Renewal

01.03.2023

Read time: 5 minutes  

Forget your perfect offering

There is a crack, a crack in everything

That's how the light gets in.

Leonard Cohen

The arrival of spring is that moment of the year we witness, once again, the obvious: a new nature cycle starts, and renewal is everywhere, whether we see it or not. Many of us see it. Some of these enjoy it fully. Others cannot see it. For others, winter is home.

I remember that for several years in a row at the beginning of my mandate as a managing director, spring used to catch me by surprise. My year stopped having seasons. Rather, seasons were dictated by the seasonality of the budgeting exercise. My mind lived trapped between what happened last year, what should happen at the end of this year, and where the organization needs to be next year.

On and off from the office, I hardly noticed the shift in the air, the lengthening of the day, the trees in bloom, and the winter’s heavy silence broken by the arrival of the birds. I felt annoyed by the chore of cleaning the home for spring, and the change of clothes in the wardrobe seemed a pointless expenditure of time stolen from "my" projects.

For a few years in a row, I experienced the eerie sensation of going to sleep one evening in the winter, the next day to be violently confronted with the image of some trees in bloom.

Those trees were there all the time. I used to pass by twice a day, every day. 

Somehow, I managed to notice them only when reality became too obvious: trees were no anymore just black lines, but big pink, white, red or orange balls filling the streets with their aroma.

I remember at first it came the feeling of wonder and the shock of the naked beauty of nature in spring. As if my mind was making a reboot, I wanted to take in all its freshness in one breath. And the rush of happiness without any logical explanation.

Still, a few minutes after, I used to feel the regret of not catching it earlier. Joined soon by the frustration that my job was engulfing me so much time, that I could not enjoy the spring, that my life is spent without me noticing it. 

I used also to pass in my mind the blame on the job (and by the way, I loved my job and the people with whom I worked).

“Of course, it was because of my job: too many responsibilities, too many people to take care of, too many discussions, too many expectations to respond to, too many tasks on my plate, too many expectations I had for myself". I had justifications for everything.

And I also remember the year when I noticed this is a repeat pattern. 

At that moment I realised that, in my own story, I cast myself in the role of a victim.

That was one moment I realised as long as I feel like a victim, I will be one. An alternative unacceptable to me!!!

Several scary thoughts rushed into my mind:

• If I am not able to see the obvious outside, where else in my life I could not see the obvious? 

• What other important things did I actually miss?

• What else did I not notice as incrementally changing right under my nose (for good or bad) at work, in the projects, in my professional relationships, in my personal relationships, in my most intimate relationship - the relationship with myself?

• How could anyone entrust me with leading responsibility if I do not notice? 

Leaders and managers are there to notice any change or deviation in how the organization as a system, or the people of the organization, as individuals or subsystems, employ these organization’s rules from how they were designed to work; and, need to use such information wisely in their future decisions. 

People will always change something from “what THEY decided to be the norm” whether for convenience, comfort, practicality, effectiveness, productivity, fun, fear, or even for avoiding boredom, etc. 

Expecting full adherence is unrealistic. Not noticing big or small changes under their watch - whether in the market, in employee turnover, in productivity, in employee motivation, or in how people in the organization use the company's infrastructure - is just an ignorant endorsement that these leaders and managers would do, for their future failure. 

And that was a turning point for me. One thing I understood about myself: I lived without being present, without noticing. 

I lived in the future connected too much to what should happen as opposed to what I can do today. Or connected to what hasn’t yet happened instead of what I can do today to make it happen.

I lived in an inertial spin without even knowing whose spin is it or who created it. I lived believing I do the right thing, but that right thing was far away from being productive or effective or even bringing me satisfaction since it was rooted in blindness and unawareness.

At that point, I had no idea what will I have to do or how to create a new habit of awareness, or of noticing, but I promised myself to find ways to be present. It was then my mental renewal started.

Before breaking, I leave you some food for thought:

• How do you stay in the present? How do you notice?
• What are your predominant thoughts, behaviours or feelings you know you need to renew?
• Who have you become because of these stale thoughts, behaviours or feelings?
• What do they currently impede you see, understand or notice?
• What do you feel you are missing because of them?
• What is one stale thing you want to shed now and you know you will be better off?
• What do you commit to?

Forget the excuses. Forget shutting down your power and being complacent in the victim’s seat. 

How about you make some time today and write your answers? You deserve to know it. You deserve to make your first step in finding a new definition of success for yourself. 

Bring in that one thing you want to be renewed.

May this spring come with the renewal you hope for yourself and enjoy the mental freedom you receive in return!

Have a wonderful spring ahead!

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If you feel you need a little nudge for this spring renewal, book a free strategy call with me (use the button below). Happy to accompany you and bring some bright light in!

Alina Florea

Your High-Performance and Mindset Coach

 PS.  Book your seat in the next group coaching program Master Your Resilience based on Positive Intelligence that will take place May 6th - June 20th. Purchasing it together with a full 1-on-1 coaching package gives you the opportunity to a 40% discount from its price list.

💥SUMMARY💥

 How to become aware the need to start a mental renewal.

How to find ways to be present

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