Staying strong and committed in turbulent times
As a Bon Jovi fan from way back this phrase has always meant a lot to me. Over the years I have chanted this to myself in both short term and long term situations. Running a marathon, completing my Masters, crawling my way through my ABA (Applied Behaviour Analyst) internship that no one truly understood LOL - these words have been both supportive and inspiring. Regardless of your religious convictions keeping the faith can be a personal mantra relating to faith in oneself and one's innate ability to survive and make the most of any situation.
As 2022 unfolds for us in ways we would never have anticipated, I am often reminding clients and myself to reflect on what it means to have faith in oneself? Our previous experiences all impact on our behaviour and over time have shaped our behaviour to what it is today. Our current behaviour may be serving us or not...and now is the time to consider and reflect on what we need to change or modify to suit our current needs. If we can stay in this space of non judgment and simply assess the usefulness of what we do, we stand a much better chance of making sustainable changes.
You could start by doing a self assessment of your habits - list the habits and tick off the following;
Are they serving a purpose?
Are they aligned to your values and beliefs?
Are they creating a barrier to you achieving something?
Those who have read my previous blogs know I am constantly saying all this is a work in progress for me too! I have done an assessment of my life recently and been intrigued by how much I have slowed my life down to a pace that has me smelling the roses so to speak! I had got in a state as I felt I wasn't achieving as much as I used to in terms of productivity and work. Yet when I reflected on my feelings when I was racing through life I reminded myself I wasn't truly happy - I was happy with my achievements but not with my lifestyle! My habits weren't serving me, they weren't aligned with my values; and they were creating a barrier to my happiness.
So I decided to keep the faith in me and trust that I knew deep down what was right for me in the moment. I began to focus less on productivity and more on my feelings and feeling happy - because out of this state of happiness comes the successes and the achievements. By having faith in myself and staying committed to my feelings of what was right for me no matter what, I felt I had the strength to ride through the dark times.
I have clients that depend on me and being of service has certainly helped me to keep perspective and feel valued! Simon Sinek talks about - what you need in life is what you need to give. I have been excited to be working with some amazing clients recently who have enriched my coaching practice simply because they have have embraced the experience and had faith in their ability to act on our sessions! They have completed their homework and shared their values and findings along the way; and some have made significant changes in a very short space of time by reflecting on and writing a personal vision statement.
By sharing my experiences, and my expertise in behavioural change, I am receiving just what I need - faith that all is unfolding as it should, and that I am contributing and growing as a result!
If you would like to know more about my coaching services - do drop me a line - I am currently working with a range of age groups and genders providing a framework for self assessment and inspiration! ☺️. info@katewinchester.co.nz