by admin | May 15, 2020 | BLOG, Coaching, critical friend, Goals, meaning, next steps, Reflection
Which way is right for me right now…?
In all of this talk of ‘slowing down’ and ‘embracing our true selves’ or ‘now having time to achieve those long-held aspirations’…you may feel (as I have) that you could be & should be taking some really crucial potentially life-altering decisions right now.
Maybe some people are and good luck to them. For me (and I suspect others), just making those small everyday decisions to get through the day is enough at the moment. We are faced with decisions such as:
- How much do I enforce the home-schooling routine whilst still juggling my own working responsibilities…?
- As I’m furloughed could I / should I be undertaking some career enhancing online training…?
- How do I maintain relationships with others virtually…?
- What is my role in society now…how can I help others…?
- I’m still earning, I’m healthy, I’m enjoying extra time with family…but is this ‘too good’ to be true…?
We all make decisions in different ways, some taking advice from friends & family; some looking to others for comparison; others undertaking in-depth research; others going with their ‘gut’ – all have their place. In being occupied with the multitude of every-day decision making we can over-look or put off the bigger potentially more crucial decisions as it feels too hard or we ‘haven’t got the time’ or we simply feel over-whelmed with all of our possible options.
As a coach my role is to provide a space where all methods of decision making and all available options can be explored and time can offered for you to go through your own process in finding your answer to your question. We sometimes forget that we are our own experts and we have the answers we need……often it’s just a little nudge from a ‘critical friend’ supporting you to dig to discover (or re-discover) what really matters.
Get in touch to see how we can work together in a few short sessions to help you end your decision paralysis and unlock the answers to your future life – in your career and in your self-development.
Make contact today: louise@lifematterscoaching.co.uk Or www.lifematterscoaching.co.uk
by louise | Sep 14, 2017 | Uncategorised
Have you got that back-to-school feeling?
It’s not just children dusting off their pencil cases, ready to take on new challenges. It can feel a bit like that for adults too. As holidays come to an end, we naturally start to take stock. Maybe you’ve had time to think about what you’ve achieved and where you might like to be? At this time of year, we often feel inspired to re-focus on our goals or to make changes in our lives.
September also heralds the first day of autumn. It’s a great time for some quiet contemplation, as the nights draw in and we begin to hibernate for the winter. This article perfectly captures the essence of the season.
Reflecting on our lives, loves and the way of the world is good at any point in the year, but it can be especially helpful now. We all get a little distracted in summer, so it feels like the natural time to get back on track with our hopes and aspirations, plan for the future and think about what inspires us.
What gets you out of bed?
To help you with this, it might be worth knowing about the simple Japanese principle of Ikigai. It quite simply means iki (to live) and gai (reason). In other words, your reason to live. What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning? What inspires you?
Is it a higher calling or spirituality? Are you driven to achieve great things? Or do you enjoy the simple pleasures in life? Holding your child’s hand on the school run, sipping your favourite coffee in the park, or going for a run at the end of a long day? For some people it can be a connection with the senses, such as music or art. Or something as simple as a beautiful sunrise on the morning commute.
Setting goals and planning ahead is great. It gives us something to aim for or dream about. But it’s important that we don’t miss out on the present. We’re all guilty of moving our own goalposts or forgetting to celebrate our successes when they happen. But when we discover what makes us tick, it can lead us to enjoy all things connected to this no matter how small or humble they might seem.
To find out how LifeMatters Coaching can help you find your Ikigai, get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.
