The most challenging part of starting over is learning something new. We judge our present ability to do our new job based on our past experience with our old job. We beat ourselves up for missing a step in our new process as quickly and as efficiently as we did when we audited our old files. We tend to forget that we had this exact same experience the last time that we joined a new team. It’s a learning process and we have to remember to give ourselves the grace to be human.
This past year has been a series of learning experiences in a lot of new things. Every time I put myself out there to learn something new personally and professionally, I want to run back to the comfort of what I know. Especially when I mess up. The former perfectionist that still lives inside of me wants to sit in the moment and wonder about what I did wrong and how I could have done it better. Then I realize that –that line of thinking doesn’t serve anyone.
I ask myself what’s the lesson. Seems that I have been doing that a lot lately. Durn therapy! My therapist would be proud. I look for the lesson in the present rather than the pain of the mistake in my past. I give myself the grace to be human and choose to keep moving forward.
Part of my new job is to audit files and ask for the information that I need if it is missing to complete the next task. It was my first semi-solo audit. Several times I overlooked what I needed that was staring me in the face. I became frustrated with myself while missing the fact that I caught most of my own mistakes. Yes. I briefly questioned if I had made the right choice in embracing my new job. I extended myself some grace and finally saw the lesson. Embrace the new.
I know that change can be scary but world-class speaker Johnny Campbell says that we have to learn to outgrow our fear. I think that is what I have been doing for the last two years. Embracing the new and giving myself a chance to outgrow my fears. Who starts an entirely new career and life path at my age? Every step that I make is a step away from the fear that I thought would hold me and a step towards hope that will carry me.
Taking the steps to outgrow the fear of not currently being the expert in my career and life is the best gift that I can give myself right now. I am still full of life and worthy of as many new experiences that I can make. I choose to embrace the new with all the challenges and obstacles that come with it. Will you join me? What new thing are you choosing to embrace? Let’s chat.
Just Another Day's Journey 