Embracing Radical Change in Your Life
What is a radical reset? And how do you know if it's time for a radical reset in your life?
What Triggers A Radical Reset?
A radical reset is triggered when you know it's time to make some big changes in multiple important areas in life and work.
For example, when I first started considering taking a year-long sabbatical, quitting my job, and getting rid of all my stuff, I knew that this was part of a desire for a radical reset.
I didn't feel like I was on the right track with my career and I was open to doing something different.
I wasn't sure I wanted to live in my current city anymore, which at the time was Portland, Oregon, and I was open to living somewhere quieter and closer to nature.
And I also really wanted to find love and share my life and home with a partner.
These can be signs then that you are ready for a radical reset:
👉 You're considering changing jobs and some other key things in life too, such as where you live, your profession as a whole, and your relationships.
👉 Also you sense that there are big areas for you to explore.
You want to explore more about what kind of job is really the right fit for you and about what kind of work environment suits you.
You want to explore what kind of lifestyle is right for you and what kind of people you want to surround yourself with, or who you want to be your romantic partner.
👉 You might also be struggling with some bigger life questions like
Is this really what I want?
Should I just be grateful for what I have?
Is this enough?
Can I really take some big risks, or is it too late? Maybe I'm too old.
👉 You may also have some big feelings, like dissatisfaction. A feeling that you're destined for more or for something else. You might be experiencing a lot of stress or anxiety.
👉 And finally, you may have just been thinking about these changes for a long time. And that desire is just not going away. In fact, that inner voice may be getting even more insistent or louder.
Plate Tectonics and The Deeper Need For Change
Think back to grade school when you first learned about the earth and what it's made of and what is going on beneath the surface. Can you see that diagram of the earth in your head?
You've got the Earth's molten core - sually it's that lovely orange red. And then you've got the plates that are floating on top of that magma. (Maybe it's because I'm from the west coast of the U.S., and my grandparents were from Japan that this stuff and all the seismic shifts that come from living on the Ring of Fire are just kind of built into my consciousness). But this is the image that comes to mind!
When you feel a radical reset coming on, there is also some deep stuff that is going on beneath the surface. So here's the magma. On a very deep level, you sense that you're not living in alignment with your values. You're not fully expressing your true self. Your creative self is feeling stifled. And you sense that the path that you're on is not going to take you where you ultimately want to go in life, where you dream of going in life.
This is big stuff.
Now, don't worry. As a coach, I'm not afraid of this big stuff at all. I've been through it myself and I actually have developed a process for guiding people through it with support, care, and even healing, joy and transformation on the other side.
After I've described all of this, you might now understand why radical resets are so freaking hard. This is big stuff.
Here's one more even bigger thing - If you are out of alignment and you need to get back in alignment, you're going to need to make these big changes and even go through an identity shift along the way.
A radical reset is likely going to ask you to do some things that you've never dared to do before. And if I can go back to my plate tectonics metaphor, it's important to recognize that there are consequences for when all the pressure builds up inside you to make this change. You've got to do it. Do you want a Mount Kīlauea eruption in your life, or would you like a few doable 3.0, 4.0 magnitude earthquakes that you can feel? Its definitely an earthquake, but life can still go on.
Kidding aside, I want to share what's really at stake here for you.
What's at stake is you.
➡ Your inner growth
➡ Your development
➡ You feeling more free
➡ You feeling more purposeful
➡ You feeling more aligned
➡ You feeling proud of yourself, and the life you've created for yourself and the joy that radiates from that, to you, and to others around you. That's powerful.
The Importance of Listening To Yourself
The biggest lesson of a radical reset is learning to listen to your inner self, to these stirrings in your core and to take direction from them. This actually might be the hardest part of all.
Many of us growing up were taught in so many ways by so many different influences about who we should be and what we should do, that our own inner voice got suppressed and was not followed. A radical reset is about shifting all of that, and it takes bravery and it takes practice.
By now you might understand very well why people come to me for help when they sense their own plate tectonics in motion.
Working With Me
My Catalyst program is designed to help people through their radical reset. Now, when I first start working with a client, I don't assume that they necessarily need a whole bunch of seismic shifts. We may not make all the changes that they've been considering.
First, it's important that I just explore with them what they're thinking until it starts to become clear to them. And sometimes it makes more sense to just tackle one thing at a time. Changing jobs is a big enough change. So we might start with a job.
So first we clarify what kind of job is the right fit? And I support them to either make changes at their current job, to improve their situation, or to start looking for a new one.
One of my clients just wrote me recently to celebrate yet another win. She's had multiple ones. Her first win was that she found a new job in her field that was a better fit. That was awesome. Her second win that she just shared is that she's already up for promotion after being at her new job for only a few months, which is bringing her closer to making six figures. And we really celebrate this because I can remember asking her about her ideal salary and when she first mentioned her six-figure goal to me, it was hard for her to say it out loud. That's how far it felt. And now she wrote, It feels entirely within reach.
Some other clients realized after our work together that, Whoa, actually, I am ready for something bigger. I am ready for a radical reset on a bigger level.
An example from a recent and very brave client. She quit her job as a lawyer and moved and is taking a sabbatical to explore her creative interests: ceramics, painting, and writing. Maybe she'll go back to being a lawyer. Maybe she'll discover a whole new creative path forward. Or maybe she'll develop some hybrid of the two. For now, she's exploring. She's taken the leap to create the space where she can do that. And now I'm here to support her all along the way on this journey. It is a journey. Radical resets are like any good journey. They are full of surprises and twists and turns, setbacks and heartache. Moments bright with opportunity and possibility. Chance encounters helpful strangers and lots of growth. So much growth. Are you here for it?
Making changes can be hard, especially when they're big and when they're important; when they're about your values and identity in your life. And especially if they feel risky. That’s why it is so important to reach out for help. It really makes a difference. It can make something that feels impossible, entirely doable. If you're considering a radical reset, I know you're going to get so many powerful insights out of my free change planner which will help you get unstuck. And if you’re looking for a coach to help guide you through some big shifts in your life, then why not take a look at my Catalyst Coaching Program.
I want you to know that your dreams are important. Take one baby step toward them and then another. It's going to be the best adventure of your life. 😃
