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There I was, at the bottom of a rock that I was going to climb. For the first time without ropes, without material. It was all a bit new to me.
And you know what happened: nothing at all.
I blocked. I couldn't take a step. The guide next to me who tried to motivate me, my husband in the background who was going to take pictures, and I didn't do anything at all.
What had happened was something I was not prepared for. My mind told me I couldn't do it. What if I fell. What if I hurt myself. Everything inside me said NO NO NO
Do not believe everything you think
Your mind is there to protect you from dangerous situations. Back in the day, when everyone still lived in caves, you had 3 options if a lion / tiger / bear appeared on your path. You could run, you could fight or you could play "dead." Today there is no longer any danger, at least not of this caliber. But this reaction (fleeing, fighting, playing dead) is still in our DNA.
And so our mind is there to keep us nice and warm and safe. So if you want to do something different, your mind is going into protest mode. It does not want any change at all. It wants everything to remain as it is.
And although I knew this, the professional literature is of course completely full of it, I have never really experienced it myself. As a coach I know that such processes take place, but to really feel it ..
So that is how strong the mind is. So strong that I completely blocked. This was absolutely a unique experience for me.
But it is the same at work.
Imagine you are going to do a big project or you might want another job. The first thing your mind is going to do is tell lies.
Lie 1: I can't do that. Not true, you can
Lie 2: I won't even last one month. Not true, sure you will. You are capable and willing
In short: your mind does everything it can to keep you in that safe, comfortable zone. But, dear career tiger, that is of no use to you.
Remember that your mind is only one part of you. You are so much more than just those thoughts.
Taking that second step on that hard rock: I dreaded it. The threshold was sky-high. As a change in work may feel.
But you know, I put those thoughts aside for a moment. I took a little step up and another step and one more. And I just started climbing. Poof! That threshold was gone. I was so happy when I reached the top of that rock !!
It is no different at work.
Accept. Tip 1
You can of course try to avoid your thoughts. By not thinking about it, by not feeling insecure if you want to do something new at work. But that doesn't work. Then you are only busy not thinking about it and then you are thinking about it. Are you still following me?
It is better to just accept that these thoughts are there. And these thoughts come and go. Think of those thoughts as a river with a very strong current. You can swim against the current. That only takes energy. You are toiling and slogging, but you are not achieving anything. You can also choose to stand on the bank and let that stream of thoughts pass you by. Remember that your mind is not your enemy. Your mind just wants to keep you safe in your comfort zone. And that is not a problem at all. As long as you realize that your thoughts are exactly that: thoughts. Thoughts that lie to keep you in your nice, warm, safe comfort zone.
But what if you want to develop in your career? Tip 2
Just as climbing a rock can be a bit scary, so can a change in your work.
Follow a new training
Another job or not
Starting a new and challenging project
My advice is to divide the task into small steps, just like climbing a rock. Always taking small steps. This has the advantage that you can evaluate along the way and also make some adjustments.
And all these little steps can determine your direction in your career, all the way to the top. YES