In the business world there is a lot of discussion of “The Great Resignation” or alternatively “the great reshuffle.” If you run a business, then you’re definitely re-evaluating what you need to do to attract and keep talent. However, more importantly, what this means for us as individuals and as a society is that we are rethinking the blueprint for life that was handed down to us – something we always work through in the coaching process.

As you think about your life, it’s important to understand your blueprint. Your blueprint is your collection of beliefs, values, thoughts, and expectations that shape all the decisions in your life and ultimately how you feel about your life. Unhappiness is when your life conditions don’t match your life blueprint and if you want more happiness and more fulfillment you must shift either your blueprint or your conditions.
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As we witness “the Great Resignation” -  a re-evaluation of our values is exactly what we are seeing. Several generations of people are taking a look at their blueprint for the first time and realizing that the blueprint they have isn’t really working for them. 

​One of my favorite Bible verses comes from the Book of Revelations:
 
“16 [a]So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.”
 
Now from a Christian perspective, this is of course a very potent and necessary warning about the idea of not being “all-in” when it comes to one’s faith in God. The imagery of this is frightening and motivating to get your life in order.
 
However, like many pieces of wisdom in the Bible, this has application to even the most non-believing atheist. Because in this world, if you are lukewarm the world will certainly spit you out of its mouth even if you have no concern for the afterlife.
 
The one thing I see time and time from new clients who aren’t getting to where they want to be is a lack of resolve, commitment, or fire that drives them. They’ve spent their whole lives with a case of Niagara syndrome (letting the current move them to wherever it desires) and are just starting to contemplate the idea that action is needed.

​A global pandemic has broken out and it’s changing all our lives – maybe forever.

Not only are many getting sick and fighting for their lives, the rest of us are living in isolation while the stock market crashes and some of us aren’t sure if our jobs will still be our jobs in a week or a month.

This type of drastic, rapid change is unsettling to say the least.

Difficult times are one of life’s guarantees. For some, it will create despair and helplessness. For others, it’s a time to invest in themselves, their families, and their relationships to come out of the dark time a great deal stronger than they were when it started.
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Here are 4 tips on what you can do to thrive during uncertain times:

There's a fine line between knowing yourself and creating limiting identities or beliefs. 

In the coaching world and the corporate HR world there is a lot of hype around personality types, enneagrams, introversion/extroversion, and other tools used to put people in neatly ordered boxes. 

These tests can be useful for us individuals because it helps us feel understood, can point us in the right direction for our current skill set, and even point out our weaknesses and limitations so we can improve.

Managers and executives like these tests because they help them put people into boxes and order us appropriately so that we flourish under their leadership. 

So on the surface everyone wins with these tools. 

Like everything, there is a downside and these tests often become a problem for people. It becomes a problem because when you put people into behavioral boxes, they tend to accept their new confines and their growth becomes stifled.

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There’s a scene in the classic comedy Zoolander where the main character’s life has fallen apart. He has had a singular focus his entire life - on his modeling career - and he feels that modeling career slipping away from him. He then sees his reflection and in a puddle and contemplates out loud “Who am I?” As a kid I watched this movie a ton with my friends and my brothers and now this question has become a jokingly serious mantra around my house. 

Something I am constantly doing in my own life, and encouraging my clients to do, is evaluating and re-evaluating my values and goals. This is doubly true when I am at a crossroads or transition in your life as the lack of clarity will cause you much more stress in your moments of decision.

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