Making The Choice To Change
In late January 2024, I was in a fog in Copenhagen…literally and figuratively.
The literal fog was a combination of the damp + heavy Danish winter along with an expected case of jetlag. We had just arrived for some life-changing days as our daughter Claire was starting an amazing exchange term of the University of Copenhagen. I went for an early run to explore the city and leg out the stasis.
The metaphorical fog was even heavier. Taking a long-ish break for holidays from my company Fluency Leadership was a foreign experience for me after 3.5 years of entrepreneurial boot camp. Along with my business partner Catherine, we’d built the strong foundation of an enduring company that had built winning conditions for the future. We were continuing our 20-mile marches (thanks Jim Collins) and getting a lot of green lights and good vibes along the way. But on that morning run, I came across a big question.
“What if I made some changes in my work?”
In the midst of the pace of play of the business and all the signals of success we could see, I’d not given myself permission to really consider this idea. If something is going well, why would you ever mess with it?
So between the amazing cardamon buns, wicked saunas and fun explorations around Copenhagen, I stayed with this question. On the plane ride home, I journaled the messy set of thoughts rolling in my cranium and put them on the page. Then that page became a plan. And the plan began to form.
Through that process, I got clear on something that had been equally foggy…maybe you can relate. It’s this - you don’t need things to be broken or unhealthy to make a change. In fact, the best time to make a change is when things are going well so you can work from a place of abundance and opportunity, rather than scarcity and threat. It’s literally a game-changer.
So now in August 2024, the change is happening and my professional practice lives under the roof of Colin Macrae Coaching. And in this moment, I’m looking back at what’s transpired in the past six months and harvesting my learnings from this time of change. Here’s the insights I can share that might help you when you are feeling the heaviness and fog of change.
It’s A Two-Way Door
My pal and collaborator Lance Odegard, whose writing leaves me in awe all the time, wrote about Doors a while back in his newsletter, in part sparked by a convo we had about decisions. Here’s what Lance put on the page:
“Knowing what kind of door you’re in front of matters. Recognizing the difference between reversible and irreversible decisions helps you allocate your time and energy wisely.
Seeing that most decisions are two-way doors, opens up more adaptability, creativity, risk-taking, and confidence.”
Nailed it. Making the decision to move on from a company I founded and start a sole practice is not a one-way door. It can change in the future. The “container” of my work will likely change and morph over time…and if something isn’t working in the current form factor of my practice, then I have raging agency to change it.
It’s Completely Authentic
The first blog I wrote when I left Electronic Arts in 2019 was entitled I’m On The Pursuit Of Authenticity - So Where The Hell Am I? What Does It Look Like? And How Will I Know When I Find It? As I look back on that blog today, a few things come to mind. First, why the hell was I writing such long headlines? Second, in that blog I declared my pursuit of authentic human connection as the foundation of this chapter of my working life. What I’ve learned in the thousands of hours of coaching in the past five years is that the one-to-one relationship with a coachee is where I get the most fulfilment and is the apex of that authentic human connection in the context of work. It’s a sacred space anchored in trust, connected through intimacy, and filled with purpose and action. I love it and want more of it.
It’s All Going To Be OK
Let me be clear…I’m not a risk taker. I have a deeply challenging relationship with uncertainty and it’s one of the biggest struggles I face each day. At my worst, I can operate from a space of scarcity and control that has a negative impact on myself and those around me. My biggest personal learning in 2024 is “it’s all going to be OK” which embraces the inevitable uncertainty AND helps me release some of the control I’ve been hanging on to. So with this shift in my working context, I carry a feeling and belief that it will all work out. I’m doing all I can to hold things a little lighter and not let the impulse to control overtake me.
I also had the benefit of having a generous, confident and trusted business partner in Cath through this time of transition. I leaned into the strength of our relationship and had the courageous conversations about our changes. I should have known it was all going to be OK because great people like Cath will stay in the courageous conversation with you. Because that’s what great people do.
Questions for Reflection
Was this the best decision I could make to change the course of my working life? Of course not…because there is no singular best. I carry forward a belief that I have chosen well, and that’s all we can really ask for, isn’t it?
What’s a change you’ve been holding on to because things are going well? What might happen if you had the courage step through that two-way door and explore that change?