Vol 3 Iss 11

One of the things I like about fall is the turning inward. Most of the leaves are raked, the sprinklers blown out, the gutters cleaned, and I have new windshield wipers on my truck. The outside work is done, time to focus on all the inside things that were so happily ignored all summer.

My big indoor project at this moment is to reorganize my office. My attention is rarely in here now that my laptop and cell phone make it so easy to be mobile. The filing stack got so high that it fell over – bad sign. And my eagerness to put my energy into designing a new workshop is pulling me to get this finished so I can get back to my creative work.

Dreaming up new ways to help people learn about themselves and process through change is how I live my values. The winter months seem to free me up to dig even deeper, and the creativity seems to burst like cranberries on the boil. Look to hear more about my exciting workshop, “If Not Now… When?” later in the winter.

What do you look forward to when it’s cold outside? Where do you put your attention?

What creative project calls to you at this time of year? I’m curious to know and would love to hear from you. Please write back.

One of my all-time favorite books is “The Road Less Traveled” by M. Scott Peck. The first line of that book says “Life is difficult,” and goes on to explain that when you really “get” that life is difficult, then life is easier. By knowing life is supposed to throw challenges at you, you're not surprised when they come.

For example, if you believe that life should always be easy, then when things get bad, you take it personally. You think the world is against you. But, if you know that life is difficult, then when things get bad, you’re not surprised. You can accept it and put your energy into righting the situation instead of bemoaning your circumstance. And, more importantly, when things are going well, you realize this is not the natural way and you’re grateful.

So, when you approach your career change expecting it to be a simple matter, you’re surprised when you encounter confusion or resistance. But when you realize that career change is a process of learning more about yourself, then when you get confused, or your loved ones are very clear that you changing is not a good option, you know it is part of the process. And when you get that lucky break, you appreciate it for what it is: a lucky break.

Peck called this notion a universal truth. Another universal truth I often comment on is “any positive taken to an extreme becomes a negative.” Like a little sugar in your coffee (a positive)? Add too much and you can’t drink it (a negative). Enjoy competitive sports? Take sports competition to an extreme and you have a cut-throat business that has little to do with fair play. Like visiting with co-workers during the day? Taken to an extreme, people begin to avoid you as a time waster and you don’t get your work done. The examples abound.

When you are looking to change careers, remember that focus is a positive, obsession is a negative. The key is to stay in balance. Yes, you want a change – NOW! And it takes time. By avoiding extremes, you stay in a positive mode and can accomplish more.

Remember: change is a process, it will be difficult, and life in balance is a positive.

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"By Debra DeVilbiss, CPCC, of Forward Momentum, LLC. Please visit Debra's website at http://www.ForwardMomentum.com for additional articles and resources on creating your right livelihood."

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