Читать книгу Inflection Points - Matt Spielman - Страница 9

Stasis, stagnation, a sense of being stymied or sedated—these are telltale signs that your mind or soul is crying out for a change. The longing for change usually appears within us before we know how to bring it about—and we rarely know the type of “change” we really need. It's just that something's gotta give. But inertia can be an overpowering force that keeps us in place.

We may feel dread and anxiety when we should be feeling anticipation and excitement. Other times, it can be less dramatic. We'll feel a general flatness, and a lack of zest for the things we know should make us happy. You don't have to call it depression (though it may be), but it is the metaphor of living in black and white versus living in color.

In some cases, the problem is that we may set artificially low expectations for ourselves. We just accept that, when it comes to our jobs or our personal lives, there is a certain level of dissatisfaction (the existential toll) that one pays for a stable life and a steady paycheck.

These moments, when you candidly consider whether you are fulfilled, should not be ignored. They are alarm bells that announce it's time for some serious introspection. What do you need? What do you want? And how will you attain it? Only by honest examination can you find the courage to make a change.

It's not merely a question of the work you do. While many of my clients seek me out for career guidance, the problem or challenge just as often lies with some other aspect of their life. Some may believe for a lifetime that career is the primary vehicle for self-actualization, only to discover that the intellectual and creative satisfaction they desire comes from a realm outside of the office. Many of my clients are executives who are happy with their career and comfortable in their current role, but seek new means of success or new challenges to invigorate that role, and make it resonate with their personal strengths.

Moreover, achieving change is not merely a matter of “goal setting,” which is an activity that is perhaps not always understood in the self-development and coaching world. You can't goal-set your way out of an emotional rut because the process of setting and pursuing goals, as conventionally practiced, is inherently crippled by a myopic oversight; these methodologies emphasize articulating goals but rarely ask you to interrogate why you're chasing them in the first place. That is the gaping hole at the center of many “self-improvement” regimens: they don't really examine what the individual holds dear, what he values, or what makes him tick. It is vital to have structure, but it has to be full circle—not linear.