The sun is out and I feel it’s warmth…
and I feel restless!
Last week I found it particularly hard to get focused. True entrepreneurial blood runs through my veins and when I am not 100% clear on my next steps, I feel like I start moving in whatever direction the wind happens to be blowing.
I start and stop mid-way through projects, get distracted online and make umpteen trips to the fridge looking for that something to satisfy my craving. But what I am really craving is an answer. And the leftover chocolate in the fridge just won’t give it to me.
Regardless of how much visioning and goal setting we do, we can’t always be 100% clear on our next steps. And best laid out plans change! (they are supposed to).
This is the joy of limbo. Limbo is usually totally uncomfortable and it’s a necessity!
Limbo makes us feel like we are out of control of what is happening in our world, that we don’t really know what we are doing and are lost on what is the “right” decision. When what we are most often actually doing when in “limbo” is ‘information gathering.’
We are consciously and unconsciously evaluating and re-evaluating our lives and businesses, the challenges and opportunities and the impact that our next decisions will make on all levels. We may be waiting for specific information or decisions from others which is beyond our control, but how we feel about what is happening is totally within our domain.
What I observe time and again is that we don’t give ourselves permission and honour this essential part of the decision making process. Instead we panic, allow fear to rise up and judge ourselves. Which only re-affirms the sense that we have no clue what we are doing. There is a rush to get clear and get on with it (and yes, in some cases there are pressing time frames, most of which we construct).
‘Information gathering’ is an empowered place. It is the decision to take responsibility and embrace this natural cycle instead of feeling like you are flailing in the wind. Because you do know what your next true steps are, you just need the time and judgement free space to find the answers!
So the next time you feel yourself in the unknown…
- Empower yourself by deciding that you are “information gathering”
- Give your decision a time frame for when you are going to revisit the question. Don’t let it run repetitive loops in your mind.
- Designate ‘worry time’ because if you give your worries a place to rest, they will cease their relentless nature.
- Focus on the now: the day to day nurturing of your garden, your business and soul.
Know that your answer will come loud and clear and with speed, ease and grace.
*When I started this message a week ago, I had declared that this month was my “Information Gathering Month” and that within three weeks, I would know “the answer” to my pressing BIG question.
Well, within three days after simply writing this article and giving myself the same permission, not only the answer but the path and the people to assist me in my next steps came flooding into my world. (You will all see it come to fruition over the next couple of months!! )
Embrace not knowing, trust and change the energy of limbo!