What a difference a year makes. A year ago, I was stuck. I couldn’t see anything but the cinder blocks that form the basement - dark, dirty, windowless. Now I have a completely different view from the balcony - high, open, light and bright.

It is hard to see opportunities when you are stuck in the basement

Wow, the last couple years have been really significant for me professionally as I wrestled through being in complete misery to finding a direction that provides fulfillment. A couple years ago, I honestly had no idea what I wanted, I only knew that I was completely unfulfilled in my career and miserable in my surroundings. I don’t regret the process I went through, at least not in hindsight (at the time, it was ugly and messy). I needed to wrestle through it to get clarity because I was so focused on what I didn’t want, I couldn’t see anything else. It was like being in the basement.

My view was limited, I could only see what was immediately in front of me. It is funny how it can be hard to get perspective when it’s most needed. It took me 18 months to struggle through what I thought was the right thing, only to finally realize I was NOT going to change people or the environment. And now I know, that is okay. Sometimes we just no longer fit. It is easy to say now, but at the time is was almost impossible. I didn’t want it to be true.

The view is much better from the balcony

It has been a year since I gave notice, packed my things and moved out of the basement. (not literally, my analogy has nothing to do with the environment I was in or the company I worked for, and everything to do with my own mindset)

It took a hard reset for me to gain clarity. At the time I wasn’t capable of transitioning without getting rid of the baggage I collected. As soon as I gave notice and allowed myself to accept “it was me, not them” - I started seeing new opportunities. Initially, I wanted to move into another corporate role but then I realized that wasn’t the only option. That realization changed everything - I could do ANYTHING! By changing my mindset, I could see so many opportunities. I always wanted to be a coach, so why not NOW? I started by testing the idea with people I trusted, looked for their honest reaction, and for the most part was shocked by the level of encouragement. They believed in what I could do and with that, my mindset was changed and now I could see things from a much better view - the balcony.

A few things that might help you move from the basement to the balcony

There are a few things I learned and want to share with you because I believe they will be helpful if you find yourself in a situation where you are stuck.

• The people you surround yourself with are either your greatest ally or biggest enemy and it isn’t always easy to tell the difference. This can be so difficult to sort through, especially when you are stuck. My advice is to trust your intuition (I wish I would have trusted mine sooner). If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it is a duck. When things don’t feel quite right, conflict with your values - move on, it isn’t the right fit for you.

• You know your value, don’t compromise. And, don’t wait around for others to fulfill your goals. There are so many opportunities, you just can’t see them from where you are. No one will care more about your success and fulfillment than you.

If you are stuck, I recommend taking time to answer these questions:

1. What is NOT changing proving you? What is it costing you?

2. What would changing provide you? What would it cost you?

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