Repot Yourself to Success

I just repotted some flowers from a very small container to larger pots.  Why larger pots?  Because I know they will grow and I want to give them plenty of room to bloom and grow as they can.  I don’t want the limitations of a small pot to confine their growth and ability to bloom gorgeous blossoms.  Hmmm, same goes with us too!

What happens to a beautiful plant that outgrows its container? If you don’t repot it, eventually it withers and dies. Repotting is our term for transplanting yourself into a larger growth environment. Just as gardeners look for ways to promote growth in spring, you can rejuvenate your life by following this step-by-step process. If you are on the path (or looking for the path) to success, here’s how you can “repot” to achieve your own success to grow and blossom.

1.  How is your landscape?  Adopting a new perspective is the first step to successful repotting. Just as some plants need a different environment to thrive, you need to start thinking in new ways. Ask yourself: What is really important to me? What trade-offs do I need to make to bring more light and meaning into my personal garden? What will bring color to my landscape? For example, if you are constantly out of town for work and away from home, missing important family events, you could shift your priorities and adjust your schedule. If family and personal time are priorities for you, adjust your landscape to reflect those priorities.

2.  Planting and repotting is a process.  Slow down and create time in your schedule to research new avenues for personal growth. Don’t be afraid of empty spaces. A friend of ours who cut back on her schedule immediately filled the open time slots with new activities. Remember to let time do its thing–don’t fill up your free time until you know what you really want to do.

3.  Make sure you have good light.  Your true gifts may be languishing for lack of sun. In order to grow and change, you’ll need to open your mind to new possibilities, set goals that challenge you, and even take some risks. Instead of following a safe path, you might decide to explore something different. We worked with a lawyer who was unhappy with the rigid corporate structure. She ultimately opened up her own specialty boutique with local designers, giving up financial security in favor of a less constraining lifestyle.

4.  Weed regularly and as needed.  Whatever you choose to undertake, whether it’s starting a new career,  volunteering, or pursuing a new hobby, do something every single day to make progress toward your goal of success. Don’t let distractions take your energy away from the tasks necessary to achieve your goal. If you want to do personal writing but find yourself distracted by TV–try unplugging the set on weekends and using the spare time to keep a journal.

5.  Cultivate, cultivate, cultivate.  To repot successfully, you need to let your mind run free to entertain new concepts, ideas, and avenues. Unleash your creative side by visualizing a new future for yourself. One of my  clients, a mom and wife who spent 20 years raising children, allowed herself to visualize a new identity. She tapped into her inner voice and let her imagination to take her beyond her current role to that of a counselor for people with eating disorders.

6.  Deeply water your roots.  Find the core values that motivate you. Make sure the life you are living is in sync with your deepest values and priorities. If not, see what you can do to realign it. Let’s say you feel the lack of spirituality in your life, but aren’t sure how to find it. Write down the items you feel passionate about, causes that pull at your heart.  Anything that you find fulfilling whether it be to volunteer your time and energies to being close to nature or going to a church, whatever works for you and fills your heart.

7.  Fertilizer for solid growth.  When you expand your knowledge, you expand your options. For personal growth, ongoing learning is crucial–whether you’re pursuing a hobby or gaining new credentials for a career change.  The stimulation of learning fosters new growth and change at any age.

8.  Plant a sample bed to check it out.  Until you try a plant in your own personal garden, you won’t know for sure if the conditions are right for growth. If they’re not, you can always rip it out and start again. Embrace trial and error. One of my close friends took training to see if she would like to become a massage therapist. While she enjoyed the nurturing aspect, she realized she didn’t have the stamina to do it full-time.  Her passion is elderly, sick people so she works with hospice facilities to provide massage services.

9.  Support and tips from other gardeners.  Tap into your network–family, friends, and colleagues–who may be able to give you feedback, advice, and emotional support. As you benefit from the advice of others, you may also find that you’re helping someone else along the way. A woman who wanted to change jobs talked openly with her family, professional friends, and people who had known her throughout her life. She found her life enriched by connecting with old friends and developing deeper relationships with new ones.

10.  Weed for growth.  Take a disciplined approach to finding more time in your day for activities that offer opportunities for growth. Make a list of the “must-do activities,” then eliminate non-essentials. A client of mine had her own event-planning firm found her client lunches and after-hours professional activities were overwhelming. She cut back on the number of commitments to make time for classes to pursue new interests and advance in current interests.

We are always growing so our own personal growing season is never over.  Just as a tree has four different phases during the four seasons, so do we.  Sometimes we are growing (Spring and Summer) and other times we are in transition (Fall) and others we are staying where we are but deep things are going on inside (Winter) to prepare for the growth phase again.

Enjoy and appreciate your growth.

Believe In Yourself,
Cathy, ACC-ICF, CLC
Certified Life Coach, Weight Loss Surgery Coach
Certified Back On Track Facilitator