I don’t know if you’ve heard the quote “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. I think it was Albert Einstein who said that and he’s absolutely right. I realised this at some point when I was looking to get out of IT and into something I really enjoyed.
I was used to thinking over an issue, looking at what I could see as the different sides, then coming to a decision. Occasionally I had to think about it for a while or try to forget about it and something would eventually come to me. It didn’t happen that way for me this time and it made me more frustrated than I already was!
Eventually I just Googled something like “how to change career when you don’t know what to do”. It was a bit of a long shot but it kind of worked. I found a website for a company who specialise in this kind of thing. I actually had to do something though and it took me a while to pull my finger out and accept that I needed to take action, rather than sitting on my arse pondering the whole time.
But once I took action, it snowballed really quickly into finding a coaching course, starting to coach, starting my own business and handing my notice in. I think it was just under a year for all of that last sentence to happen.
Now, I’m really excited about the future of my coaching business and how I can help women find their places in the world. I have some ideas brewing now for what I’d like to put in place before the end of the year and I can’t wait to see what I come up with while I’m walking the Camino. I’m hoping it gives me a whole new view on what women might want and how to get them feeling great about themselves and their lives.
None of this would be happening right now if I hadn’t have changed what I usually do and looked at things from a different perspective. You can do it too, it’s really easy. Change your usual chair, look in a different direction, go for a walk, do something out of the ordinary for you.
Looking at things differently can also help your relationships with other people. That person in the office who is continually aggravating you is almost certainly not doing it on purpose. If you look a little deeper you might find that they are doing something you do yourself that you want to change. Or maybe they’re insecure and looking to you (or anyone else) for guidance because they don’t think they’re capable of making their own decisions.
Finding a rational reason for why someone is irritating you can sometimes be as easy as looking at it from their point of view. Maybe their partner is really critical, maybe one of their parents is ill, maybe they’re struggling with depression. Or maybe you haven’t explained something properly.
Sometimes solutions to your problems, as well as life-changing ideas are waiting for you just around a hidden corner of your mind.
Comments