If I were to tell you my hunch, I would guess you’re sitting at an intersection somewhere in your life and you’re contemplating what to do. There’s something you’ve been thinking about (maybe it’s still a secret) or talking about (half serious, half not), and you feel this pull that you can’t ignore (a feeling you can’t ignore). You are being called into an adventure where you are just on the edge of going for it, but you’re still hanging on by your pinky toe. You might have saved lots of cool photos off of Pinterest into a folder, maybe subscribed to a travel magazine to let your mind wander, or better yet, you have a bucket list of where you want to adventure to but something/someone is anchoring you to your safe place. Unless you get to where you are committing and saying, “YES”, the thought/feeling will never go anywhere. There will be no adventure!
I encourage you to take out a blank journal (or several blank sheets of paper), collect your thoughts and dreams, and begin to map out an adventure (trip) that appeals to you and your heart. “How”, you ask?
4 Ways to ReCalibrate Your Midlife Compass:
1. It All Begins with YOU – The belief we have in ourselves comes from our heart, the innermost part of who we are. You don’t have to feel 100% equipped or 100% confident in your skills or know 100% of what it’ll take. You just need to believe that if you get to a point where you’re unsure, you have what it takes to figure it out. It’s called agency. And agency, that true belief in yourself, will serve you when adventure comes knocking on your door. Begin with the attitude of “Let’s Do This” instead of “What if I Fall?
2. Take a Step on the Wild Side – There’s risk in everything we do. We can ask for the business (or the raise, or the promotion, or the relationship) at the risk of being rejected. We can launch a new product or service at the risk of not making any money. We can try something new at the risk of failing. Ask yourself, “What am I willing to risk?” Are you willing to risk being rejected or failing at an attempted plan to move outside your comfort zone? Are you willing to risk honoring your brave self by not trying at all? Then I encourage you to ask yourself, “Will it be worth it?” If you are willing to step on the wild side, the answer is always YES!
3. Use the Fear to Propel You, Not Stifle You – You know the feeling of having a pit in your stomach when you’re facing something big? You might label it fear. It’s supposed to be there… trying to keep you safe. But it has another function… It’s confirmation that you’re on the right track. Courage is the opposite of fear, and so I encourage you to step towards the role of the Mighty Lion and listen to your instincts. Fear is you knocking on the door of your purpose. It’s the launching point of something you haven’t done or experienced before. You’re being invited into a space that’s bigger than you’re in right now, and it’ll require courage to fully step into it. Just know… It’s OK to be afraid because it means you’re about to do something really brave.
4. Choose a Plan with Many Lenses – Even our best-laid plans have detours! Don’t map out all the roadblocks before you even take a step forward. Begin by taking an engineered view of what your adventure looks like, plan as much as you can ahead of time, but allow for the time and space to pivot where and when you need to. Life can throw out an uncovered manhole along your pathway or a life jacket, so whatever comes your way needs to have the ability to reassess and follow the detours. Plan enough to feel confident in the way forward, but don’t spend time obsessing over the details you can’t control. That’s just part of the adventure, right!?!
The Wonder Catalyst 