Category: Chaos / Upheaval

What Can We Learn From Chaos and Crisis?

Post author By Ally
Post date October 6, 2020
No Comments on What Can We Learn From Chaos and Crisis?

I still marvel at the incredible opportunities that are hiding inside chaos and crisis, although I was unable to see that at the incredibly emotionally painful time of my separation and divorce.

The most positive things I learned was to view a crisis as an opportunity, where lessons can be learned. It is an opening for change and improvement, and to view a situation through different eyes.

As I began to pick up the pieces of my life and place them one by one into a new normal, I increasingly sensed a strong desire to use the lessons I had learned to try and help others experiencing challenges and heartache.
This led me down a completely new career path, from teaching – to gaining qualifications as a coach and counsellor. I will never forget one of my counselling clients – a special young woman I will call Amanda for privacy reasons.

Amanda taught me about resilience, pain and purpose. Let me tell you about the incredible struggles she overcame…

Amanda was referred to me by her doctor as she was struggling with depression, bulimia, suicidal thoughts and addiction. We would meet each week, and for the first couple of months, Amanda would sit cross legged on the floor in my office, cuddling one of my teddy bears, sobbing her heart out as she talked about her life.

My heart ached for her – her life had not been easy, she saw no reason to go on and her lifestyle was threatening her mental and physical health.

But….. Amanda still had the tiniest flicker of fight left in her, so we developed strategies together to fuel the tiny flame inside of her. Each week I would be overjoyed to see the triumphant small positive changes Amanda was making.

After one year, Amanda had reinvented herself! After three years, she contacted me to invite me to her graduation…. and to meet the handsome man beside her who was now her fiance.

This courageous young woman taught me about courage, and that there is always an opportunity in adversity, there is always a way through the storms in life and that we are stronger than we think. Sometimes we just need the support of others to get us through the storms.

That is why my passion is walking alongside you to empower you on your journey and find the calm in the storms of life.

What is a “storm” in life that you have overcome? What did it teach you about yourself? I’d love to hear from you- please share below.

I would love to help you if you are experiencing a ” storm in your life” or if you have weathered the storm but now needing some help to find the “real you” who may have got lost in the storm. I would love to chat, why not book a free clarity call with me now:)

Tags change, chaos, disaster, disruption, life isn't fair, resilience, stress, Upheaval

Chaos / Upheaval Fresh Start Mindset/Strenghts Resilience

Forging a New Path (When You Can’t See the Old One)

Post author By Ally
Post date August 20, 2020
No Comments on Forging a New Path (When You Can’t See the Old One)

Katie started an office supply company when she was in her twenties. She grew the small business from her spare bedroom into a thriving brand with over three dozen employees. She was proud of what she’d done and the life she’d created for herself.

But three years ago, Katie discovered someone had embezzled the company’s funds and left it nearly bankrupt. The employee who’d committed this crime was Katie’s mother.

In the coming months, Katie lost everything—both her business and her home. She found herself in her forties starting her whole life over again.

Maybe you’ve found yourself in Katie’s shoes. You’ve lost everything and you have no choice but to rebuild your entire life. But you’re not sure what that process should look like exactly. here are some tips:

Let Go

Start by letting go. Think about the things that are no longer serving you. Katie had spent years building up her business only to lose it. For a long time, she could only focus on what she’d had.

A friend encouraged her to stop looking backward. “You can’t move forward in your car if the gear is stuck in reverse,” She advised. “Terrible things happen to everyone. You don’t get a choice in that. What you do get to decide is what gear you’ll put your life in.”

Create New Traditions

Sometimes, the hardest part of starting over is letting go of habits that we loved. Maybe you were financially set and could afford to go shopping for new clothes once a week. Perhaps you were close with your family and had brunch with relatives every Sunday.

When you’re forced to start over, missing these traditions is painful. But don’t get caught up in sitting around wishing for how things were. Create new traditions that honor what your life looks like now. For example, you could invite your closest friends over on Sundays for game day or spend the time you use to go shopping to refashion old items in your closet.

Design Your Vision

When you’re forging a new path in live, it’s easy to get focused on what you don’t want. For example, if you’re leaving a bad marriage, you may swear off romantic relationships or a certain city.

While these blanket statements may make you feel good, they don’t help you create more of what you want in your life. This is where a vision board can be helpful. You can use one to create a positive image of the new life you’re looking to make.

The vision board you make can be physical—you can grab magazines, books, and other old media to create yours. But a vision board can also be digital and you can use a website like Dream It Alive or Vision Board to design yours.

Click the link below to listen to short audio about Resilience After a Crisis – currently we are experiencing a global Pandemic and many people are being forced to rebuild their lives in some way or the other.

Rebuilding your life after adversity isn’t easy. But you have the smarts (and the power!) to do it. Embrace this season of rebirth in your life!

Are you struggling to rebuild your life after adversity? It’s sure not easy….but it is possible! It also helps to have someone to walk along side you to guide and support you – I would love to help! Let’s chat about what you need to pick up the pieces and start over. You can book you free session with me here.

Chaos / Upheaval

6 Tips for Protecting Your Career through Major Upheaval

Post author By Ally
Post date August 4, 2020
No Comments on 6 Tips for Protecting Your Career through Major Upheaval

When things go wrong at work, your first thought is going to be how you can protect your job. After all, without your career, the rest of your life can very quickly succumb to various pressures, not the least of which is financial.

The problem is, sometimes, even when you’re doing your best in a job you love, your workplace might suffer a major upheaval. Companies go bankrupt—the economy shifts. A natural disaster or pandemic might even take away your ability to do your job at all. What then?

You start with keeping your head and following these six tips:

#1 Bring up the Energy in the Room

Optimists wanted! When things are going wrong, which affects your work life, don’t be that one person sitting around and complaining. Instead, by staying positive and looking for the best outcomes, you’re already ahead of the curve.

#2 Lend a Hand

There’s a lot to be said for people with enough gumption to take the initiative and offer to help out when they see an opportunity to do so. This kind of willingness to jump in will be remembered when things straighten out again later.

#3 Show Creativity

Outside of the box, solutions are always welcome, especially during an upheaval. These are the times when doing what’s always worked before not only has stopped working but might even be making things worse—being able to adapt to new ideas and find solutions that fit the crisis and invaluable at times like this.

#4 Adapt

Upheaval calls for the ability to let go of the old ways and adapt to the new status quo. You can’t be floundering right now. This is the time to rise to the challenges being presented in this new world.

#5 Show Empathy

Change is hard. A crisis makes everything much harder. Now is the perfect time to reach out to your co-workers. How can you help them to adapt?

#6 Hang in There

Finally, the most important thing is to stay the course. If you can persevere even under these conditions, such dedication will not go unnoticed. For this reason, more than anything else, you need to dig your heels in and flat out refuse to quit doing what you know is right, no matter what happens next.
Remember, upheaval happens, but it doesn’t have to derail your career completely. Being smart and savvy is what’s going to keep you going even when the going gets tough. Hang in there, and you’ll be just fine.

Step Ahead Life Coaching™