Finding Clarity by Taking a Step Back
I like walking by the river near my home. Other than it’s a beautiful walk that refreshes my mind, I walk with the hope of catching a glimpse of a manatee, sometimes multiple manatees.
Sometimes I am lucky but very few times.
But I see manatees much more often from a higher vantage point. Do they hide from me when I get down to the river? Or am I just not lucky enough to be exactly where they are when I am on the riverbank?
The truth is, they are right there. I just can’t see them.
I don’t have a good angle to spot them when I am that close to the river. Unless the manatees come up to take a breath, all I see is the dark opaque river, mysterious without revealing what’s underneath.
Has it happened to you when you are in the thicket of things, you can’t see straight and feel stuck? But after you step away or take a break, an idea pops into your head?
Similar to my experience with the manatees, I often work with clients who feel puzzled or discouraged when what worked in the past is no longer working. They read bestsellers, listen to podcasts, or take classes. But they still seem not to be able to find solutions to their problems.
Actually, the solutions are in plain sight, or hidden inside themselves, but they are too fixated on finding the solution, but miss on how and where they can find the solution.
When we work together, the clients use the time to take a step back and focus on who they are as a person, rather than being defined by the problems they face.
Frequently when people focus on fixing their problems, they get frustrated or even lose confidence in themselves when they fail to fix the issues.
While climbing to a vantage point takes a lot of energy, risks and sometimes detours, we find a perfect spot where the clients can see clearer. We also need to wait for the right timing like waiting for the sunlight to come out at the right angle, to pinpoint a solution, or at least the first step forward.
I coached someone who joined a new organization struggling with delivering presentations on subjects that he was still acclimating to. He had thought he was a quick learner and a pretty good presenter, but his confidence was taking a blow at this time. Through exploration, we found that he over-relied on his self-confidence and set unrealistic expectations on how quickly he should have mastered the jargon in this new industry, and not asked questions to those who were more experienced. Another thing he realized was that he isolated his strengths for his personal life from applying them in his professional life. From there, we developed a few action steps and he quickly grew in his new role by tapping into the resources around him.
Finding what you seek can be a journey, but the rewards are worth it. Here are a few steps you can take to gain a new perspective:
Find a trusted friend or coach who can offer a fresh perspective.
Commit to a journey of self-discovery, even if it's challenging.
Be open to objective feedback and new ways of thinking
Take action consistently, even when faced with obstacles.
Reflect deeply on lessons learned
Once you achieve one milestone of seeing, you will be ready to see more beautiful things.
Curious about how coaching can help you grow personally and professionally? Schedule a complimentary Clarity Call.
