Start the New Year with Your Next Bold Move
by Wendy Capland
You feel it, don’t you? The yearning to achieve something that seems so much bigger than you are. The desire to answer your soul’s call for purpose and fulfillment. Can you feel it coming? It’s the bold move that will undoubtedly change your life in the best ways possible. We’ve all experienced the sensation of standing at the edge of something big….VERY BIG! The first step is recognizing that you are enough and that because you are enough, you have all the power you need to manifest and express your full potential.
But how do you figure out what it is you truly want? My journey began when I woke up one day feeling dissatisfied and unsure of what I wanted and what my life was supposed to be. On the outside, I had it all; a supportive husband, loving children, and a successful business under my belt. Everything was fine, but suddenly fine wasn’t good enough anymore, and I couldn’t figure out why. All I knew is that something inside shifted, and I was craving more. And so my search began, in quiet reflection, in talking with my coach, and in long talks with my girlfriends over a cup of tea. I started to really listen to the things coming out of my mouth. I would hear myself say something and think “Hmmm…this is actually really important to me” or “Wow, why is my self talk so negative?” These slow-trickling realizations helped me realize that the woman I wanted to be, the things I wanted to accomplish, and the life I wanted to live have been here all along waiting for me to wake up and do something about it. The real changes began happening when I started using my gifts and talents in new ways, loving myself and believing that I was good enough. Suddenly, the path I was walking was much brighter and I couldn’t help but feel like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.
Had I found the secret to true, fulfilling and purposeful success? What I discovered is that the key to this success, was letting my heart and soul guide me instead of using the “logical-ness “of my mind and learning how to become a better version of myself instead of trying to be more like everyone else. I created nine straight forward steps to encourage and guide women, like you and I, to step confidently into our next bold move, whether it be on a professional or personal playing field.
Check Your Inner State
First and foremost, check your inner state. You need to be able to recognize what is calling you forward before you can listen to it and determine the appropriate action. Ask your heart to finish the following sentences:
“I feel _____ about my life right now.” (Happy, satisfied, out of sorts, confused, etc.)
“The area of my life that I want to be different is______.”
Try journaling about the experience that is causing your dissatisfaction. Awaken the voice inside you that is trying to get out. The more attention you give to trying to hear this voice, the louder it will speak to you.
Give Yourself a Time-Out
Next, give yourself a time-out! It is critically important to allow your heart and your mind a quiet opportunity to speak to each other. One of the greatest gifts you can offer yourself is a few moments of guilt-free peace. Our brains sort through our greatest life challenges when we are at rest or play, so give your mind a vacation; it will serve you up tremendous information and inspiration to take action on.
Listen UP to Your Intuition
Once your inner voice is awake and you have allowed yourself a quiet moment to hear her, it’s time to listen. What idea keeps floating around in your mind? Is there something that you feel in your gut over and over again? This is your intuition trying to tell you something. Recognizing the interference of your intuition takes practice. Test and evaluate the results of your intuition without fear of right and wrong. Just listen and see what happens. After awhile, you will start to trust what your voice is telling you.
Prepare for the Game
Preparing for the game is the 4th step in making your next bold move. Preparing for the game means taking great care of your body, mind and spirit. Like an Olympic athlete, preparing yourself to play the game physically, emotionally and spiritually are critical to the results you will create. A body overstressed and overworked won’t be likely to create anything except for burnout and chaos! Physically, it is important to honor your body and provide it with the fuel to keep you moving. Preparing your mind for the game consists of learning and growth with regards to your passion. Knowledge is power and provides confidence for your journey. Preparing your spirit involves anything that brings you peace: meditation, a good book, a walk in the woods, etc.
Get Clear About What You Want
Next, you need to get clear about what you want. Learning to listen deeply and trust your inner guidance is paramount in getting crystal clear about what your true desires are. Bringing those desires to fruition is made possible by harnessing a balanced approach to masculine and feminine energy. Ask your analytical mind if it likes the idea (masculine) and then ask your heart if it feels right (feminine).
Surround Yourself with Extreme Support
Step 6 is to surround yourself with those people you want close to you through this process. Make a list of your biggest personal and professional supporters and designate someone who might be a good coach/mentor for you to move you through your next bold move. Women are often better at supporting others than allowing others to support us. Get used to asking for support and surrounding yourself with cheerleaders versus with all the people that need care and tending for a change.
Gather in Purposeful Community
Along with extreme supporters, you will also need to gather a purposeful community- collecting a group of like-minded people who will be there to encourage you and share with you the same focus, passion or vision. These people could be essential to moving you forward and supporting you in a way that personal supporters cannot.
Generate some S.T.E.A.M.
Now comes the fun part; it’s time to generate some STEAM! STEAM is an acronym for an active process that will propel you forward and turn your vision into a reality- Step into action, Tweak what’s not working, Execute and experiment, Act again, and Measure your results each step along the way.
Dance and Weave
The final step to achieving your next bold move is to dance through the steps easily and weave your masculine and feminine energy together so that your journey is fun and fulfilling.
The most important concept I want you walk away with is that you can achieve absolutely ANY goal you set for yourself. You simply need to acknowledge your power, get clear about what your intuition wants you to accomplish, and make it happen! There is nothing else standing in your way, and you have nothing to lose. It’s okay to be afraid and unsure of how it will all play out. If your heart is calling for it and your head thinks it’s a pretty good idea too, then you really have no choice but to take action. And, if your goal changes somewhere along the way, that’s okay too! Simply starting out on this journey could lead you to opportunities that were beyond your wildest dreams. So ladies, start the New Year off with Your Next Bold Move and watch your life fall magnificently into place!
Wendy Capland is an award winning executive and one of the top women leaders in the field of transformational leadership development. For more than 20 years, Wendy Capland has helped organizations and individuals, Fortune 100 executives and entrepreneurs alike, build leadership skills through Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, and Team Facilitation. She is the author of Your Next Bold Move for Women: 9 Proven Steps to Everything You Ever Wanted. www.WendyCapland.com
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