that your education and training haven't equipped you to stay inwardly steady without burning out or checking out.

Every day a multitude of demands, distractions and people in distress (and excitement), come from all directions (work, home, your screens) and flood your space. It's easy to go into overload or autopilot simply coping to get through the day or your to-do list and forget to notice what is going on inside you and how that influences your leadership, decisions, relationships and wellbeing. Some days there’s no breathing space and you can be in a permanent state of inner turbulence like a continually shaken-up jar of soil and water that never gets chance to settle.

What Can You Do?

So, what can you do to cultivate a sustainable and real inner steadiness that enables you to stay strong inside and be a solid, grounding presence for your team, your stakeholders, your loved one, your decisions and yourself?

Here’s my advice: ?? Adopt a stillness practice each day. ??

Meditation is one example. It's learnable and evidence based, and so a reliable place to start. Sitting quietly and focusing on your breath or an object for even 5 minutes a day can be beneficial. If meditation isn't for you take a daily mindful walk, or stroke your pet on breaks, or at the end of your working day, and be fully present in the experience. Put your stillness practice in your diary. Make it non-negotiable.?

The Benefits

The more you practise inner stillness the easier it becomes, and you gain the confidence to be with the difficult thoughts, emotions and sensations that might come up. This means that you find inner steadiness more available to you in your day to day, even in those tricky moments when you are inwardly knocked off balance by the previously mentioned demands, distractions and people.

Importantly for a busy woman, you realise that stillness (and steadiness) is an inside job that is really about a quality of connection within you. You learn that you can continue to move at speed when you need to, and the inward stillness you carry protects and enhances your leadership, relationships and life.

You become living proof of the wise words of Lao Tse “Being still doesn't mean you don't move. It means you move in peace.”

But What If A Stillness Practice Seems Impossible?

If the unsettled momentum you find yourself in makes a stillness practice seem impossible, you can do what Ingrid, a partner in a law firm did, as explained in my book “THE STABILITY EFFECT”.

Responding to her inner 999 and worries about burnout, Ingrid took herself off for a day’s coastal walking to clear her head, feel her feelings, and come to a degree of inner stillness that enabled her to make new choices. THEN, with coaching support and accountability, Ingrid could build in daily practices to keep burnout and disconnect not only at bay, but off the map entirely, and allow her inner steadiness to lead.

Want To Talk?

I’ve cleared Friday morning (2 August) between 8am and noon to offer 8 FREE 20-minute consultation calls that will help you build your inner steadiness.

Book a call HERE to discuss your situation with me and leave re-energised with at least one key action towards a stronger, clearer, steadier connection to yourself and all the benefits this brings.

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?? Hello, I'm Amanda Muckalt, and I specialise in helping midlife women in leadership to thrive in change. If you want coaching support in your leadership, you can DM me or e-mail me at [email protected] as a first step.

If your organisation wants help with midlife leadership coaching, designing and facilitating masterclasses, and creating environments where leaders can thrive, DM me or e-mail me at [email protected] and we can arrange an initial call.

?? Find a free copy of THE STABILITY EFFECT, my Amazon #1 best-selling book, HERE. PART ONE is dedicated to Inner Steadiness.

?? Everyone is welcome in the Midlife Magic newsletter. While written for midlife women in leadership as my main client base, specialist area, and authentic lived experience, everyone is free to subscribe, read, comment. Whoever you are, if there’s something here that makes your life and leadership more joyous, impactful and easy, then we’re all winning.