I've talked to so many people who are making professional changes this past year. Many are leaving their jobs, adding something new, or pursuing a new startup all together. Any new leaps can always include some trepidation and even self-doubt. This is completely normal and a part of our professional and personal growth. Any time we make new decisions for ourselves, we are exercising self-leadership. And let's face it, self-leadership is hard. It comes with a variation of options, decisions, and stepping into new roles and responsibilities.
There will always be external factors that can be challenging, but if we are confident in ourselves, it can make the process much easier. It's when we allow self-doubt or low confidence consume us that can be immobilizing, particularly in a new venture. It can keep us from taking the next step that we know is right for ourselves, but feel stuck moving ahead. Doors are open, we just can't step through them. It may be worth reflecting--are you getting in your own way?
Mental Health Professional, Anthony Haskins, speaks to this. He gives insights into why it is so hard to change:
"There is built up momentum toward your current way of thinking and behaving that has been en-grained since birth until this present moment. The way your family thinks and behaves becomes the greatest influence on how you think and behave. Then you have your DNA which has a profound influence on who you are and how you are. So, when you become aware that you want to seek a change or you realize that you need to change, there has to be something that roots you into a stance against the momentum and creates a new motion in a different direction. It is like being swept down a river. You have to find something to hold onto in order to find a way to shore or you have to find a way to root your feet to the surface below in order to take the steps toward a new direction.
What we don’t know is usually held in fear. So taking the jump takes great courage. Taking the first step by seeking help will offer you the ability to partner up on the journey. We can begin to reprogram the thinking and find space between what happens in your life and how you respond to it. This creates power. The power of choice. To choose your thoughts. To choose your behaviors. To become a co-creator of your own life. To eradicate the self-imposed limitations you place on yourself according to what you have been programmed to believe, what you’ve been taught and what you think you can or cannot do. All of these are changeable."
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