New Beginnings

New beginnings involve new situations and external circumstances, be it at work or in your personal life.  Beginnings are about internal growth – new understandings, new attitudes, new identities. For this reason, beginnings should be celebrated, rather than resisted. However, I have learned that this is often not the case.

When beginnings come, we often feel ambivalent about them. New beginnings can be scary because they require us to step up and make a commitment. More so than that, they remind us of all the anxieties associated with endings (end of relationship, end of a chapter, end of a career, etc). This mentality often makes the ending seem that much more final and daunting. And new beginnings often require us to take a risk – we may not succeed in this new identity.

While there is no magic potion for producing a new beginning, here are some things we can do to navigate new beginnings in powerful and easy:

•       Understand the transition process and where you are in it. Is this really a new beginning, or are you just trying to rush past yourself, your growth, and your pain points?

•       Quit trembling. You’ve got this. Identify your resistance, your limiting beliefs, and disengage them. Instead, begin focusing on the desired goal and begin to identify yourself with the final result of this new chapter. What will it feel like when you’ve actually done whatever it is that you are setting out to do?  Think of yourself as a person who does X, even if you haven’t yet done X.

•       Be patient with yourself! The kind of shift in identity that a new Beginning entails does not occur overnight.

Remember that beginnings are a process, not a destination. Honor that process, rather than forcing past it or hurrying it. Everything is happening exactly as it needs to. Trust yourself. I’m here to support you as you step into this new chapter.