can’t get no satisfaction? make the change
How are you doing today? Good day was it? Had fun? Spent time with great people? Got to do some rewarding work? Oh dear! I’m so sorry to hear it wasn’t all that you had hoped for – maybe tomorrow will be better…….
OK you know me. I can’t leave it at that. I want to help you make a change to give you satisfaction each and every day.
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the definition of satisfaction as:
NOUN
1. Fulfilment of one’s wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this:
“I looked round with satisfaction”
“Managing Directors seeking greater job satisfaction”
Let’s take the first part – having your wishes, expectations or needs met. Are you clear on what yours are? No? Try these questions to uncover them (for your life, career or any area of dissatisfaction):
- If cash, time and help were unlimited, what would you want to do/to be/to have? (delete as appropriate)
- What would you expect to give or share?
- What would you expect in return?
- How would doing or being this make you feel?
- Who do you want involved?
Now, analyse your reality:
- How does today match your identified wishes, expectations and needs?
- How does today mismatch your identified wishes, expectations and needs?
This should provide you with what you should stick with – where you are getting some satisfaction – and what needs to change – where you’re not getting any satisfaction.
You’ve now got 2 choices.
Do nothing
Accept your lot. Live with it. Put up with the itch. Breathe through your frustrations. Wipe away those tears. Settle for a life less than ideal. Suck it up.
You know my opinion on this one. I’ve worked with clients, who on the brink of taking action, back out, hold back and decide they’ll just wait awhile and see if things improve. Sadly, I’ve yet to hear of this playing out to the extent that a client’s wishes, expectations and needs are fully met. Yeah maybe it gets a bit less sore for a short time, but then that nagging feeling is back…..only this time it’s worse.
I knew I wanted to run my own business way back in the last millennium. At that time, I knew it would involve working with people who shared my values and beliefs as well as my passion for enabling others to live a better life. I thought that was going to be a centre, a place where you could train, be counselled, massaged, talk, meet, socialise and more.
Then my relationship fell apart. I had to move out. I needed my job to pay my bills – how could I possibly go it alone and set-up a business? I took a new path. I worked my a** off to get a promotion and pay rise. I dropped a day at work and could still cover the bills, as well as studying part-time to teach Pilates. Then I switched jobs to a better paid firm and squirrelled away my cash to create a safety net savings account.
My vision changed track – I no longer want to run a centre. It’s too far from the action for me I now realise. I enjoy and thrive in the heart of it, right there in it with you. b-elastic was born and I’m loving it!
Go on – stretch your life!
Take that list you made earlier and work out your path to satisfaction – each building block, each skill, each piece of knowledge, each helping hand, each ££ or $$ – that will get you to a fully satisfied way of being and doing. Your path could include:
- doing something different
- stopping something
- spending less time with someone or a group
- devoting more time to someone or a group
- trying a new route, like I did.
Then get moving. Take the first step and you’ll build momentum to complete it, begin the next and the next and the next.
Hmmm, not feeling ready to start tomorrow? Don’t go it alone – take a friend. Ask someone who has your best interests at heart to hold you accountable, to check in with you, to join you to drown out the sorrows and celebrate your successes! Or contact a role model who has walked the same or a similar path to yours and can mentor you. Or why not ask a coach?
You want to work with me? Fab! You can check out my coaching packages or drop me a line.
Can’t afford my rates right now? My birthday competition closes at 12 noon on Thursday 20th February. ENTER NOW for the chance to win one of 3 coaching packages worth £900+ or drop me a line as I’m looking to start a few group coaching programmes around common issues – career change, life goals, fitness goals and the like – these will be a more cost effective way to work with me.
