You’ve spent days – even months – seeking justification to leave this job, client or relationship…yet the best indicator that it is time for a change is your gut.
Sometimes, you just know in your gut (or heart) when it’s time to close that door. Knowing is the easy part; action is the tough part.
You’ve likely belabored the over ‘pros and cons’, listed alternative approaches, bargained or come up with excuses to delay your decision like: ‘What if things change?’
In your current circumstances, you are not your best; you may even be causing collateral damage by delaying your decision to leave.
It’s time for someone new to take over—new ideas, vigor and enthusiasm to energize your situation. Experiences and relationships all have their seasons.
Why is it so difficult to close doors? Here are blocks my clients have experienced:
• Tenacity. “If I keep working at it, things will get better!”
• Guilt. “I will disappoint someone else by doing what’s right for me.”
• Fear. “What if I fail, am criticized, or am making a mistake?”
• Adversity to Change. “I hate change, never knowing what’s around that next corner. I’ll just stay put even though I am miserable.”
If the time has come for you to leave a situation, put your blocks aside for a moment. Instead, consider my ‘Top 7 Tips’ for a brand new focus. You deserve to experience the thrill of moving forward:
1. Be Realistic. Take inventory of what is excellent vs. what is not working in your current circumstance? Can anything realistically change? Be honest with yourself.
2. Allow Inner Excitement. Opening the next door is exhilarating. Feel that eagerness. Discuss with people whom you trust to intensify your elevated state of mind.
3. Feel Your Passion. Change invites the opportunity to get to know ‘you’ in a brand new way. Discover hidden passions, likes, dislikes and a renewed zeal for life. Most anything, including happiness, is now possible.
4. Elevate Your Creativity. With change you don’t have to be the same person you were before. Allow the new and improved ‘you’ to step forward. Trust your intuition as creative ideas and approaches emerge.
5. Enjoy Your Health. The stress of your decision is behind you. Mental, emotional and physical health will improve with thoughts of something new, opening new brain pathways.
6. Leave the Past Behind. Carry forward all that you’ve learned and not complaints, hurt feelings or baggage. The experience you are leaving has provided valuable life lessons.
7. Celebrate with Gratitude. Every change in life deserves a celebration. Adding an element of gratitude makes your celebration more meaningful. Acknowledge people and experiences for which you are grateful—past, present and future.
Life is short and moves far too fast to stay in situations that do not honor for you. Closing doors is a bold action.
I challenge you to look around at what is working well but not great. Your choices are to improve, ignore or leave to make room for someone who will make it great.
Selecting the latter is an act of courage. Leaving allows you the time and space seek out something new to make great. It’s a thrilling and win-win scenario!
Master Executive & Leadership Coach Ann Golden Eglé, MCC, has steered highly-successful individuals to greater results since 1998. President of Golden Visions & Associates, LLC, Ann can be reached at 541-385-8887 or www.GVAsuccess.com.
