The Power of Permission

I had lunch last Friday with a dear friend who I’ve known and worked with in both my first and second careers. We’ve worn different hats for each other over the years and now we double up as each other’s coaching accountability buddies.

We get together every quarter to set up and review our business (and life) plans...full disclosure to you guys but I was a little nervous to catch up as the last few times we have met she has kicked my butt over a few things!

I suspect you have someone in your life, that cares enough about you to tell you how it is not to make you feel bad but because they are invested in supporting you to achieve your goals...

But as I sat there reflecting on my progress, I realised some of the hopes and aspirations I set out a year ago were actually becoming a reality!

I’ve spoken a little bit about this but as I enter further into the second decade in my own business, I can sense that things need to be re-imagined and changed. I don’t have all the answers yet, but this year was about carving out the space and time to reflect and re-energise so that the next level of growth for me personally and in a business sense can emerge.

Life by Design?

With my clients I talk about this as creating your life (and leadership) by design. It's about getting off the hamster wheel and putting the work in to create the life and work that lights you up.

So, with this in mind I decided to frame my year as my ‘long-service-leave-year'. I realised I had to give myself permission to take my foot off the gas a bit. The last few years for many of us I suspect have been filled with hustle, future-proving our businesses for hybrid working practices, building new and more relevant offerings and ways to serve, recovering from covid re-bound market pressures, getting to grips with AI possibilities...

I’ll be the first to admit that I was working my way back into the grind last year and I knew I had to break the circuit. And not breaking the circuit in a ‘Clare of old’ kind of way where I head off to sit on the cold floor of a meditation retreat somewhere in the world for a week only to realise that I’m not happy and I need to smash things up and make radical changes!?

This can be helpful, don’t get me wrong, but after doing a lot of personal development and healing work last year a new calmer and pragmatic change agenda has emerged.

One that places simplicity and focus as it’s heart. As I reflected on my progress on Friday, I realised there have been 5 key ingredients that I have put into play in the last 6 months to allow this next level of growth to happen.

1. Double down and deliver with excellence to existing clients to retain them and map out long-term commitments ?
2. Say ‘no’ to things that are outside of my lane – for me this meant re-focusing on 1:1 executive coaching and The Luminous Leader? programs vs ad hoc trainings and consulting work?
3. Re-do the teams Clifton Strengths and re-set roles and responsibilities, with the team picking up things in their strengths zones and reducing my workload?
4. Reduce work hours down, enable Friday’s to be inspiration vs workdays?
5. Take several extended breaks and evolving my energy management plan in a way that could fuel my imagination and energy?

I wonder which one of these ingredients might help you to unlock more growth and inspiration??

It’s early days but I found myself sharing with this friend I felt calmer, clearer and more spacious in my days and weeks. I felt less stretched and more present with clients and focused on what they need, applying a broader range of Neuro-Linguistic-Programming (NLP) tools and emotional clearing techniques I’d been learning to accelerate their growth and transformation...I have more time for my partner who is dealing with the loss of a parent and my schedule allows me to move and exercise twice a day.?

I’m not saying it’s been all plane sailing; I’ve had moments when I’m not as ‘busy’ in my days and feel like I should be doing more. The guilt starts to creep in as I have been so conditioned to operate from a place of reactivity and hustle... but in these moments I take a breath and come back to the intention of simplicity, focus and reminding myself it’s ‘a-long-service-leave year’...It’s my life and work to design and not anyone else’s.?

Why tell you this??

Over To You?

I’m curious to know where you are sitting with your goals and energy levels as we move into the second half of the year...

Do you feel like you have grabbed your life by design this year or is life happening to you by default??

Are you feeling energised, have you taken some good breaks as well or are you stretched too thin and heading into the burnt-out zone?

Importantly, as you tune in now to where you are at, I’d like you to apply the ‘no-judgement-rule'. We all make decisions and choices in how we work based on the expectations we place on ourselves and those we feel from others. ??

The Power of Permission?

In my experience, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind and forget it’s our life. It doesn’t have to be happening to us, we can be in control of it. We just must give ourselves permission to do this...?

So, what might you need to give yourself permission for to unlock more of your work and life by design??

3-ways to start your life by design?

If this resonates with you today below are 3-ways, I can support you to lean into more of your life by design.

1. Break the cycle - I always say, “if nothing changes, nothing changes!” That's why I'm a massive advocate for planning out my year with circuit breakers. I like Steven Covey’s language of "big rocks," which I’ve adapted to mean not just the work-related tasks and instead, they include things like retreats, time with loved ones, holidays and conferences and events that provide new growth, fresh energy and inspiration. So, as we move into the second half of the year take this as a moment to get intentional about breaking the ‘grindy’ cycle if you are in it. Let’s get focused on you bringing more joy and energy into your work and life. You can access my ‘annual planner’ right HERE .

2. Prioritise growth and thinking time – that could be scheduling an hour in your diary to go to your favorite cafe and reflect on what’s working for you this year, what isn’t working and what you want to change...I’m here to help on this one, I’ll be hosting our next Luminous Coaching Conversation on ‘igniting your leadership (and life) by design’ 8.30am AEST 16th August. RSVP HERE

3. Work with a mentor or coach that can guide your journey – in the last year I’ve worked with amazing coaches at The Spiral Academy and another mentor the lovely Lorraine Murphy to begin re-imagining the next decade of my career and life and I’m paying all of this goodness forward into my coaching clients. I have one final spot left on The Luminous Leader? Accelerator Program – if you are a senior leader that’s had enough of the hamster wheel, and you are ready to put the work in to create the life and leadership career that lights you up email me back at [email protected] with ACCELERATOR in the title and we can chat before the doors close next week.?

So, there you have it – I feel a little vulnerable sharing all of this, but I do hope it’s been helpful to start thinking about your life-by-design, especially if you have been feeling a little stuck on the hamster wheel lately. ?

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially what you might need to give yourself permission for to design the rest of the year that could see you more lit up and luminous!