Making a Decision to Decide
New Year’s Day was the one year anniversary of my father-in-law’s passing. I have experienced other losses over the last few years, but his death hit differently. I was reminded of how fragile life is and how we are not promised tomorrow no matter how old we are.
As we emerge into 2024, it’s possible you’re feeling excited about your plans for the year ahead. It’s also possible you’re not ready to set goals and dig your heels in for your best year yet. Maybe you feel like these memes I’ve been seeing on Instagram that say winter is for hibernating and eating soup, not having fresh starts with big new goals.
Last year, Nick and I decide to date each other again. We’ve been going out each week ever since, which I’m sure has added more happy years to our partnership.
Wherever you stand on the spectrum of navigating the new year, I encourage you to make a decision to decide on whatever it is you want out of life. Sometimes we feel stuck about what we should even want. It doesn’t have to be a professional shift. Maybe you just want to eat better or have more rest time or spend more time with your loved ones. Whatever it is…make the decision to decide.
Recently, I’ve had calls with a few potential coaching clients who have felt stuck about where they are in their professional lives. They aren’t passionate about their work anymore. They feel overworked and underpaid. Or, they just want to stop working altogether to take a break from the city to travel the world.
Unsurprisingly, fear is what has held them back from taking any action towards switching things up. In the two years that I’ve been coaching, the most common fears that I hear about when shifting to new and uncharted territory are about the possibility of losing money, losing a home, and losing respect from professional colleagues. If the people that I’m talking to are what I call “entrepreneurially curious” and want to leave their jobs to start a business, there’s also the fear of losing all of the above plus their ability to truly provide for themselves. After all, being an entrepreneur is the deep belief in being able to feed and house yourself because there’s no more security blanket of receiving the predictable weekly or bi-weekly check.
Brooke and I worked together in 2022 and part of 2023 when she shifted from working in corporate marketing to working for herself. She earned six figures replacing 50% of her salary in her first year of being her on boss. We finally met in person shortly after this past Christmas when I ran into her visting our Lenox Ave store for ice cream with her family.
The beginning of 2023 wasn’t great for our family to say the least, but it did drive home the truth that I should at the very least try to make everyday count because who knows if I’ll get tomorrow to try again. I don’t take life for granted and I hope you don’t either.
If you’re looking to make some professional shifts, I’d love to support you. My clients have gone on to change careers with $30K-$40K pay bumps as well as start and grow their businesses.
Making a decision to take action can feel scary when you go at it alone, which is why I advise that you don’t. You can schedule time here to see if working together makes sense.
And, if you’re new here and you didn’t get the link to my reflection and intention prompts to start the year, you can find them here.
With love,
Petrushka
Your Local Ice Cream Lady & Life/Business Coach