Stepping Out of Your Norm

Have you ever wanted to write a book or explore a domain that seems outside of your business area? Have you ever wanted to pack everything up and travel the world for a year? Have you been having an inkling to experiment and dabble in something new?

These kinds of stirrings are going on with my colleagues, my clients and within me this past year. 2016 has been a year of major change and with change comes uneasiness and lack of clarity.

Sometimes it’s the not knowing that stops us from not moving forward.

Where have you been so head’s down that it has stifled your own creativity and big thinking? Where have you been neglecting the yearnings in your heart for fear they may be just a little too outside the norm? Where have you been holding yourself back because you’re not quite sure how it all fits into what you are currently doing?

Our souls came here to experience what it is to be fully alive. And to be fully alive requires listening to, honoring and following where your energy wants to go. Sometimes that energy wants to go in directions that surprise you.

Where have you wanted to go this past year that you haven’t explored yet? I’m not referring to a specific place or location. I’m talking about a deep calling, a curiosity; a strong desire that has been lingering.

Instead of jumping to conclusions that your ideas are so far off from what you’ve been doing, you may be quite surprised when you start to connect the dots. When you look deeper there’s always a connection.

The dots are closer than you think. And here’s how you know…

Think of one idea, yearning or desire you’ve had in the last year that you have not yet pursued fully…

1. What is behind that desire? What drives you to want that? Why is it so important to you?
2. If you pursued that desire what value would you be honoring in yourself?
3. Now, look to see where else in your life have you honored that value. Where in your work do you honor it? Where in your relationships do you honor it?Where else in your life do you honor it?
4. Is the reason you want to pursue that new idea similar to the reason you went into business in the first place?

Our values help connect the dots and remind us that we are not that far off.

Underneath the core of what we are and what we do is who we are. If we can continue to honor who we are in everything we do then it becomes more about “being” and less about “doing”.

So, next time you have a strong desire to pursue something that at the outset seems so foreign to what you are doing today, stop and get underneath the driver.

That driver may just be the very thing that motivates you to move forward.

And remember you don’t need anyone’s approval to pursue that idea or desire.

Allow yourself some time and energy to explore it and dive in.

Your soul will be smiling and I soon you may just experience a skip in your step. Skipping is good…really…and you may discover a bit more of who you truly are.

Let’s Put it Into Action – Monthly Workout

Take some time out this month to experiment with areas that may “seem” outside of your business…

1. What are some of the ideas you’ve been having that you put on the back burner because they seemed “out there”?
2. What have you most desired in your business this year that has not yet come to fruition?
3. If you pursued those ideas or that desire what values would you be honoring in yourself?
4. What would it take to honor that value once and for all?
5. What is one small step you could take to experiment with your idea or desire with no attachment to the outcome?
6. Are you willing to take that step (as small as it may be)?

I’d love to hear how this month’s workout is for you. Pop over to our blog and leave me a comment below.