It was a big day for me last week when I got featured in the Philippine Daily Inquirer‘s business section, thanks to my long-time mentor Josiah Go. I am beyond thrilled with the feature and the outpouring of love and support from my friends and family.
Here’s an excerpt and a section that was completely removed from the Inquirer article:
What will women achievers lose without confronting their fears about change?
I will be the first to admit that it is so much easier to stay in your comfort zone. You know what to expect and what’s expected of you. There are no difficult feelings to deal with (like fear, discomfort, sadness).
I will be the first to admit that it is so much easier to stay in your comfort zone. You know what to expect and what’s expected of you. There are no difficult feelings to deal with (like fear, discomfort, sadness).
Sometimes life forces us to change or we just want to change because we know there’s something else we want for our lives. If we don’t confront our fears of change, we lose out knowing, on exploring, on living a life of adventure and curiosity.
There’s a question I ask in my marketing postcard: “Imagine you’re 80. What dream would you most regret not pursuing?” When you don’t confront your fear, you lose out on living out your dreams, on living a life you don’t regret, on living your best life.
Many women achievers are results-oriented. why do they need a life coach to help them become accountable to see the change they desire in their lives?
You’re absolutely right that women achievers are results-oriented. When you give them something to do, they get it done. But what I’m seeing in my life coaching work now is that when it comes to something they REALLY want, when it comes to listening to their heart (and not the voices of their boss, parents, husband, or even best friends), that’s when they get stuck.
Women achievers are used to being people-pleasers, to letting external markers of achievement become their barometer for living a successful life. But for some women, there are things they still want to do for themselves, that don’t align with what everyone feels they should do. That’s when they need a coach—to help them articulate what it is they REALLY want and then help them take the steps to make that happen. I dig deep into their stories of what’s holding them back and understand why what they want is important to them.
It takes practice to listen to your own voice instead of someone else’s and that’s what my life coaching practice centers on—to heed your inner wisdom and follow that.
If you were to write a LETTER to many women achievers today, what would you tell them?
Dear woman achiever,
You’re amazing.
You have gone far in your career. You have achieved much. You have gained respect, admiration, trust, success.
BUT…
You have a dream that you really, really, really want to make happen. You want to write a book or set up a business. You want to establish a foundation, become a digital nomad or run a marathon. You have a big idea for your life. You want your vision to become real.
Despite your achievements, you feel stuck. You’re going into unknown territory. You want to move forward but you can’t go beyond feeling fear or overwhelm.
I just want to let you know that you can do it. You are creative. You can figure it out as you have done many times in the past.
But as you have learned in your career, sometimes you need help. I’m here as your life coach to help you get from where you are to where you want to be. I’m here to help you tap into your inner wisdom, strengths and values to help you live your best life.
Let’s dream, create and figure it out together.
Take care, Aurora
