Settling is Easy, Going After What You Want is Hard

Settling is easy. Plain and simple. Some spend their entire lives being "fine" and putting on a façade of being happy. Going after what you want is challenging, uncomfortable, and will always feel like you're in the unknown. Failure doesn't scare us, success does. It’s going after what we TRULY want that terrifies us. Fear is the feeling people spend most of their lives trying to avoid. Guess what? Not me...Especially not in 2016.2016 has been a ride and a very unpredictable roller coaster.  This year taught me SO much about myself and I discovered what I needed to let go of to create more space for the things I really wanted for myself. These are the things and people I want in my life I always knew were possible but felt like it was always out of my reach. I feel the biggest takeaway for me is learning what I needed to unlearn about myself (beliefs), and know my self-worth. I always felt deep down in my soul like I had more potential than what was being offered at each stage in my life and that I innately deserved better. This sense of fulfillment in many aspects of my life (not just career) took a toll on me in 2016. This is the year I finally decided to take control of my own destiny and really commit to building my dreams at all costs. REMEMBER: When people say it took me 10 years to change, what they are really saying is it took them 10 years to DECIDE to make a change and change happened in an instant. During the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey,  triggers of of fear, low self-worth and inadequacy where all saboteurs I needed to ignore and rewire in my brain.  This took time and was a huge investment as I hired a coach to help me through this and look at the bigger picture: Why ? Check out Simon Sinek if you want to know more about this - articulating your why. Lately, the universe is reflecting back to me how much people appreciate my risk taking and bold nature by putting myself out there and standing up for myself when it feels right. MAN did I need to speak up for myself more… it was a huge problem for me in the beginning of 2016. To add to that, asking for what I want and making sure expectations are clear upfront was another - believe me when I say this, plenty of people aren’t asking the right questions to get the answers they need and this is why we feel dissatisfied. Don’t leave answers up to chance because it’s up to you to get clarity and only you. No one is going to save you. When you find yourself in multiple situations over and over with similar challenges/patterns, this happens because you haven't learned something. 2016 was all about repeating these challenges /patterns and a continuation of bad habits I’d inherited in my earlier years. Through commitment and perseverance, I decided to confront my fears head on and work on myself because felt I deserved better and that I was worth it. Hmmmm self-love.Being an Entrepreneur is risky and yet a hell of a lot more fun than anything I’ve ever done before. I have control and power which is exactly what I was giving up when I was in my corporate gigs. Today I heard a few things that really bothered me and stomped on my values and what I believe in. “It’s too expensive” “That’s a waste of money for a 1 year program that will change” “We didn't budget for this” Thanks for your help but no thanks… When the bottom line is more important than your people, please beware of this and notice it’s red flags. Some people stay in careers, relationships, families and they feel that their values are being stepped on at every angle. And yet, we hang on hoping things will change. We feel depleted, burnt out, dissatisfied and are convinced something or someone will just make our lives easier.  Things can change though - you just have to STEP UP. Know your worth and know that your gifts are unique and can make an impact. This is what I learned this year, I am more powerful than I even thought and now I am a public speaker, mentor & entrepreneur who takes action even when it’s REALLY hard and UNCOMFORTABLE. I am brave, have difficult & awkward conversations and letting that be okay no matter of its outcome. Be true to your values and what you believe is right.  Don’t wait for someone to tell you they don’t value your expertise and skills. I left some really cool gigs this year because I stood up for myself and knew I had so much more to give. I wanted something more for myself. When we show up as leaders and say what we want, we’re playing a different game and it’s definitely one to tell people about. I no longer play small and think small. I play a bigger game with top players. I’ve been called out on my s***, coached to play big and look for opportunities, rewired my brain by reading and application and upgraded my skills by completing a certificate program in instructing adults this year. I now mentor undergraduate students at Ryerson University in the Human Resources program. I like to study our next generation because they are so fascinating.  Procrastination Generation (shhhh don't tell them that). Let’s not forget standing for what I want and accepting nothing less has been a huge learning curve. I don’t leave anything up to chance, I own it and show up as myself - which is awesome!According to numerology if you believe in it, 2017 adds up to 1 which means the start of the next 9 years of your life begins next year. 2017 is a completely brand new year and a clean slate so clean up what you need to now so you can set a solid foundation for 2017 and have an amazing 9 years.What are some things you're battling right now that you need to learn, unlearn, and let go of for 2016? Reach out to me and we can chat or leave a comment below!-Sonia