Today I attended a Zoom conference with Marylin Atkinson, founder of Erickson International, the coaching school I attended. I appreciated how she reminded us coaches about the importance of taking small steps when we are stuck.
During COVID-19, we find our paths blocked or interrupted by the loss of a loved one, a job, or a business, just to name a few. Major shifts in our lives that make us feel impotent, frustrated, shattering, or fogging a future dream or vision. So, how can I possibly regain strength, and purpose, and move forward?
It's a time of strong emotions, and emotions many times move us away from actions. If someone was to help, we need empathy and acknowledgment of what we are going through. We want to be listened to. But what comes after? As coaches or good friends, we can accompany them by helping people become aware of what is really meaningful to them at this moment and find a new vision post-COVID. Expectations have changed, and the context has changed. What could this new vision look like? What would it give me that is really important? How would that impact my life positively? The more we feel that possibility, the better we can regain that motivation for the future. Once we have a positive vision, we start with small steps or one simple first step toward that goal. We can focus on those first steps towards this new vision, and not on the emotions that get in our way. Baby steps that re-shift me, regaining confidence, and a sense that maybe things will be ok.
What if those negative voices keep coming up? taking us down? Keep the empathy, keep acknowledging, but also keep negotiating on the steps to take to get to where you want to be (not should be). Re-connecting to our inner power and finding new strength is key, and that is possible with empathy and full trust that we will be ok and will find a way forward.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but for the seeds you plant”
Robert Louise Stevenson, writer
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