Right about now is when people traditionally give up on the resolutions they’ve made for the new year. Three weeks in and change gets hard, distractions or interruptions to the routine you’re trying to establish and *poof* the whole thing goes up in smoke!

Photo by McKinley Law on Unsplash

Perhaps you’re not wrestling with resolutions. Perhaps you have set an intention around one word for the shape of your year. This posture is often less restrictive and more grace-filled toward yourself, which is an awesome way to grow. You make adjustments to your schedule, different choices with your food and activity and are able to see a long, slow trajectory of change. This is great.

But what if you have a sense that there is a bigger challenge that is just outside your attention; something that is starting to bug you like a tiny piece of gravel in your shoe? Maybe the awareness of this gravel is just dawning and you tell yourself you’ll get to that later. As you keep walking you notice you’re starting to favor one foot over the other and now you’re walking slower. This piece of gravel has gotten in the way of your progress. What do you do with that?

Photo by Tom Sodoge on Unsplash

This analogy can be applied to different areas of our lives that we tend to avoid dealing with until the pain and discomfort gets in the way of regular life. Then we’re at a crisis point and action needs to be taken NOW!

Most of us have an area in our life that this is happening but hasn’t grown to crisis point yet.

Is it possible you are ignoring an awareness you already have?

First of all, you’re not alone. Humans a drawn toward pleasure and actively avoid pain. It’s part of how we’re wired. Our complex brain function reinforces our actions toward avoidance. But when circumstances get to a point that we can no longer avoid addressing the issue, it is time to take action.

What would it look like to actually address a challenging situation or recurring circumstance before pain sets in?

Pay attention to your awareness.

Questions you can ask yourself:

1. Am I avoiding facing this situation because of fear? (disappointing someone; unknown outcomes; lacking resources to make change, are some examples)
2. Where in the day do I avoid dealing with this situation? (work; extended family relationship; tired, are some examples)
3. Who can I ask to help me navigate changing the situation? (co-worker; family member; friend, are some examples)

As you consider what you already know, what strategies you’ve already employed, you may come to a place where you realize you need tools or support or both. This is a place to reach out to work with a coach.

Give yourself the gift of time. Fifty minutes of time with me processing this issue you’ve become aware of can give you a tool and a strategy for taking action to change for the better. You can schedule a complimentary coaching exploration session on my website. What have you got to lose?