Finding Your New Beginning

You’re a leader transitioning from burnout. You’ve taken the leap to find something new. You’ve healed and grown in the wilderness. But every journey has an end. How do you know when you’ve reached it? Two stories.

STORY ONE: In my practice, I can get a sense of when my clients are reaching daylight. When they start coaching, they talk fast with a tight voice. I can feel their pent up frustration and the tension in their shoulders. Sometimes, they struggle to hold it together.

We get to work. Over time, I can see small things happening. It can seem small at first. They think of a hobby they’ve never started because they thought it was too silly. They write me a story—that turns into another, and another. They share with me a crazy dream they just had the night before.

Then, because they’re being coached, they actually have to do something about those things.

And when that happens, the magic starts. They sit differently. They smile more. Their shoulders become looser. They can get through a session without crying.

And then, all of a sudden, they show up in a new place, which can be a very different destination from where they thought they were headed. They’ve started a new degree program that will take them in a new direction. They’ve learned how to integrate their day job with a deeper sense of purpose. They’ve finally taken the executive position they’ve been too scared to take—or realize they never wanted to be in the C-Suite to begin with.

In all of those cases, their decision comes from a centered place. Once they’ve found it, they’ve reached what writer William Bridges calls their “new beginning,” where they can grow and flourish again.

STORY TWO: Once, when I was talking about professional transitions and changes, one person made two important observations that are in keeping with Bridges’s understanding of transition. First, the new beginning isn’t a permanent destination. We’re going to transition again, and we’ll continue to do so as long as we live. So don’t get too comfortable.

Second, although this particular transition story might come to a close, our life-long journey to become who we’re supposed to be is far from over. The ending isn’t an ending. We’re not finding “closure.”

But if we’ve done our work right, we’ll have changed. We’ll be different people, more mature and confident. Wiser. Ready to make the most of wherever we find ourselves.

What transition do you want to make? As your coach, I can help. Book your free Discovery Session here.