Getting Unstuck: Alignment of Self

When it comes to growing yourself or your business, have you ever felt stuck and out of energy? I’ve certainly been there many times throughout life. As a student, there were times when I would feel lost and question why I had to go to school or do my homework.

As an employee, there were the times when I would question if the work I was doing really mattered. Other times I’d feel so focused on the details of a solution or the complexities of a project that I’d wonder if I was moving away from my goals and dreams instead of towards them.

As a business owner, there were the times when I wondered if the work I was doing was really adding value and leading to growth or if it was all in vain.

I still find myself in these situations from time to time and I’ve been coached, as well as coached myself and many others through these lows. The way out of this funk is one that will occur naturally if you let it. Simply put, it takes a realignment with yourself.

Starting the Process: Answer the “Why”

We start this process when we ask ourselves “what exactly am I doing and why?” Waiting for it to happen naturally is not ideal as it can take some time to manifest.

Instead, start now or as soon as you realize you are feeling detached. Consider what’s the benefit of building realignment into a routine? From time to time we get the opportunity to rediscover our ‘Why’…think of your ‘Why’ as your belief of your purpose and your dreams.

Step one of our realignment is to take the appropriate time to create a communication to yourself of what your ‘Why’ looks like.

Continuing On: Understand Where You’re Headed

Answer the question: Where are you ideally headed? This step is all about taking some time to envision yourself already delivering your purpose and living your dreams.

Some questions that help here: What kind of person are you? How do you spend your day and how do you act? What are you really good at and what skills set you apart? Once you have a good idea of who this person is in your dreams and delivering your purpose, step two is to commit to becoming and being that person today. Identify as your future self in the present tense. Say “I am” followed by the person you seek to become. Do this regularly, daily even, and believe what you say.

When making decisions, ask yourself “how would my future-self decide?” This gives you the appropriate context for how to focus your time and energy in the present. Plus, it gives a way to measure the quality of your actions. Simply ask: “How would my successful future-self look back upon this decision?”

Take Action

Fundamentally, what you are doing is aligning your current self with who you want to be in the future. There are many of us who assist in this process. Phelps Coaching can help get you there, all it takes to start is a diagnostic call.

A few questions to leave you with… Does an organization go through the same type of lulls? What benefits might an organization get from realignment? How do you, as an organizational leader, handle these phenomena?

I look forward to your responses in our call together!