I spent my entire life being small and behaving according to the rules. Since I started coaching full-time in late 2021, there are SO MANY inner blocks I need to work through to truly show up.
I started writing blog posts with only two subscribers because I don’t dare to share my blog broadly. I continue to write anyway.
My most recent inner block is posting content about coaching on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is in my opinion the most formal way to declare what I do and the best way to showcase how I’m bringing my whole self to work.
It’s such a big block for me. As soon as I thought about posting on LinkedIn, all the “what if”s started to run through my head.
- What if my coaching business fails and I need to go back to an engineering management role?
- What if my posts irritate people and people start to avoid me?
- What if people have misconceptions about coaching and what I do?
- What would my old professional contacts think about me?
I am paralyzed with those thoughts and distracting myself with anything I can find.
As I observe my own thoughts and behaviors, I wonder:
How do I move myself forward regardless of all the fears?
I came up with two ways that work for me:
1. Find what pulls me forward and do it anyways, especially when fears are present. As my coach Rich says, “fear is a mask for desire”.
As an introverted leader, my tendency is to shy away from the spotlight. However, I will fight for what I truly believe in.
I truly believe in the power of coaching and how it can change ourselves and the world. I experienced firsthand my own transformation and witnessed it again and again on my clients. When I truly show up and take space, I give myself (and others) permission to be our authentic self with all the possibilities.
- The possibility to impact others at the human level
- The possibility to help others design their work and life
- The possibility to reduce anxiety and create flows
- The possibility to deepen our relationships
- The possibility to make the impossible possible
The possibilities for myself and others excite me and pull me forward.
2. Put what I set out to do through The 25-Year Framework
When I first heard The 25-Year Framework by Dan Sullivan, I can’t even comprehend it.
We live in the world of instant gratification and fear of missing out. We set goals and want to achieve them FAST. We can’t wait to get there and move on to the next goal.
It’s hard for me to imagine doing something for 25 years at first. I pondered the idea for a few weeks and came to term with it. Thinking in 25 years pushes me to see a bigger future with a sense of abundance toward time.
- I want to coach for life.
- I want to increase my impact exponentially with individuals and groups.
- I want to change the work culture to be more human-centered.
- I want to enjoy being here instead of always wanting to be there.
When I put my inner block of posting about coaching on LinkedIn through The 25-Year Framework, I smile. At age 65, I simply do not care about what people think of me. Instead, I focus on how I live my chosen life and share the learning freely along the way.
What’s blocking you now to take the next action toward your dream?
How do these two ways might help you do it anyways?
Love,
Wen
P.S. One of my goals in 2022 is to grow my blog to 100 subscribers. If you want to read more, please subscribe here.