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Learning to walk (as a way to move forward)

This post was inspired by Ann Hession, an extraordinary life & business coach and human being.

We were talking about change and growth – and how as momentum builds,  old systems (fundamental and foundational systems) have to be adjusted, reworked and reset. Ann provided the most intriguing example.

When people weigh a lot, as in obesity, they move in a specific physical way in order to accommodate the bulk that they have to carry around. Then, when they lose a large amount of weight – as in hundreds of pounds, they literally have to learn how to move again to match their new weight. Ann mentioned that because of her work as a massage therapist, she can spot people who used to weight a lot – because of the way they still move.

Bring it back to writing and social media. When you grow – as a writer, a business owner, a marketer – you have to let everything grow. But some of your stuff (or they way you do your stuff) is ingrained – it’s practically as innate as, wait for it,  the way you walk.

Examples:

1. You’ve expanded your marketing plan to include Twitter, but you haven’t built in any time to actually use it. Your daily schedule wants to go on as is and so does your internal clock, but you need to re-evaluate and shift.

2. You’ve increased your fee structure, but your internal idea of your self-worth hasn’t caught up. You need to take stock of your experience, skill and expertise and stand fully behind the new fees.

How does this apply to you? Do you have realtime examples? Could this help you move forward?

Join the discussion 12 Comments

  • Jonathan says:

    This is a great post. I think the lesson here of unlearning old fundamentals and thus clearing the way to learn and apply the new fundamentals can be so broadly applied that it is almost in itself the key fundamental for mastering change.

    I always learn a lot from your blog. Now, if I could just apply the lesson of concise expression, I might make some progress of my own!

    Cheers,
    J

  • Julie Roads says:

    Thank you, Jonathan…you can learn – just read that post again…and I can’t recommend Ann as a helper for such things strongly enough!!!

  • Number two describes a time I went through in my business and I learned that you can’t raise your fees unless you are confident that is what you are worth. When I established that confidence in myself, people were willing to pay the increased fee with no problem. I was being my own worst enemy (as I often am LOL)

  • Ari Herzog says:

    Thank you for reminding me of the joys of walking–backwards.

    While your advice is for people moving forward, I need to take some time and move backward to appreciate what the view looks like from the rear. You know the phrase, “two steps forward and one step back?” Lately, I feel I’ve taken five steps forward and one back. I need to step back more, and my current tendencies will be shifting accordingly, such as using Twitter less since you mentioned using it more.

    But that’s me.

  • Julie Roads says:

    Ari, you bring up a great point about moving backwards as well. Very true.

    About Twitter I was simply giving one of one million examples of a time when you make a change and then have to adjust some life/work fundamentals. Just an example – could be worked in the reverse just as well!

  • Anne Mayhew says:

    Love the post! Makes me recognize the value of my twitter time!

  • Oh I like this. #2 really resonates with me. I am a coach and work with my clients so that they can understand themselves and their worth …and forget to do the same for myself!

    Thank you for the reminder, Julie

    BTW Lisa sent me this way through #followfriday. Glad I came by.

    Jackie

  • Julie Roads says:

    Hi Jackie! I’m so glad you’re here too! Just followed you back…

  • Julie Roads says:

    Here were some good ones:

    Bath with epsom salts before dinner
    Homeopathic like calms forte
    Herbal kids bedtime tea
    Suck it up and realize your kid needs you and just be there with her
    Rescue remedy
    Bach floral essences
    Making sure you have a good routine (I DO!)
    Futzing with the nap – (when she doesn’t nap, she zonks at bedtime but is miserable come 5:00)

    Thanks for reading, commenting and asking for the list!

  • Sandra Foyt says:

    On first reading, this post scared me. While good advice, I barely have time to work on fundamentals – write every day, no matter what.

    Took a deep breath, and realized that yes, this is good advice, but I’ll stick to doing what I can do right now, this moment. One step at a time.

    First, must go eat bon bons.

  • I’m just waiting on that time when I get to reflect. I feel like I’m constantly chasing someone or something. I want time to relax that doesn’t equal sleeping. lol

  • Alisa Bowman says:

    I know I can’t do everything I want to be doing unless I clone myself. So I’ve learned to be ok with doing less, but doing less well. When I feel burned out (LIKE NOW), I allow myself to do nothing. (Note: took two naps today while daughter watched movies). We’ll also soon be on vacation. I do feel as if I grow in spurts, and then need to ease off a bit so my energy can catch back up.

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