what to do when enough is enough
it can be hard to overcome inertia. maybe you have been stuck, languishing, trying but not getting anywhere, surviving but not thriving, feeling a bit meh or misaligned… we all have seasons like this, it’s so normal!
but there does come a key moment that can really spark change: notice where you are becoming sick of your own story.
perhaps you notice that you keep bitching about the same things or offering up the same old excuses.
maybe you’re about to see some old friends and it bugs you that nothing is different for you since the last time you were together.
perhaps you’re talking to a coach or therapist about what you want to do more of and you find yourself frustrated that you still haven’t prioritised it.
maybe you realise you’ve been staying safe in your planning, your learning, your journalling, your gathering strategies, your keeping busy… but you haven’t actually gone out and done the things you’ve been saying you want to do.
or you might have a feeling of always taking one step forward and two steps back, or like you are in a constant loop of start/stop, push/pull, without getting anywhere.
this noticing is perfect!
present you is right here, right now, in this moment saying: enough is enough. something has got to give. i’m sick of this same old story. i want things to be different than this!
present you has just made a decision… and this one moment, this decision, is like a little spark that can be ignited. it’s an opportunity!
here’s what to do when you notice this moment… here’s how to turn that tiny spark into real change in how you show up for your self, your business, or your life.
step 1.
notice that old story which is no longer serving you… notice how you’ve been feeling, what you’ve been doing to manage, and how that has you staying stuck.
maybe it’s a story of feeling anxious, afraid, worried, uncertain, unignited, depleted, overwhelmed… maybe you have been avoiding, procrastinating, overthinking, hiding, hustling, people pleasing, perfecting… maybe you’ve been busy making plans or collecting strategies or following distractions. call this what it is… a story that is now keeping you stuck.
imagine giving your past self – the version of your self that got you to this moment in time – a big hug. they survived this far and they did their absolute best with the tools and the information they had! bloody amazing.
you can have deep compassion and appreciation for that past version of you and also decide: that’s not how i want to show up for my self any more.
step 2.
then you begin to wonder: what do i want for myself instead? what else is possible? what new story to i want to write now? what kind of person do i want to be in this next chapter?
answering these questions engages a future version of your self… a you who has figured out how to move beyond the excuses and the resistance… a you who has become more brave, or confident, or bold, or abundant, or motivated, or consistent, or whatever else is required to show up for your self!
when we tune into our future self (or next level self) we jump out of our current stuckness, and out of our old stories of who we once had to be, and we jump into a version of ourselves that is wiser, stronger, more capable, and ready to teach you all they know!
step 3.
now we decide what we do next in our current reality.
this might be a making a choice, choosing an action, a mindset, an energy or a state of being, a next right step that we take as though we are being our future self now.
we embody the person we are becoming… now, in real time, with our actions and choices. try checking in with yourself – is this what past me would do or what future me (or a favourite version of me) would do?
present you has to stop waiting for things to magically change. decide – now is my time. now is when i start becoming this version of me, i start prioritising what i say i want, i start embodying the one who does the thing.
to recap:
present you has to decide… you want things to change. enough is enough. grab a piece of paper.
on one side: notice, with compassion, the old story you are ready to change and the way past you has been managing.
on the other side: start imagining a new story and a future version of yourself that shows up differently.
now, in the present, make one intentional choice: who are you showing up as in this particular moment? past you or future you?
try this self-coaching card exercise with any oracle or tarot deck.
look through your deck intentionally and pick a card that represents your decision – the story you want to change. shuffle the deck until you feel it’s the right time to stop. carefully look through the deck for your chosen card as well as the card behind it and the card in front of it.
your chosen card = present you, the story you want to change
the card behind = an act of compassion for past you and your old story
the card in front = an act of embodiment for future you and the new story you are writing now
what action will you take to become your next level self and write a new story?