Image by Chia Ying Yang used with permission.
Spring is upon us. For many that means new beginnings and fresh growth. For others, it means a marathon spring clean is about to happen. For me, it means I may actually consider cleaning my oven. In this guest post from talented coach and friend, Eric Asbeck, he shares how we can cultivate fertile ground for our own personal growth.
Resistance Is Fertile
By Eric Asbeck
Breakthroughs are a key part of your personal growth and building your career or business success.
And you want a successful career or business, right?
Achieving your goals involves trying new things. Let’s be honest, beginning something new is awkward. It’s important to get good teachers and lessons. And it’s also important to practice.
So how do you know which new things will yield the biggest personal growth and create the biggest breakthroughs for your success?
Surprisingly, one place to look is to those things you’re resisting the most.
I have learned that resistance is a magnificent tool for discovering where to find my biggest breakthroughs.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but the higher my resistance, the greater the breakthrough that’s available for me.
When resistance is off the charts, I can consult within myself, gather my support system, declare my intention to them, and step into it.
My biggest breakthroughs have come through embracing my resistance and stepping into it.
I remember vividly the moment when I viscerally embraced this self-truth.
I was in a year-long self-development program. Each quarter the team would elect new officers to manage various roles.
I’d held various roles in the first two quarters. As we entered my third quarter, the first election was for team leader, a role I’d avoided.
People were asked to throw their hat into the ring to be considered. I remember sitting there thinking “no way…” (and more vivid language).
I’d learned through some of my earlier self-development training that resistance was a good guide to where my biggest growth could be.
In this case, my resistance was off the charts. I delayed as one, two, then three others began their pitches to be team leader.
Suddenly a light bulb went on in my head and I raised my hand to be considered. I made my pitch and was elected! Then I sat stunned over what I’d done.
Now here’s the main point: I underwent more personal growth and breakthroughs that quarter than any other I had.
I discovered myself as a leader in ways I’d never found in all my prior leadership and management roles. My coach and their coaches made a point of pulling me aside to make it clear to me where and how I’d grown.
What a revealing experience! From that point on, I’ve grown to deeply respect the incredible value of seeing my resistance as an opening and guide for personal growth.
How about you? Are there things you’re resisting that you know in your gut could be your biggest openings for growth and success?
Do you have a good coach and support system in place to help you through it? Are you ready to embrace your fear or reluctance and act?
Not sure what you want to do? Let’s talk about how you can get crystal clear about what you want to do next, and your best strategic next step. Visit http://www.yournextmoveexpert.com/apply/ to learn more.
©2014-2015 Copyright Eric Asbeck and What Business To Start, LLC
