Making the hardest decision—$ or Freedom

If you read my previous post about my story, you will recall that I was laid off in June 2020 from my consulting job and started on a path to do something completely different. After having worked in healthcare for my entire career (20+ years), I had burned out and really wanted (needed) to pivot into something completely new.

After much exploration of possible options, I started down the path of becoming a certified coach and setting up my own coaching business. However, as you can imagine, the path is not always straightforward even when you know what you want to do. In April 2021, I was contacted by a large health system that needed help in an area that I have expertise. They would pay me an hourly rate that ultimately was double what I made previously. I was at a fork in the road. Do I take this opportunity that was just handed to me and make double the money I was making the prior year, or do I continue on the path towards what I really wanted to do—build my own business and help others make transitions in their life as an executive coach?

At the time the offer came, my old stories and limiting beliefs about making money and needing to take opportunities that presented themselves (even when I didn’t want to do it) came up. How in the heck am I going to turn down an opportunity to work part-time making twice what I earned the prior year!?! I tried to convince myself that if I was working 20(ish) hours for this health system, then I still had time to build my business.

So what happened….. I proceeded to have a week of anxiety, stress dreams, and just general fear. I knew that I did not want to do the work that was being offered as it was work I had done for 20+ years and I was burned out and ready for my new venture. I had also been feeling so good (amazing really) and working on personal development, my coaching training program, coaching a few clients, and just giving myself the space and time to restore and renew and let go of the past. But I slipped right back into feeling the need for the security of the financial opportunity and the comfort of doing what was easy.

Then finally, the stars all aligned for me. The weekend following my acceptance of that proposal, I visited Charleston and met up with my best friend of 20 years. She knows me extremely well and proceeded to "coach" me on why I was taking a job that would distract me from doing what I really wanted to do. The universe will often test us to see how serious we are about our decision to move forward in a new direction. Do I want to stay in my comfort zone or do I want to lean into who I was becoming and follow my passion? Thanks to my "coach", I chose the path that my heart really wanted and I turned down the consulting opportunity.

The takeaway here is: we all have doubts, fears, and things holding us back. But if we really want to move forward in a new direction, it will take some courage and likely some support.

 
Sending you positive energy as you move forward in your life.

— Julie