GETTING UNSTUCK
(AND, FINDING YOUR SWEET SPOT IN THE PROCESS!)
In 2005 I was laid off from my job, a career that I had been in for 15 years. Not only was I mad, I was hurt, confused and terrified. I had no idea what my next move would be. To make matters worse, the physical limitations of Multiple Sclerosis (which I had been diagnosed with in 1992) had begun to really take its’ toll. Let me start from the beginning:
At 22-years-old, I was told that I had Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system. It affects different people in different ways. Some people immediately go to being disabled while others will live their whole life without any major physical or cognitive limitations. That was a gift and a curse for me. A curse because I had no idea what it meant to have MS and did little to educate myself about the disease process. The gift? Again, I had no idea what it meant to have MS so I continued with my plans to move to New York and work in the music business. That turned out to be one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I got to travel all around the world, meet lots of people and make very good money. During this time, I had very few visible signs of MS so I did what I could to hide it. However, once a year, almost like clockwork, I would have a relapse. For me that meant I was confined to the bed and/ or hospital unable to walk for several weeks. This was the only time that anyone outside of close friends was made aware of my condition. After the relapse I would go back to living my life as though everything with my health was o.k. What can I say? I was young, that’s what I wanted to believe. And I was able to live out my dreams with that belief.
Unfortunately, the curse began to rear its’ ugly head as years passed and the disease progressed. I was lulled into a false sense of security. For almost 12 years, I moved around the music business working for 4 different companies from start-ups to Fortune 500, advancing from intern to Senior Director of Marketing, winning awards and selling millions of records. I wanted to ignore the MS, so I did – until I couldn’t. Physically it was becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the fast-pace of the entertainment industry – a business where most of the work takes place long after 5pm. Mentally, it was becoming harder to focus and concentrate and because I tried to “hide” the disease, my cognitive issues were seen by others as apathy towards my job. (Not a good look in any industry!)
By the time I decided to become more educated about the disease and research alternative forms of therapy, the fate of my music career had already been decided – I was laid off in July 2005. I got other job offers within the music industry, but deep down I knew that I had to take time for me and take control of my health. This was an extremely difficult decision for me. What would I do now? How could I continue to support myself not making the money that I had become so accustomed to? Would I become totally disabled?
It was at this time that I was introduced to a holistic nutritionist. After spending some time with her and seeing first hand how I was being “coached” through this time of uncertainty, I knew I had found my “sweet spot”! I moved to Atlanta to escape the rat race of New York and enrolled in a Wellness Coaching certification course. I had made the decision to coach people with chronic illnesses to lead healthier, more productive lifestyles. As my coaching practice evolved, I realized the biggest obstacle facing my clients wasn’t wanting to live healthier lifestyles, but learning how to become unstuck from that place that had kept them in a holding pattern for so long. In order to make any lifestyle change, it’s important to first understand what is holding us back from taking that first step towards finding our sweet spot!
That’s when I created The Personal Brand Blueprint, a step-by-step guide to defining and developing a strong Personal Brand that attracts the life you want to live. I thought back to my career and how I was able to successfully accomplish all that I had while having such an unpredictable disease as MS; it was having a strong Personal Brand. And when I lost sight of that, I let my fear of the unknown take over and keep me paralyzed.
How I got unstuck & How You Can Too
Acknowledge Your Feelings – Being laid off, having a disease, not knowing what the heck I was going to do, were all a source of embarrassment, frustration and disappointment for me (just to name a few). After some time (read: a long time!), I decided the best way for me to face those emotions was to first acknowledge that they exist. Just by my conversations with others, I realized that I was not alone. And more importantly, I could move on from this!
Clear the clutter – In order to clear your head, you must clear your space, literally and figuratively. Clean your house, clean your office, even clean your car! Get rid of the outside noise; the negative people in your life as well as the negative self- talk. Delegate specific times for watching TV, answering email, “browsing” social media sites – anything that’s not benefiting your BIG picture plan, clear it out! Having a clean space will allow you to think and act more clearly.
What’s the worst that could happen – Get rid of the expectations; expectations you put on yourself and those you think others have of you. Ask yourself, what is it costing me to stay where I am? If you decide today to step out on a ledge and it doesn’t go as planned, what’s the worst that could happen? I would bet the benefits, in the long run, would outweigh the risks. Think about it!
Reframe your thoughts – What’s your biggest fear for moving forward? How can you change that negative thought into a positive affirmation? Remember, what you think you become. The more you put those negative thoughts out into the universe, then guess what? You attract more negativity! Be conscious of your thinking.
Start where you are – You will constantly be chasing the next thing – this is called “the shiny ball syndrome” – where everything that looks shiny, new and attractive, is more fulfilling than what you already have. But I’m telling you that by doing so, that next thing will never be enough. Start where you are, accept what is and make a conscious decision to move forward. “If we wait for everything, absolutely everything is ready, we will never begin” – Ivan Turgenev
This brings me to my final point:
Make a conscious decision to move forward – Take this time to stop and do some soul-searching. Decide what you want for yourself and move toward that. What’s your BIG picture vision?!
If you’re feeling stuck I challenge you to do the above exercises and do them with intention. Commit to getting unstuck and moving forward – it’s the key to finding your “Sweet Spot” in life!
AUTHOR BIO: Kelly Green, CWC, empowers those in transition to find their sweet spot by defining, developing and delivering a powerful Personal Brand. Her company, http://ThePersonalBrandBlueprint.com , is a step-by-step coaching process that re-energizes, re-charges and re-claims your inner-entrepreneur. If you’re ready to create the blueprint to your success, become the person you want to be, and live the life you were meant to live, contact Coach Kelly: kelly@thepersonalbrandblueprint.com for your FREE strategy session!
(AND, FINDING YOUR SWEET SPOT IN THE PROCESS!)
In 2005 I was laid off from my job, a career that I had been in for 15 years. Not only was I mad, I was hurt, confused and terrified. I had no idea what my next move would be. To make matters worse, the physical limitations of Multiple Sclerosis (which I had been diagnosed with in 1992) had begun to really take its’ toll. Let me start from the beginning:
At 22-years-old, I was told that I had Multiple Sclerosis (MS), an auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system. It affects different people in different ways. Some people immediately go to being disabled while others will live their whole life without any major physical or cognitive limitations. That was a gift and a curse for me. A curse because I had no idea what it meant to have MS and did little to educate myself about the disease process. The gift? Again, I had no idea what it meant to have MS so I continued with my plans to move to New York and work in the music business. That turned out to be one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I got to travel all around the world, meet lots of people and make very good money. During this time, I had very few visible signs of MS so I did what I could to hide it. However, once a year, almost like clockwork, I would have a relapse. For me that meant I was confined to the bed and/ or hospital unable to walk for several weeks. This was the only time that anyone outside of close friends was made aware of my condition. After the relapse I would go back to living my life as though everything with my health was o.k. What can I say? I was young, that’s what I wanted to believe. And I was able to live out my dreams with that belief.
Unfortunately, the curse began to rear its’ ugly head as years passed and the disease progressed. I was lulled into a false sense of security. For almost 12 years, I moved around the music business working for 4 different companies from start-ups to Fortune 500, advancing from intern to Senior Director of Marketing, winning awards and selling millions of records. I wanted to ignore the MS, so I did – until I couldn’t. Physically it was becoming more and more difficult to keep up with the fast-pace of the entertainment industry – a business where most of the work takes place long after 5pm. Mentally, it was becoming harder to focus and concentrate and because I tried to “hide” the disease, my cognitive issues were seen by others as apathy towards my job. (Not a good look in any industry!)
By the time I decided to become more educated about the disease and research alternative forms of therapy, the fate of my music career had already been decided – I was laid off in July 2005. I got other job offers within the music industry, but deep down I knew that I had to take time for me and take control of my health. This was an extremely difficult decision for me. What would I do now? How could I continue to support myself not making the money that I had become so accustomed to? Would I become totally disabled?
It was at this time that I was introduced to a holistic nutritionist. After spending some time with her and seeing first hand how I was being “coached” through this time of uncertainty, I knew I had found my “sweet spot”! I moved to Atlanta to escape the rat race of New York and enrolled in a Wellness Coaching certification course. I had made the decision to coach people with chronic illnesses to lead healthier, more productive lifestyles. As my coaching practice evolved, I realized the biggest obstacle facing my clients wasn’t wanting to live healthier lifestyles, but learning how to become unstuck from that place that had kept them in a holding pattern for so long. In order to make any lifestyle change, it’s important to first understand what is holding us back from taking that first step towards finding our sweet spot!
That’s when I created The Personal Brand Blueprint, a step-by-step guide to defining and developing a strong Personal Brand that attracts the life you want to live. I thought back to my career and how I was able to successfully accomplish all that I had while having such an unpredictable disease as MS; it was having a strong Personal Brand. And when I lost sight of that, I let my fear of the unknown take over and keep me paralyzed.
How I got unstuck & How You Can Too
Acknowledge Your Feelings – Being laid off, having a disease, not knowing what the heck I was going to do, were all a source of embarrassment, frustration and disappointment for me (just to name a few). After some time (read: a long time!), I decided the best way for me to face those emotions was to first acknowledge that they exist. Just by my conversations with others, I realized that I was not alone. And more importantly, I could move on from this!
Clear the clutter – In order to clear your head, you must clear your space, literally and figuratively. Clean your house, clean your office, even clean your car! Get rid of the outside noise; the negative people in your life as well as the negative self- talk. Delegate specific times for watching TV, answering email, “browsing” social media sites – anything that’s not benefiting your BIG picture plan, clear it out! Having a clean space will allow you to think and act more clearly.
What’s the worst that could happen – Get rid of the expectations; expectations you put on yourself and those you think others have of you. Ask yourself, what is it costing me to stay where I am? If you decide today to step out on a ledge and it doesn’t go as planned, what’s the worst that could happen? I would bet the benefits, in the long run, would outweigh the risks. Think about it!
Reframe your thoughts – What’s your biggest fear for moving forward? How can you change that negative thought into a positive affirmation? Remember, what you think you become. The more you put those negative thoughts out into the universe, then guess what? You attract more negativity! Be conscious of your thinking.
Start where you are – You will constantly be chasing the next thing – this is called “the shiny ball syndrome” – where everything that looks shiny, new and attractive, is more fulfilling than what you already have. But I’m telling you that by doing so, that next thing will never be enough. Start where you are, accept what is and make a conscious decision to move forward. “If we wait for everything, absolutely everything is ready, we will never begin” – Ivan Turgenev
This brings me to my final point:
Make a conscious decision to move forward – Take this time to stop and do some soul-searching. Decide what you want for yourself and move toward that. What’s your BIG picture vision?!
If you’re feeling stuck I challenge you to do the above exercises and do them with intention. Commit to getting unstuck and moving forward – it’s the key to finding your “Sweet Spot” in life!
AUTHOR BIO: Kelly Green, CWC, empowers those in transition to find their sweet spot by defining, developing and delivering a powerful Personal Brand. Her company, http://ThePersonalBrandBlueprint.com , is a step-by-step coaching process that re-energizes, re-charges and re-claims your inner-entrepreneur. If you’re ready to create the blueprint to your success, become the person you want to be, and live the life you were meant to live, contact Coach Kelly: kelly@thepersonalbrandblueprint.com for your FREE strategy session!
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