Welcome to June! It’s gorgeous here in London and this week I’m off to even more sunshine in Italy with my family.
Today I want to talk about the pain of the quarter-life crisis and feeling stuck and confused.
Growing up, I’d always known I was meant for something big, but it wasn’t clear to me what that actually was.
If you too are from the generation of choice, you may have experienced the same feeling. It can be debilitating and painful to say the least.
And if you’re a budding entrepreneur, I’d image that you’ve gone through quite a few company ideas and dreams, which can be oh so challenging.
I’ve been there – sleepless nights, career shame when talking to friends and family, no money in the bank.
A few years ago while living in London, I knew I wanted to start my own business, but I didn’t really know what I wanted to do.
I had a few ideas I was toying with before I discovered coaching and one of them was opening a hot yoga studio.
During that time, I was in search of some major clarity but didn’t know how to get it.
Then I remembered something the amazing Marie Forleo said: Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.
(I’m pretty sure my dad told me the exact same thing growing up, but I didn’t listen.)
Anyway, with that in mind, I set up a call with my favorite yoga teacher in the US to pick her brain about owning a studio.
She spent a good hour with me on the phone – exciting at first, but for the second half of the call, my stomach was in a knot.
As she was describing the reality of owning a yoga studio – sometimes needing to teach classes when employees didn’t show up, having to clean the bathrooms and wipe down sweaty mats, not being able to travel – I realized it wasn’t for me.
It wasn’t the hard work– after all, when I first started my business I worked between 90-100 hours a week – it was the way what she described made me feel.
I wasn’t excited about the opportunity. It felt heavy and not me.
Although I didn’t end up going in the yoga studio direction, I had ruled one thing out and was a step closer towards what I did want to do.
So today, if you’re feeling stuck, the last thing to do is wait for clarity.
Here’s what I suggest instead:
1. Talk to people who do what you’re thinking of doing. Feel into whether you want that to be your life.
2. Don’t just listen – pay attention to the way their words make you feel. Are you excited? Are you filled with dread? Do you hate the sound of the life they’re describing?
3. And finally get moving towards the direction of your dreams. Even if you have to reroute, that’s better than staying stuck!
I believe in you, lovely. Just start.
