Written by: Tanja Bogataj, M.Sc., Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Facing a change and going through a change is challenging also for us coaches and leaders. We might have knowledge, experiences, and skill-set to work with changes and navigate others through the change, and yet, when we are personally or professionally facing the change and going through it, we also face our own fears, limitations, and struggles, as anyone else.
This is why it’s so important that we create and nurture a support system that is strong enough to keep us grounded and focused when we hit the waves of change and flexible enough that we can adjust, improve, and create the path through as needed, for ourselves and those around us.
Being committed to serving in the role of a leader as best as one can, it helps make the change and changing a transformative and prosperous learning and growing experience, beneficial for all included. It’s one thing when we want or initiate the change, and potentially very different experience when we are faced with a choice about how to respond to the change.
How to make the way through blocks and limitations
I. Something needs to go
When faced with a change in changing process, we are all the time trading something. For example, we need to trade what was for what’s becoming and will be; or if we struggle to accept the change, we might trade our peace, wellbeing, resources, etc...
As they say, something needs to complete for something else to begin. We might perceive a change as a personal loss, and it might feel awkward and uncomfortable. There are many things that we can’t control when facing changes, but we have the freedom to choose our attitude and how to respond to change. That means we can choose to change our thoughts, our beliefs, our perceptions, our actions, our expectations, our opportunities, and our today and tomorrow.
II. Change as a blockage or an opportunity
There are challenges with any change. A great checking point for our mind and mindset is to check how we perceive change and changing and what is our assumptions around it.
According to Patti Smith (2014, p. 25-28), there are 4 common assumptions that prevent action: I don’t know enough; It’s not my job; This may not work, and Someone else will do it. Do you find yourself in any of them? If yes, which one is relevant for you, and how does it show in your life?
I’ve recently reread Neale Donald Walsh’s book When everything changes, change everything. He says, “All changes are changes for the better.” Do you believe that? How would your reality right now change if you’d completely believe this thought? As Tony Robbins says, “Either you pursue change or you’re a victim of a change.” Right here and now, you have all the power and freedom that you need to choose to be a catalyst for a change.
III. You’re one choice away to get stuck or shift and flow
Challenging times offer us the opportunity to choose either to react or intentionally respond, to complain or take responsibility, to feel powerless and limited, or to feel powerful and free to be and do what needs to be done and what we desire to create. It might sound easier than done, but John C. Maxwell (2013) has four pieces of advice when facing challenges. He advises not to underestimate the problem, not to overestimate the problem, not wait for the problem to resolve itself, and, if possible, not aggravate the problem with your activities.
We usually make it too complex and overwhelming by trying to fix the problem. It helps already if we shift our perception and see the problem as we are one choice away from a solution. What we need in those moments are 3 things and 5 guidelines:
Inspiration.
Why do we want to change something? What will keep us inspired to actually do it?
Action.
Only action brings change. Action can be for example a shift of perception, change of thought or releasing a memory.
Commitment.
We are more successful when we commit to something and not just expect and promise.
Here in the link is one example of how I do it for myself yearly to continue on my powerful and free journey of learning, growing, creating and leading.
Five guidelines:
Make it personal. Make it simple and keep simplifying. Practice and improve on a regular basis. Declutter as often as needed. Bring some joy and enjoyment into the process.
For inspiration check the video in the link (duration 10:26) on how you can easily create and maintain the mindset you choose for your peak state.
IV. My Invite to you: ‘1-2-3 Be Powerful and Free!’ Shift and Flow
In a world where you can be anything, I invite you to choose to be powerful and free in any given situation, give the world the best of you, and make the difference you’re here to be and do.
There’s one thing that always inspires me in the transformative coaching process – it’s witnessing a moment when people tap into their endless potential and resourcefulness, and they shift and lighten up, realizing it’s possible, it’s there – all the power and all the freedom they need to make that change. It’s also the moment that they know they are the ones who can do it or not. Any time now.
It is like an invisible curtain would fall down, and something would clear their heart, mind, and sight. After that ‘knowing,' they can never go back to the previous state, and something wonderful begins to unfold - their powerful transformation and them becoming the ones who then powerfully create their desired life and impact.
This is what guided me when I was developing my signature powerful and free approach over the last 5 years. What is ‘that’ that I do with my Power and my Freedom. How did I choose and why? What kind of reality do I create with these choices? Is there a better way? Is there a better version of me in any situation and relationship? Is there a better future?
Helping leaders and other people I encounter or accompany on their journey, using this be powerful and free approach, I observe how the 'power' element of the equation becomes eventually easier to acknowledge and faster to embrace, at least way more than the ‘freedom'. Our intimate perception and relationship with ‘freedom’ reveals and expresses it all, how truly powerful and free we are and can be, and what we do with it.
Freedom is first a state of mind and then a state of being, living, and creating, and we limit our freedom when putting the focus on something outside of us. Like Erin Hanson’s poem goes, “There’s a freedom waiting for you, on the breezes of the sky. And you ask, What if I fall? ”Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”
What if…
What if you can fly, using your blocks, limitations, struggles and anything that’s in your way to success as a shifting and lifting opportunity?
So, come to the edge, really to the edge, being face to face, heart to heart, belly to belly with your block, limitation, struggle, or anything that your perception is right here and right now in your way towards your success. Now, imagine that you are as powerful and as free as you need to be to go through that block and continue the journey. And with ‘1-2-3 Be Powerful and Free!’ you can actually shift and do it. How does it feel? What’s now available for you? What’s your first next step?
I’ve created an online program, which is available now for you at this link How to expand and succeed in 4 steps to help leaders to do this mind shifts in a guided, simple, focused, and effective manner so they can step through blocks and limitations and succeed success by using a bepowerfulandfree® approach.
Dear Leader, I invite you to use the power of your leadership role to inspire and empower those around you, so they can be and give their best. All the best, and take care!
Tanja Bogataj, M.Sc., Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Tanja Bogataj is a Leaders' Consultant, Empowerment & (Self)Leadership Coach, Founder of the bepowerfulandfree® approach, based in Slovenia, working internationally. She's a lawyer from a background with two Master's degrees from Political sciences, and from Leadership and Management. In her work, she’s combining 20y rich experience working within the Government of Slovenia (of which 14y on leadership positions, covering portfolios like urban development, environment, green & circular economy) and 10+y experiences of coaching and leadership with coaching. Last 5 years she's helping leaders, coaches, entrepreneurs, and teams to free their power to expand impact while making a difference they are here to be and do.
Sources and References:
John C. Maxwell, Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn, Center Street New York, 2013;
Neale Donald Walsh, When Everything Changes, Change Everything, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, 2009;
Patti Johnson, Make waves, Be the One to Start Change at Work and in Life, Bibliomotion, 2014;
Tanja Bogataj, Mindset for the peak state, TBC YouTube Channel, https://youtu.be/ fIsaCl9y6LM, July 2022;
Tanja Bogataj, Re-Commit to continue Being Powerful and Free, #bepowerfulandfree Platform, https://www.bepowerfulandfree.com/re-commit-continue-being-powerfulfree/, 2019;
