Fall can feel like a season of “going back” – back to school, back to work, back to everyday life.
What if everyday life felt like moving forward instead?
Albert Einstein wrote in a 1930 letter to his son, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”
No backpedaling. No turning around to see where you’ve been; if you do, there’s a near-certainty you’ll end up crashing into something that lies ahead.
Instead, focus on all the forward momentum you’ve created over the last few months – the restful rejuvenation of summer, the mindful vision work you’ve accomplished – to move forward with a clear sense of purpose and direction.
Adapting Your Joyful Summer Habits
Now is the time for purposeful consciousness and installing your new, positive habits into your daily life.
Consider the activities or habits you may have integrated during your summer days (and if you haven’t yet tried some of these practices, have a look back for some inspiration!).
Did you spend more time outdoors, varying your environment and surrounding yourself with nature?
]Take meetings or phone calls outdoors, perhaps even while walking, or schedule breaks to walk away from your desk and take a quick, delightful nature bath.
Did you take the time to do more reading over the summer?
Integrate this into your daily morning routine by reading a chapter (or even just 10 minutes!) before starting your day or falling asleep at night.
Did you exercise more during the summer months?
Register for a class, adapt your exercise routine to your work schedule or invite your neighbor to take a walk once each week.
Behavior Momentum Theory is based on the premise that to create lasting positive change, it is most effective when you reduce resistance. In short? Do more of what you love.
Trust Your Long-Term Vision
When you walk uphill, what do you see? That’s right – the hill.
You may be completely unaware of the valley or smoother road ahead until you reach the peak.
Walking along this path is the experience many people share when working toward goals and a long-term vision. It can be frustrating when all you experience is the hill – the stubborn roadblocks that seem to be slowing you down, the uneven road, the hours of work, or the uncertainty and doubt you might face.
This experience doesn’t mean your vision and goals are impossible! What’s true is that you don’t see them in reality yet.
Keep your gaze open and steady, raised to what matters most to you, rather than focusing on the difficulties that lie at your feet.
Trust yourself. Trust the process. And get moving!
Take Action!
Whether significant or small, taking consistent actions drives the results you experience in your life. So make them count!
This means you are:
- Making informed decisions about what to work on next with the proper support
- Doing more of what is healthy and positive, and less of what doesn’t work for you and your vision
- Surrounding yourself with people who rise the tide and raise your ship
When our actions are inconsistent or ineffective, we are standing still. The bicycle is teetering! A balanced approach to work ensures your daily routine is both focused and sustainable.
To see different results take shape in your professional life, you must commit to consistency and repetition of different actions and habits.
Persevere to Create Change
Research shows that habits don’t happen in a flash. It requires starting, repeating, and persevering to see these habits incorporate into your life in a way that becomes automatic.
For example, suppose you determine that enrolling in a coaching program is the right next step for you to leap into a career reinvention. This program likely requires homework and practice. While you may believe that the course is valuable, you may find that sabotaging voices – both others and your own – could interrupt your momentum. You may experience your motivation waning over time, especially if you are not seeing results. Abandoning the habits and practices you learn will lead you to… well, exactly where you are now.
The focus becomes a habit when you shift your commitment to the practices, using tools like reminders, sticky notes, accountability meetings, group conversations, and community support. The actions you take consistently begin to reap the rewards, and the loop of motivation and change reinforces itself.
Remember: You choose not to be ruled by sabotaging voices by becoming mentally fit and strong.
Welcome Your New Reality – Every Day
A new reality will always be the result of what you decide and what actions you choose to take.
When you let your purpose lead the way after identifying what you want to be present in your professional life, you continuously set yourself on the right path. Be graceful and give yourself all the tools you need to begin the next phase of your career.
Whether that phase looks like a new lease on life, a burgeoning career, or a leap into entrepreneurship or leadership, your first job is to begin.
Your next job: Stay the course.
This may require learning new skills or positioning yourself just outside your comfort zone to meet people who will give you the support you need. It may take creativity and unfamiliar contexts or situations. It may require a personal evolution, letting go of what no longer serves you in favor of what does.
It will take one step at a time!
The first few miles of your hike up the hill may be challenging, but when you reach the top…Ahhhh. Glorious.
Our final piece of advice? You were not made to accept what is, especially if what is does not make you rise.
Life is about decisions. Every decision you make is a gift to your future YOU.
Forward you must go.
If you’re feeling ready and excited by the idea of change but find yourself stuck, uncertain of how to begin, or unsure whether you are in a position to move forward by yourself, let’s talk! Reach out for more about our upcoming webinars and mental fitness coaching program!
