A few years ago
I drove my youngest son to New England to start a dream summer job at a
mountain bike park.
My son loves
downhill biking. LOVES it. He’d be working with a good friend. They’d found an
apartment they could share. He could save money for school and do something he
loves all summer long. On paper, this seemed like a charmed opportunity for
him.
The trip was a
disaster in nearly every way possible.
Esme, my
faithful orange car, broke down. When we finally reached his apartment the
landlord was unprepared and unavailable, meaning no key and no moving in. This
after many text messages confirming our arrival time. At the mountain, his
future boss was out sick. He couldn’t check in and get his work schedule or his
ride pass so he couldn't be at the mountain that day.
Marooned with no
place to be, we stood there at the base of the mountain he'd hoped to be riding
all summer, worried and bewildered.
It felt like a
truly awful beginning, but it was really a truly awful ending to a journey
begun without focused attention from everyone involved. The beginning actually
happened weeks before; a tiny trail of haphazard communication among just my
son and his friend.
They were
communicating through the exhaustion and worry of their finals, the busyness of
a sister’s graduation and the chaos of visiting family. Their passion and
enthusiasm were driving the bus. Thoughtfulness was half a mile behind, out of
breath and losing ground fast. Despite good intentions, this bus had “Yikes!”
written all over it.
All of us had
divided attention when talking about this opportunity: kids, parents, landlords
and employers. As my son and I stood at the bottom of the mountain that day, we
both realized we’d had gut feelings of unease we shrugged off because
everything looked good on the surface. And, because it seemed like such an
exciting, not-to-be-missed opportunity.
What we all
learned from our experience is that beginnings have their best chance of
becoming satisfying endings when everyone involved commits their full,
thoughtful attention to the planning process. If they share gut feelings as
they arise, and respectfully call out anyone who isn’t fully participating.
Clear, honest
communication is essential at every step. I know that seems obvious, but you’d
be surprised how many endeavors are launched driven by passion and enthusiasm
without the map of thoughtful, honest communication.
The next time
you’re beginning something new, anything from getting a new dog to
transitioning out of a corporate job to open your own business, here are a few
suggestions for making it a good beginning:
1. Check in with your intuition and ask if
this project is truly viable. If it involves considerable resources and affects
the lives of other people, consider verifying your choice with trusted
advisors.
2. Ask yourself what a satisfying journey
will look and feel like. How would you like this process to end? Be sure you
have a clearly drawn map, and then turn your passion loose to keep you moving.
3. Enjoy your passion and enthusiasm, and
consciously invite your mind and intuition to join the party. (Deep breaths can
help navigate over-exuberant enthusiasm.)
4. Think about who needs to be part of the
conversation. Does it feel realistic to ask for their focused attention for
this project? If not, is there someone else you can invite?
5. Pause often and ask yourself if you are
fully present. Are mind, enthusiasm and gut all paying attention? How about
everyone else?
6. Enjoy the ride!
Tracie Nichols is a holistic business coach offering coaching that’s comfortably practical with its roots in nature-informed solutions. She helps body-centered practitioners and highly sensitive women build successful businesses guided by the wisdom of their bodies and the natural world. You can learn more or drop her a line at TracieNichols.com.
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