The Startup of Me. Heavy vs Lean Pivoting.
IN 2014 I WAS FIVE STONE OVERWEIGHT AND CHRONICALLY ILL.
It was a pivotal point in my life which led me on to many more.
In 2014 I was five stone overweight and chronically ill.
It was a pivotal point in my life which led me on to many more.
No specific eureka moment drove me to change my life radically. Instead, there were lots of sharp pain points. I had much shrapnel to pull out and let the wounds heal. It was only then that I moved forward. I was a creature of habit, but us humans are complicated things.
So I had to challenge myself to succeed in a new environment and under new conditions.
How?
By re-calibrating. You can read more about how I lost the weight on Thrive Global if interested. I had to make the exercise and nutrition go from being an activity to a ritual.
A ritual to save my life and enable me to go from one pivot to the next.
You have to make your body your no one priority in a pivot. You need every cell to be high functioning. You will be in overdrive answering difficult questions. Willpower is a limited resource.
The extra stressors can lead to over sensitivity. Health fluctuations that may not have affected you in the past can do so now.
With a change, you have to safeguard your emotional and physical health to succeed. Numbing out stress with food and alcohol is not advisable. Test yourself and see what your triggers are.
What elevates your mood, creativity and physical and emotional resilience?
What kills it?
A glass of wine or two is fine but reaching for a third when you have to wake up the next day and wrestle with complex pivot questions is not good. You be the judge find what works for you and practice it consistently.
Get the basics of good sleep, exercise and nutrition in place. Strip your life down to the most productive and healthy ones, so you have a clean system to operate from daily
Kick the crutch and ace the goal.
What rituals have helped you in a transition or pivot?
Would you be willing to share them in the comments below?
You never know who you could have an impact on today.
For more details on consulting packages see here . To book a ten minute complimentary call email me at pauline@paulineharley.com
The Life-Changing Magic of Losing Your Shit and Getting It Back Again.
Have you lost your magic? Do you believe you can get in back in your life and career?
Have you lost your magic? Do you believe you can get it back?
Despite all the courage I can muster, the fact is that losing your health and happiness for over 12 years sucked. I work with people on life and career pivots and transitioning because of my experience. I always say don't let my past become your future.
The irony is though without that past I would not be here sharing this blog post with the world.
Truth is, however, something of this magnitude is traumatic. Years on from it all and having regained it all back I still feel the panic. Even when I write about my experiences there is a tightness in my body.
It is still there the reality that I could lose it all again. You take nothing for granted but you grant yourself space and grace to keep it this way.
But that takes hard work. It takes showing up even when you don't want to. It takes being vulnerable. It takes being able to adapt to change. I am always evolving for the better on a physical and emotional level.
I compare myself to shapeshifter! A bit magical and mystical in my ability to transform my physical and mental shape or form.
It comes with my nutrition and training knowledge! Every time I train to build or cut similar to my former bodybuilding background I reveal or add on layers.
In each of these layers, I discover something more valuable about myself. Being able to manipulate my training and nutrition to achieve a certain physical shape is probably more science than magic! But in my world that magic is my medicine.
I am privileged to be able to do that. I have the backup of people who believe in me to sustain and maintain this state of well being. An important point to note here is to stick with the people who pull the magic out of you and not the madness!
I take full responsibility for losing my shit. The truth is, losing things that matter most is a harsh reminder that circumstances can change in an instant.
For me, it’s left a long adrenaline hangover that makes my thoughts frantic at times and my focus a bit distracted.
It makes life uncertain. But, isn't that the way it is supposed to be? Without uncertainty, there is no risk. Without risk, there are no answers. I ask myself these questions a lot about my life, health and my business. The fear is real.
What if I lose it?
Will I get it back?
I replay how it might happen in a thousand different ways. But somewhere amidst the fear and frustration and guilt is the adrenaline fix of having to start all over again.
And I know I can. So can you.
As I grow older, my transitions from one stage of my life to the next have become less hurried. Rather than full-on restarts, change now looks like layers. The layers I spoke of before. Ones that I add on in a slow and controlled manner and then peel away.
This grounds me in the reality that anything worth having takes time but is possible.
It is also a reminder of what’s fragile, and what’s robust. We as humans are resilient if we reinforce our belief in ourselves. I remind myself that losing my shit even though it sucked is the ultimate version of reinvention.
Life can be brutal at times. It takes things away at random. Then it makes you fight to get them back so that you remember and reaffirm the value of each one. So each new week and month, I start over and over again, and I peel away more layers to reveal something new and more magic as I write this.
What magic have you lost that you want to work on getting back?
For more details on consulting packages see here .
My Mid-Life Crisis Taught Me How To Pivot!
What can a mid-life crisis teach you about pivoting? Lots!
What can a mid-life crisis teach you about pivoting?
Lots, mine certainly did not kill me it built me to be more resilient, focused and go after what I want in life.
Whether you’re leaving:
1. A secure job and an MBA with many years of learning and experience under your belt
Or
2. A teaching role for a career as a personal trainer.
Don’t be afraid to pivot later in life. After all, your 40's are a chance to redefine and rediscover yourself. You are young enough still to take chances and old enough to make them more wisely. You can still move in different directions. That may work for some, but for others, it can mean starting back at the bottom of each new industry.
That is the risk you have to be sure you are willing to take.
Do you want to find an industry you love or the freedom that comes with being your own boss?
For me, my pivots now make sense as mad as they seemed at the time!
When I look back, I see the story of my life and career. It’s not random it is exciting. It made me more interesting and relatable. Believe me, if I can do it so can you!
Here’s an idea of how I pulled it off.
1. What does your gut tell you?
One useful piece advice I can give you is to stick with your gut. Assess what you’re really good at to help direct your move, even if it doesn’t feel “strategic.”
It’s not that you shouldn’t be rational about your pivot, but honing in on your strengths and what gets you fired up is the first step to figure out what to do next.
2. Leverage your skills.
If you’re looking to pivot into a new industry or business ownership make sure to highlight your “transferable skills.” There is a lot that can count as transferable.
Yes, of course, you will need to develop other skill sets, but what do you have now in your success bank to withdraw?
Finally, a word of comfort...
Having a mid 40's career crisis is nothing new, but the rates at which people are doing something about it are increasing. Look for inspiration and expand your network with people who have pivoted and overcome challenges in the process.
Staying current and doing work that gives us purpose and fulfillment in align with our values is why so many of us take the risk. You are not too old, and it is never too late to redefine yourself.
Don’t let fear hold you back. You’ll wind up someplace better, even if it takes you awhile to get there.
Be patient.
For more details on career or pivot coaching and consulting contact me at pauline@paulineharley.com. You can join my waitlist for a complimentary consultation here.