Change Your Perspective BEFORE You Change Your Life
Save time, energy, money.
The Power of a Perspective Shift
If you think about a persistent challenge you face in your career, what do you believe needs to change?
If the first things that come to mind are things outside of you – e.g. other people, circumstances, the work – I’d like to invite you to try something different – taking a look inside yourself instead.
That’s because there’s incredible power to be found when you shift your attention to inside yourself. Often we think something outside needs to change, which leaves us feeling powerless. You can take your power back by shifting inwards.
A Caveat: All Things Are Not Created Equal
I realize that saying this does not 100% take into account that many of us have restrictions. If you live in the desert, a perspective shift will not help you see fish.
So, there is privilege imbedded in perspective shifts. That said, anyone can use them to empower themselves. Once you learn how to do them, they’re free to use at any time.
So, what's a Perspective Shift?
A perspective shift is when you see things from a fresh perspective or angle. You know you’ve had a perspective shift when you feel that , “Ah-ha” moment. Or, if you say, “I’ve never thought about it that way before.”
Usually, when this happens, you feel filled with wonder. The world opens up in an unforeseen manner. As well, the problems that felt insurmountable, can seem inconsequential. What once seemed impossible, now feels possible.
Most importantly, from inside you, ideas start to flow. They pop into your head automatically. You may wonder where they are coming from, but they were always there, just blocked by the way you were looking at the problem.
Where do these shifts come from?
Perspective changes can come passively. You can be reading a book, listening to a podcast, listening to some music, and suddenly you open up because of something that was said. You hear it in a different way, or a missing puzzle piece appears to complete your picture.
Other insights, require some effort. You have to use a tool or an exercise to get things to open up.
And then there are the deeper ones. The toughest ones are the ones that are invisible to you. By that, I mean, we see the world in a certain way. This way is so imbedded into who we are, we don’t even know we have this perspective, until it’s made visible to us.
Why bother with a perspective shift?
Shifting perspectives is the foundation of the type of coaching I do. This is because it’s faster, cheaper, less effort to change your perspective than it is to change your life.
Now, maybe you need to change some aspect of your life – change jobs, move, start a business. But, what if you could be happy without doing all that? Or, what if you didn’t need to make a drastic change in one fell swoop. But, you could do it in a smart way, over time, with less stress?
Even worse, what if you, for example, took a new job, in a new city? And, eventually, you realized, your old problem still existed and is causing the same problems for you in your new situation? You’ve spent all this time, money, and effort and you’re still stuck. Everywhere you go, there you are.
Wouldn't it be worth it to explore the inside before you explore the outside?
If you have a challenge in your life or in your career, I invite you to explore a perspective shift before you make any big changes.
Shifting things inside aligns you with who you really are and helps you see what you really want. A shift can provide peace in the present moment, remove desperation, reduce anxiety and stress.
This isn’t deep therapy, and you don’t need to spend years (unless you want to) exploring your childhood. You can have one right away and your life will begin to change one perspective shift a time. You’ll get back on track one step at a time.
Give it a try.
Give it a try. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I’ll update this blog to provide some links to some resources on my website. Or, connect with me on a Discovery Call. I’d be happy to tell you all about the tools and resources designed to create perspective shifts.
Empower yourself. Create shifts. Take back your career and your life.