Is Your Current Path The Right One or Is It Time For a Change?

GUEST POST BY ALLI POLIN

There are times when we all ask ourselves, “is my current path the right one?”

I know I’ve been asking myself that question left, right, and center since I left Washington DC for the Outback. My business, family, and friends all factor into my answer. Some days I’m sure, other days not so much. 

Like many of my clients, I’m on the edge of change. You may be too. Unfortunately, we can’t stand on the edge forever, standing still. We have to leap. 

If there’s something in your gut that’s telling you that blind acceptance of your current path isn’t working for you – listen. Conscious choice demands courage and intention. 

It’s hard, right? To know if you’re making the right choices when most of the time there are no perfect choices. If there was one alternative that was head and shoulders above the rest every time you’d always know what to do… which you don’t. 

Most people don’t like to talk about that feeling out loud. It’s not exactly the same as being stuck because you’re working to make choices – good choices. Ok, the best choices. However, having choices in front of you doesn’t always make that leap any easier. 

What I’ve found is the most powerful tool to empower change isn’t having all of the answers. Yes, we all like to ask people what to do, hope they’ll tell us our magic answer, and we can just go and do it. But we’re not four-years-old, and all the armchair quarterbacks out there don’t have your answers because they’re in you. The most powerful tool at your disposal as you assess your commitment to your current path is questions. 

JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE ON A PATH DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE TO STAY THERE!

IS YOUR CURRENT PATH THE RIGHT ONE OR IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE? 

ASK YOURSELF:

1. Does it light you up?
2. If you won the lottery, would you quit?
3. Are you always open to hearing about new opportunities?
4. Would you rather stay in bed than get down to business?
5. What are you avoiding?
6. Do you have an end goal? (what are you working towards?)
7. Are you stressed about it all the time?
8. Are you having fun?
9. Can you breathe? (Be You)
10. Are you suffering from shiny object syndrome?
11. How often does procrastination win over productivity?
12. Do you fantasize about doing something else? 
13. If money were no object, what would you choose to do?
14. Do you feel like you have consistent wins?
15. How do you define success?
16. Do you often complain about the headaches?
17. How often do you celebrate your successes?
18. Are you fulfilled?
19. What’s missing?
20. Are you happy?

Sit with these questions. This isn’t a five-minute exercise. You may want to tackle a few a day. One thing you can count on is that if you stick with it, your answers within will become clear.

If you’d like to explore these questions more deeply with a partner, I’d love to hear from you. 

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Alli Polin is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and is a former senior executive who now focuses her work as a global leadership coach, speaker and writer. You can follow Alli on Twitter.