Reinventing yourself

As a business coach I am constantly reminded of two key motivators in life. The tendency to move away from things we do not like and towards things we want more of.

Two years ago I was both employed and self-employed, running my company Carnival Consultancy and employed by West Norwich Partnership as a BizFizz coach. As an award-winning programme helping businesses start and move through a recession we were very busy and I started to feel overwhelmed with the level of work and demands on my time, having less time to devote to the more creative aspects of my own business. I also noticed, as an over 50 year old grandmother, certain changes in my energy levels. My body began to complain about long hours spent in front of the screen.

My cousin, a leading Norfolk gardener, came home one day having spent the day up a tree and I noticed a wave of mild envy. I have learned through my coaching experience that envy is a flag, a marker that there’s something we are not doing in our own lives that we are recognising in another’s. Something switched inside me and I decided to resign and retrain as a fitness instructor. No-one was more surprised than me at this decision. Two years later I am still business coaching through Carnival Consulting and running my new company, Nia Norfolk.

How to successfully reinvent yourself

In this climate of political, environmental and economic uncertainty many people are facing changes in their lives that they have no control over. Redundancy for example is such an event. One thing we learn as coaches is that we may not be able to control external events however we do have control over our reactions and choices during these changes.

The single most powerful question to ask yourself when considering reinvention is:

[quote]What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?[/quote]

The honest answer to this will get you closer to who you really are, not who others may think you are or what significant people may have told you in the past.

We all know stories of people who have unhooked a successful, busy career for a happier, more relaxed life, perhaps very different, lived at another speed, place or activity.

We also know of people who stay apparently stuck in boring, unfulfilling jobs for the pension, only to die just before or after they retire.

This article is a plea to listen to yourself and to take the risk of leading a fuller, more fulfilling life.

A few guidelines are –

• Dare to think big, bold and be creative.
• Notice when you feel envy – you may not want to do what the person is doing but you may need the qualities that person has in their life.
• Find a coach to assist you on this journey. Someone you trust will understand your values, motivation and aspirations.
• Allow for ups and downs. It’s natural to take 3 steps forward and then one tiny step back occasionally.
• Have plan B and C up your sleeve. If only to appease the inevitable voice of caution that will pop up from time to time to tell you that it’s not possible.
• Remember to celebrate your achievements and reward yourself for steps forward.
• Develop a supportive network of the positive radiators in your life – spend less time with people who drain you.

I look forward to hearing your stories and am happy to answer your questions in the comments below.