Episode 284 Aligning with your vision: Courage and patience

In today’s episode, Anna explores the challenging but rewarding journey from making a significant career decision to actually achieving the desired results. She delves into the importance of resilience, courage and patience, as well as having a clear plan while remaining flexible in the face of unexpected changes. With personal anecdotes and valuable insights, Anna provides listeners with a roadmap for navigating the gap between setting ambitious goals and realising them.

00:00 Celebrate clarity, cultivate resilience, achieve goals.

06:38 Stay adaptable, hold onto vision, grow stronger.

08:05 Anchor decisions in vision, patience brings results.

Courage and patience

There is this moment, and unfortunately, it’s longer than a moment that comes when you’ve made a decision whether it’s to start a business, to pivot your business, to change role, step up in your industry, whatever that big career decision is. So there’s a moment between that decision and actually realising the benefits, the rewards, the fulfilment that comes with achieving that goal and bridging that gap is the secret to actually attaining that fulfilment. Because otherwise, of course, we set ourselves goals and we don’t actually get to where we want to be. And that can be incredibly frustrating because we know exactly where we want to get to. We’re feeling aligned, we know the goal and then it’s a patience waiting game, actually, not just waiting, because it’s also hard work. We need courage, we need to get out of our comfort zone. And that’s a really critical phase between, again, setting that goal and achieving it.

And so, first of all, it’s amazing that you’ve made this decision to transition, to change, to step up again, whatever that decision is. I remember the biggest decision, I suppose I made, certainly as an adult at the time, was to quit my corporate marketing job back in 2013. And I thought, as I always say to people, that that was the big life changing decision. Tada. And I’d be living my best and most fulfilled life. Sadly, that’s not the case. Or I say sadly, but actually, wouldn’t that be boring if you could just snap your fingers and get to where you wanted to be? You tell me. But of course, it’s the journey.

That is what’s going to bring you that fulfilment and enjoyment, and it’s through the challenges that we learn and we grow, and that is life, after all. So for me, there were many moments of courage after that initial decision saying no to possible job opportunities that weren’t the right fit. Learning the very steep learning curve of working for myself, everything that came with that, pivoting the business along the way, transitioning in all sorts of ways between different types of business models. And then in my personal life, things changing, both intentionally and not intentionally, and everything that comes with being a mother and having young children and renovating the house, et cetera, et cetera. So it’s never quite as simple as making a decision. Yes, I’m going to leave my job and start a business. Yes, I’m going to look to transition, navigate this pivot into a different role in the same organisation, or I’m looking to step up whatever that next phase is. So there is that gap between where we are now and where we want to be.

So, again, celebrate that we have the clarity of where we want to be and we’ve made that decision. That’s huge, and that’s already a huge step compared to where other people are. But it is a first step. And one of the key concepts that I hope you’ve heard me talk about before is cultivating resilience, because there will be periods of doubt and slow progress. And so, of course, setting smaller, kind of achievable goals, milestones to maintain momentum, will be really important. Reflecting on how far we’ve come already getting the right support from both experts, mentors and so on, but also peers, and also just having a community. I say just, but it’s so critical having that network of people who believe in us, who support us, and of course, checking in from time to time, reflecting, reaffirming your commitment to your vision and checking where you are compared to where you want to be. So that’s really important, this idea of resilience, because there will be ups and downs through any career journey, but certainly when we’re making big changes, there will be acceleration at some times and there will be sort of those slow, really tough times when you question everything, and I don’t know about you, but I’ve certainly done this, revisit every decision and think, oh, my goodness, was this right? Did I do the right thing? And so on.

Right. So that resilience is really important. The other piece I talk about a lot is courage, and it sounds quite dramatic in the context of work and so on. But really, again, in the face of that uncertainty, we do need a certain element of faith and self belief and bravery, if I can use that word. It doesn’t mean not being afraid, but it does mean the determination to continue despite it. Right. Feel the fear, but do it anyway. So it’s making that fear and the huge leap manageable by breaking it down into those smaller goals again.

But it does, don’t get me wrong here, it does require courage, and that’s the whole point of challenging ourselves, of growing, of stepping up. It requires, and that’s a good thing, an element of doing something we haven’t done before. And by definition, that’s going to require courage and confidence. So, again, celebrating those small wins along the way will be really important. Maintaining that positive support network, absolutely vital to keep believing in you, to keep cheering you on. And then again, it comes down to visualising, keeping front of mind, that desired vision that you have to make sure that you’re still super motivated to work towards that vision that you have of success. So resilience and courage, and then there is this idea of a plan and a framework and step by step, and you have your roadmap and so on. That’s something I pride myself on, providing for my clients in my programmes and so on.

And that’s a hugely important part of making progress, having that structure, having the milestones and the goals and the sort of model to follow. It’s not quite a blueprint because it will never be exactly step by step, but we do at least have that approach, that roadmap to follow. And yet, even though we have those goals, we have the vision, we have that roadmap, we need to still be flexible without compromising the end goal, and that’s the nuance. So stay really clear and firm in your commitment of what you’re trying to achieve, but be flexible on the how, sometimes the universe, if you want to call it that, provides in unexpected ways. So just be really clear on what’s important to you, not necessarily the details of how it’s realised. And then, of course, life throws curveballs as it does. Things will evolve. Sociopolitical changes can affect you, personal situations, health, family and so on.

So we do need to be adaptable and flexible in the face of those changes while holding on tight to that bigger goal and being in it for the long term. Right? Really having that North Star that guides us, staying aligned to that vision, but being open to learning, adapting your approach as you inevitably gain more insight, gain practical experience, you learn and you grow, you meet people, you maybe make some mistakes and you discover that there is a better way of doing things. So adjusting your strategies without losing sight of your goals. And again, I’ve mentioned it a few times, but this whole idea of alignment is really key and you can find strength in that alignment. So assuming, and that’s what we’re sort of looking at in this episode, assuming that you are aligned to your vision, that vision is aligned with your foundational values, your core values of what’s important to you, your vision. You can call it your authentic vision, something that’s really true to you, your personal vision and version of success that then provides a really robust foundation that can carry you through challenges. It helps you philtre and make decisions based on those values, those criteria. It will help you to be courageous and resilient in the face of difficulties and inevitable challenges along the way.

And again, that source of strength and clarity will really guide your decision making and help you to show up consistently, be persistent despite it always, unfortunately taking longer than we want it to. So patience is so, so key. But if we are anchored in those values and that bigger vision, then we know that it will be worth it. And of course we’re in the meantime learning and growing and enjoying things along the way. So embrace those valuable lessons and growth opportunities along the way. There is this gap and journey, the J word between setting the vision, feeling aligned to that vision and then actually getting to those results. But trust that your alignment, your anchoring in that vision, in your goals, knowing that is the right guiding North Star for you and then developing that resilience, the network taking strength and courage from people around you, but also again from the faith and knowing that this is what’s right for you. Anchor your decisions in that and you will start seeing tangible results.

Keep reflecting, checking in, celebrating progress that you make to help you stay true to that course. So if that’s you again, it’s a huge achievement to be aligned, to have that alignment, to have of clarity on what’s important to you and where you’re now heading. Please be patient. I know that’s a really hard thing and I’ve been there. I am there always with big goals, courage, resilience, patience and a kind of trust and faith that it will come. Here’s to that journey and all the lessons and learning that comes with it. I’ll see you next week.

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