It’s been a year since I left corporate life behind me, and it’s been an amazing ride! One of the most surprising things is
that nothing has turned out as I would have predicted, and yet the year has been one of the best years of my life.
It’s been a whirlwind, the year has contained a bit of everything – loss, grief, change, excitement and exhilaration. The
biggest reward of the past year has been learning, the kind of learning that can only take place when you lose the familiar
and are faced with creating your life all over again from scratch.
Here's just a little of what I've learned:
that nothing has turned out as I would have predicted, and yet the year has been one of the best years of my life.
It’s been a whirlwind, the year has contained a bit of everything – loss, grief, change, excitement and exhilaration. The
biggest reward of the past year has been learning, the kind of learning that can only take place when you lose the familiar
and are faced with creating your life all over again from scratch.
Here's just a little of what I've learned:
1. You can’t predict the future, so don’t worry about it.
2. If you don't give in to fear, you'll surprise yourself
3. Failure is a good thing!
A year ago I was worried about everything. I was worried about running out of money and how to get clients. The work
to become a certified coach seemed “too hard”, and I expected to be lonely working from home. Amazingly, without
exception, the worries I had a year ago have evaporated into nothing! My financial situation is surprisingly good, I love
working from home, I have a great group of clients*, and my certification training was a terrific and rewarding learning
experience. Those early worries could have easily derailed my efforts and my confidence, had I let them.
to become a certified coach seemed “too hard”, and I expected to be lonely working from home. Amazingly, without
exception, the worries I had a year ago have evaporated into nothing! My financial situation is surprisingly good, I love
working from home, I have a great group of clients*, and my certification training was a terrific and rewarding learning
experience. Those early worries could have easily derailed my efforts and my confidence, had I let them.
I can be quite shy. I used to hate being in a room of strangers and having to chat with people I didn't know. Well, if you
know anything about small business ownership, you know that networking typically comes with the territory – success is
often dependent on connecting with people and the easiest way to make those connections was the dreaded
“Networking Mixer”. After forcing myself to go to a local Chamber of Commerce mixer, I was amazed to find that it was
actually fun! People were focused on connecting with others, and I had a steady stream of local business owners to
chat with and learn from.
By not letting fear control my decisions, I find myself succeeding at things I never dreamed possible. And, with each
success my confidence increases. I find myself continually upping the stakes – I’m able to take greater and greater
risks, expanding what I’m capable of.
know anything about small business ownership, you know that networking typically comes with the territory – success is
often dependent on connecting with people and the easiest way to make those connections was the dreaded
“Networking Mixer”. After forcing myself to go to a local Chamber of Commerce mixer, I was amazed to find that it was
actually fun! People were focused on connecting with others, and I had a steady stream of local business owners to
chat with and learn from.
By not letting fear control my decisions, I find myself succeeding at things I never dreamed possible. And, with each
success my confidence increases. I find myself continually upping the stakes – I’m able to take greater and greater
risks, expanding what I’m capable of.
As Thomas Edison put it, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Failure is a natural part of
learning, but we are taught at a very young age that to fail (or get an “F”) reflects a weakness, a lack of something -
intelligence, persistence, character….the list goes on.
On my first day of training to become a coach, the students each got a sticker that said “Fail”. We wore the sticker
throughout the whole week of class to remind us that failure is a necessary part of life. The secret is this: it’s
necessary be open to failure in order to try new things, and it is necessary to try new things to learn. Many of the
students in my class had achieved a high degree of success in earlier careers, and none of us were comfortable with
making mistakes. But learning to remain neutral and open when we failed enabled us to take in the information that the
failure offered. This then became the knowledge that we needed to ultimately succeed.
As a special gift, I've include a copy of my original “Fail” sticker from my class. I challenge you to cut it out
and post it somewhere to remind yourself that failure is the path to success!
learning, but we are taught at a very young age that to fail (or get an “F”) reflects a weakness, a lack of something -
intelligence, persistence, character….the list goes on.
On my first day of training to become a coach, the students each got a sticker that said “Fail”. We wore the sticker
throughout the whole week of class to remind us that failure is a necessary part of life. The secret is this: it’s
necessary be open to failure in order to try new things, and it is necessary to try new things to learn. Many of the
students in my class had achieved a high degree of success in earlier careers, and none of us were comfortable with
making mistakes. But learning to remain neutral and open when we failed enabled us to take in the information that the
failure offered. This then became the knowledge that we needed to ultimately succeed.
As a special gift, I've include a copy of my original “Fail” sticker from my class. I challenge you to cut it out
and post it somewhere to remind yourself that failure is the path to success!
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What a Difference a Year Makes!
By Melinda Elliott
March 1, 2008
By Melinda Elliott
March 1, 2008
© Melinda Elliott 2008
Melinda Elliott is a certified Life Coach who works with people to achieve the life they want. Through coaching, Melinda can help
you leverage your strengths, smash your roadblocks, and create the life you're dreaming of. For more information or to request
a free consultation, visit http://www.melindaelliottcoaching.com
Note: This article may be re-published with appropriate attribution to the author including the copyright information, the
paragraph above, and this note.
Melinda Elliott is a certified Life Coach who works with people to achieve the life they want. Through coaching, Melinda can help
you leverage your strengths, smash your roadblocks, and create the life you're dreaming of. For more information or to request
a free consultation, visit http://www.melindaelliottcoaching.com
Note: This article may be re-published with appropriate attribution to the author including the copyright information, the
paragraph above, and this note.