That stage between your current state and your desired future state is what I like to call the difficult place of the “In-between”. Danaan Parry paints a vivid picture of how this in-between transitional stage feels in Warriors of the Heart. He describes ‘hanging on for dear life to [his] trapeze-bar-of-the-moment’ knowing that in order to grow, he ‘must release [his] grip on this present, well-known bar to move to the new one’ swinging towards him. Parry asserts that this state of suspension between the old & the new is the only place where real change takes place.
Perhaps you’ve come to this same realization of knowing that you MUST let go of the familiar & comfortable in order to embrace the next stage of your growth. You’re no longer satisfied with the status-quo and you’re ready to pack up camp to start your journey to new territory brimming with opportunity. However, you’re somewhat anxious about crossing the unfamiliar terrain that lies ahead. You consider the numerous roadblocks and points of resistance that may impede your path forward. Fear of failing, resource constraints, lack of self-confidence, [FILL IN THE BLANK]. This in-between stage of discomfort plagues all of us at some point in our lives.
For illustrative purposes, let’s consider the would-be entrepreneur who is finally planning his exit from an unfulfilling corporate job to start his dream business. The vision of what his future could be has inspired him to take the first steps forward. He creates his business plan and starts marketing his products & services to the public. Although unprecedented demands from work and family start cropping up and threaten to strip him of the reserve needed to invest in his business, he continues to forge ahead. Why? Because the elements of the Change Equation (D x V x F > R) are at work in his favor. Replace this scenario with your own story. With what aspect of your current state of being are you really dissatisfied? Do you have a compelling vision of what your future could be? Are you willing to take the first steps in the direction of that vision? If so, you have what it takes to overcome the resistance to change.
As a Christian coach and HR professional with roots in Engineering, I have a penchant for formulas, laws & principles. This simple explanation of Newton’s First Law of Motion from www.physics4kids.com really resonated with me:
“The first law says that an object at rest tends to stay at rest, and an object in motion tends to stay in motion, with the same direction and speed. Motion (or lack of motion) cannot change without an unbalanced force acting. If nothing is happening to you, and nothing does happen, you will never go anywhere. If you're going in a specific direction, unless something happens to you, you will always go in that direction. Forever.”
If the thought of staying at rest or going in your same direction FOREVER is disturbing, then I implore you to do something about it. Something…anything that forces you to take your FIRST STEP of motion in a different direction. I invite you to download this free “No More Excuses – Getting More Done” tool as a first step towards taking action. Simply use the worksheet to identify your excuses, understand the underlying fear/consequences, and commit to do things differently.
Regina Ross is a certified HR & Change Management Practitioner and ICF-credentialed Executive Coach who helps leaders successfully navigate organizational and personal transformations. Contact Regina at reginaross@walkonpurpose.com or 951-768-4965, or www.walkonpurpose.com/contact.