The Cost of Staying Stuck

The Cost of Staying Stuck

Steps Toward Making A Change

I want to (fill in the blank!), but I never seem to get to it….

“Life is good, but something is missing.” I frequently listen to men and women who want to create a positive change in their personal life or work life, but are not getting to it. Sometimes we know what we want to achieve, but just don’t get started. Other times we start, but get stuck or feel unable to move forward.

Does this sound familiar?

“I’m successful in my profession/work, but I want more life balance to feel fulfilled in my personal life. More time for…”

“I know there’s something more I need in my life, but I’m not sure about the next steps, or even how to begin the process…”

“I want to do a better job of sticking to my wellness goals…”

“I plan to retire in a few years. I want to figure out what to do next that’s meaningful and/or where I can make some money…”

The first step toward making a change is recognizing that we can change

We don’t need to stay stuck. Heidi Grant Halvorson, PhD (Associate Director, Columbia Business School’s Motivation Science Center) writes that an effective way to make choices and reach our potential involves letting ourselves know it’s OK to make mistakes. Halverson notes:

“People whose goals are about getting better rather than being good, take difficulty in stride and appreciate the journey as much as the destination.”

How can you move toward reaching your goals? Toward being more effective or fulfilled in your life or work? Sometimes we feel stuck, don’t get started, or are unclear about our goals or how we want to proceed. These are times it can be helpful to partner with a life coach.

Dr. Ilene’s approach to coaching:

• Individualized coaching that focuses on your strengths.

• You set the agenda.

• Together we design a plan to empower you to engage your strengths and take actions to move forward towards positive change.

• Grounded in evidence-based practices alongside the study of human well-being and flourishing.

• Many people find it useful to work with a life coach once a week for about 3 to 6 months.

What does it cost you when you don’t get to what is important?

Learn More About Strategies for Personal Achievement:

• Halvorson, H.G. (2014, October 17). Brightsightgroup.com: The incredible benefits of a “Get Better” mindset. Video retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4kz92qWpLA
• Halvorson, H.G.(2012). 9 Things Successful people do differently. Harvard Business Review Press, p. 44.
• Dweck C. (2014, December 17). Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve (TED TALK video file). https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve?
• Dweck, C. (2016).  What having a “growth mindset” actually means, Harvard Business Review,  Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means

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