Growth Eruption
It’s hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close. As Christmas and the new year approach, we can’t help but look ahead with renewed enthusiasm for the year that’s coming and the goals we aspire to deliver. And yet, how many of us really look deeply at our current state and truly think about what needs to change?
While in Hawaii last month, I visited Volcanoes National Park and viewed the Halema’uma’u Crater (pictured). The crater is known as a caldera, and it occurs when the cone-shaped top of the volcano falls inward as the rock melts and turns to liquid. It is like a soufflé that collapses in on itself.
Sometimes in life and in career, we collapse on ourselves, we’re not quite sure what to do, what to expect, and how to move forward. As I watched the molten lava bubbling in the crater in front of me, it was a powerful experience. I could almost feel the raw power, heat, and energy. As the lava surged to the surface it seemed to signify a sense of rebirth, renewal, and a new direction.
In life and career, as in nature, much like the volcano, there is a time for everything: being active, being dormant, and being extinct.
2019-2020 Growth Assessment
So where is change in your life taking place now and in the coming year? Career? Life? Health? Family? Friends? Faith? Which classification does it stand in?
Are you “on fire”; actively erupting with ideas, reaching goals and celebrating achievements?
Are you dormant; performing satisfactorily while moving along on cruise control, and happy with a quiet life?
Are you extinct; waiting for severance or reaching the age when your medical and pension benefits are fully locked in before you take the leap and move on to something you really yearn to do?
There is no correct answer, but I encourage you to consider the track you’re in right now.
Recently, I have talked to several women looking for support and insight to help them determine what’s next. I have received inquiries from women who are feeling unsettled and looking for a new direction in life and career. They are keen to identify possibilities and to focus on their career aspirations with renewed energy.
As an executive coach, I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to coach women through the career challenges that many face in male-dominated workplaces. At 16-years old, I started off as an engineering apprentice at a Royal Navy submarine base in Scotland. I was the only girl amongst 200 boys and working there was my early baptism of fire. Over 35 years later and as founder of Merrett Davies International, I truly am grateful for each of my clients who share life’s path with me. It is a privilege to help women formulate their foundation, enrich their journey, and erupt in success.
When people ask how I can help them. I explain that quite often, we have ideas and yearn for change but don’t get past the starting point. Distraction, lack of knowledge, impatience, and mental blockages take over and stop progress. The number one way to greatly improve your chance of success is to work with a coach. When it is the right fit, it becomes the best investment in yourself and your future.
How Does an Executive Coach Help?
Accountability: When you feel tired or distracted and don’t have the energy to follow through on your commitments, we help re-energize you to meet those goals and tasks.
Judgment-Free Zone: No matter where you are, what you go through or how you feel, we have been there. We understand, we hear you and we both lend an ear and guide you with different approaches, solutions or ways of communicating that can end positively.
Trust: As you share your insights, goals, challenges, it stays within the four walls. We actively listen and may offer various perspectives to support your values.
Career Alignment: Whether you are yearning to do more or find something different, we provide pertinent insight into mapping goals and objectives, career positioning, communication methods, and working through challenges.
Support & Encouragement: We stumble, we fall, we get back up and we succeed. It’s the steps of any career. We are here to help pick you up, assess, identify the plan and charge forward, keeping the overarching objective in mind, so you can reach success as defined by you.
It can be, difficult, or nearly impossible to surge to the surface with confidence, energy, persistence and delight. With the right coach, it is more easily achievable. As you reflect on 2019 and look towards 2020, keep in mind that whether you are active, dormant or extinct, MDI is ready to help you erupt into success at any stage. We wish you forward progress and great success!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Anne Phelan