Less than 6 months ago I could never have fathomed writing a post like this; it’s funny what a huge difference a little time and a quick chat can make.
The start of the year was difficult for me and my girlfriend, we ended up in a place we never thought we’d find ourselves in, but it turns out that it was a good thing. I’m now in a place where I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, I’m in a job that I love and I’m learning new things every day.
Sometimes bad situations aren’t all that bad – unless you let them be.
Times Change
It’s easy to blame other people when your circumstances change, especially when they’re out of your control. But that’s the point, they’re out of your control – it’s happened and now it’s up to you to decide what you’re gonna do about it. You’re in control. No one else.
That statement had a big impact on me. You’re in control. You wouldn’t let anyone else tell you how to live your life, so why would you let something that has happened dictate your whole life, and your way of thinking. It sounds silly right?
I found that taking back my power and taking responsibility for things that have happened and then planning what I’m gonna do next, how I’m gonna move forward and where I want to get to, was a real game changer for me.
Your Mindset can Change
Speaking of a game changer. I played a lot of football growing up, for as long as I can remember I had a football with me, whether that meant playing for my school, university or club team – or just kicking a ball against the front of my parents house, there was a lot of football. You get the point.
I was a good player and I even made team captain at one point. As a captain, it’s your responsibility to motivate your team and encourage them, not only when things are going well but also when things are going badly.
Well, turns out being a captain doesn’t have to be limited to the sports field. It applies to your professional life and to your personal life too.
You’re gonna get people on the sidelines booing you, right? Or have someone doubting you in some way? As a player you don’t listen to them, you pick up the ball and get that ball in the back of the net, right? Well that’s exactly what you can do off the pitch too.
People will doubt you, and it’s up to you to prove them wrong. Sure, you will hear them but you don’t have to listen to them, you shrug it off and prove them wrong and show them how good you and your team are. And you can motivate others to do the same.
It Takes Time
It’s ok if it doesn’t work out the first time either. A team will lose a match, they may even lose several on the run, but each week they go back to training and work out what went wrong and what to do about it, they might even try something new.
And that’s exactly what I’m trying to put into practice. A change of career is ok, even if it’s in a different industry (in my case it definitely worked out for the best, who knew?!). You just train to be the best you can be, work with your teammates to improve and put into practicing what you’ve learnt.
Personally, the same applies. You’re the captain of your life too, the doubters could even be your own thoughts. Remember, you’re in control. You’re the captain. You are the one who can make a difference, so train for it if you need to, make the changes you need to, maybe you need to make a substitution, and that’s ok. No team is perfect from the start. You build the players or the skills you need to get to where you want. You make the changes to get the win and to be where you want to be in your personal life.
All of that takes time too. It may take one change, it may take 11, or more. It’s a work in progress but no matter what the change it all makes you stronger, you learn from your mistakes and your experiences and become better for it.
That’s where I’m at now.
I didn’t think that could be me, but that was me getting in my own way. It’s easy to be your own enemy sometimes.
I’m happy, I’m strong and I’m good enough. My mindset has changed. I’m proud of where I am now and the people I have around me. I’m looking forward to building my future – both personally and professionally – and I’m confident of the steps I can take to get to where I want to be.
After all, it’s down to me and my team, all I have to do is train.
