Sometimes it's going to make perfect sense to do a U-turn, or a right turn, or a sideways step, or any kind of change in direction that makes sense for you. But with such a big change can come hesitation, resistance or downright refusal to budge. And I know, as I'm as stubborn as the best of them :)
You might realise that to really do your Thing you need to do a U-turn, or head off in a different direction at least. And there's nothing wrong with that! We're all on a journey and unless you're a Roman then most roads have bends in them—not to mention roundabouts you can get stuck on, or hills that are difficult to climb. What you need to know is that there isn't just one road to your Thing... there are lots of routes you can take, and none of them are wrong (although some might be the very scenic route!).
Like most things in life, it's not what you do—it's the way that you do it!
Slamming on the brakes and hurtling off in your new direction isn't always the best plan. Nor is driving your passengers in the dark with no lights on.
You need signposts
We're all entitled to travel in the direction we want to, but to help everyone else see what we're up to you need the lights on so every reason and every change is fully illuminated AND you need to signpost the direction you're heading in (even if that is backwards!). This is all part of telling your story. Sometimes if you go from A straight to Z (or H or M or wherever you've got to it doesn't always make sense). I know fabulous people who have moved from forensic science to social media, from being a doctor of medicine to an inside-out thinking coach. Without signposts along the way, though, some of these Thing evolutions can look like U-turns. They're not—in fact, in every situation it's always about moving forwards, with a few zig-zags that—when they are signposted—make perfect sense...
There are 2 points I'm making here today (there I go with a U-turn of only making 1 point per blog post!). Point 1 is that it's totally OK, in fact it's more than OK—it's perfectly smart, to change direction and head off towards your Thing (wherever that may be). The other point I am making is that don't try and sweep 'the bit in between' under the carpet—show us your map you travelled. Share with us the triggers that took you on the journey and evolution of your Thing. We don't mind that you now don't do what you used to, but only if we know why. Otherwise you can look like you're jumping all over the place, which doesn't inspire confidence instead highlights confusion.
If we were all born knowing our Thing and never did anything else, the world would be a very simple (for simple read dull!) place. But as it is, our Thing is made up of everything we know and see and do and experience and form an opinion on and challenge and change. Of course, we'll be evolving and growing, and so will our Thing. Just walk us through your steps and we'll be right there with you.
Don't leave out your why's along the way and we won't think you've done a U-turn.
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