Choosing growth when comfort feels easier

Growth

25 Nov

One of the reasons I left employment was because I wanted the freedom to grow in ways that mattered to me. I did not want someone else deciding what skills I should develop or which direction I should stretch in.

What I have learnt is that I cannot be growing and pushing myself all the time. It’s exhausting and leads me to feel stressed, unhappy, and less productive, creative and agile. Instead, I work in long cycles... I stretch and push myself to do new things that scare me or feel really hard, and then, over time, those things become my new comfort zone. I sit quite happily here for a while until I get bored. And then I know I am ready to consciously step back into a growth phase and handle stretching myself again.

Right now, I have stepped into a growth phase again, and these are the three areas I am developing…

Saying yes to public speaking

Public speaking has never been my favourite thing to do. I can do it, I did not get an A* in Drama for nothing, and I know I can present confidently and hold a room (ish). But there is always that little voice that says, what if the audience thinks this is boring, pointless or unhelpful? What if they do not think I am credible?

I know that is nonsense really. I have spent years working with business owners, and I have a lot of knowledge that genuinely helps people. So it is time to get over myself and start flexing that speaker muscle. Not only will it grow me, but it will grow the business and hopefully help others grow too.

And I’m doing it in style - this month I’m doing 3 talks (including at The Marketing Meetup next week). I have been asked to speak at an International Women’s Day event, and I am in conversations with several organisations about running workshops too.

Bring. It. On.

Finding my competitive edge again through pickleball

I am very competitive, especially in sports. In my teens, I was a national swimmer, in all the 1st teams at school, a long-distance runner and a national biathlon competitor. At school I was voted most likely to win the London Marathon or go to the Olympics. Then I went to Loughborough University, discovered the social life, and dropped everything almost overnight (ha!).

Since then, I have struggled to find a sport that feels good. But last weekend, I discovered pickleball, and I absolutely loved it. I laughed for the whole two hours and could feel myself improving as my technique got better. Winning felt good. Getting better at something felt good. And I know the fitness, routine and social side will be great for me too.

It is my new obsession, and it feels good to get my competitive edge back!

Stretching myself in the business by launching an online community

My final area of growth is inside the business. For years, I have been adamant that I would not launch an online community. I knew that meant my impact was limited, but I was not ready. Running a community takes time, energy and a different kind of leadership, and I did not have the capacity for it. Until now.

This month, I launched The Strategy Space, an online community for small business owners who want protected time each month to think strategically, plan effectively and take focused action that drives real growth. It gives people a dedicated space to work on their business, not just in it, and it finally feels like the right time to build it.

This is what the business journey is all about

Running a business will give you the biggest personal growth journey of your life. Sometimes it will feel hard, scary and too much. But if you rise through that, even in small steady steps, you come out wiser, more capable and more confident in who you are and what you can do.

Growth does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it is a choice to stretch when you could stay comfortable. Sometimes it's saying yes before you feel ready. Sometimes it is walking into a room, picking up a paddle, or launching something that scares you a little.

And every time you do, you expand what you believe is possible for yourself.

So if you are sitting in a comfortable season and something inside you is whispering that you are ready for more, listen. Your next phase of growth might be closer and simpler than you think.

It’s all about the long game…

Katherine - Founder of The Pocket Strategist