I worked with a life coach earlier this year shortly after I quit my job. I expect to share my lessons learned from working with my coach, Jenna, on this blog over several posts. Today, I am going to share one of the most powerful lessons I learned and apply to this date.
I worked for a reputable tech company as a software engineer. It is a dream place to work for many. The benefits, the perks and the compensation are among the top players in the field.
For that reason, when I explain to my family that I’d like to quit to experiment different things and perhaps now want to go further explore woodworking or starting YouTube channel, I often receive response full of doubt and “what the heck are you thinking?” look.
It’s hard.
I had heard of this before in entrepreneurship articles and books. Your family and friends don’t want you to take risks because they want you to be safe and therefore can be the biggest bottleneck to you trying something audacious. This is experienced by many entrepreneurs and when you read it, you might think “sure, it’s just one of many obstacles..what is the big deal?”
But when you are going through it, it does not register as something common. It’s hard to accept that you don’t get the support from the very people you need it the most. You start doubting yourself. You wonder if what you are pursuing is worth all that trouble and possibly disappointing the very people you want to make proud.
It’s particularly hard for someone like me who has always worked hard to exceed my own and my parents’ expectation in everything I do. I had never let them down.
Yes, being a good student throughout all school years and following what society considers a good path until your early 30s can actually work against you here.
I brought this up during one of my coaching sessions and Jenna told me that is a sign that you are on the right path. She said it confirms that I am doing something audacious that I set out to do when I quit your job.
I experienced a powerful shift in my perspective and instantly noticed how my emotional state went from being full of doubt to conviction that I am doing the right thing.
This type of shift in perspective that leads to a change in my emotional state, attitude and ultimately my action is what I wanted to experience when I signed up for a coaching service and the above dialogue is one of the highlights from working with Jenna.
My parents are staying at my house this week for holidays. We talked about all the sacrifices they had made for me and how I gave up everything they have helped me achieve to date to be unemployed, to make no income for almost a year now. Thankfully, my relationship with parents are strong but I sense their doubt. I needed to remember the Jenna’s reminder above.
I keep saying to myself — “I trust that I am going to figure things out”. When my vision comes true, my family will see this journey was all worth it.
