Creating Space… To Reclaim Your Energy

Leading With VOICCE® Series.

"If I don't show up fully, in every area I have committed to, I am letting people down."

This story has lived rent-free inside my head for a very long time. What's funny is, I thought that once I changed my environment, changed roles, changed organizations, and even experienced a total career shift, that I would magically shift out of the patterns and responses that no longer served me. The reality is so much more layered than that. 

Most of the stories I subscribed to in my early career days were packed up in my "box of things" just like everything else that transitioned with me from one chapter to the next. They were quietly creating pressure that I couldn't even feel until I slowed down to take a closer look.

This past year, I made it a point to dive more intentionally into learning about seasonal rhythms. In nature, everything has a season, and the same is true for our lives. In summer, the heat and long days can carry an energy of ambition, determination, and if we are not careful - burnout. In fall, the temperatures shift, the wind picks up, and nature starts to release what is no longer needed in that season. In winter, nature settles down. There is a quiet renewal happening beneath the surface, and in spring, the moisture and earth prepare for the next phase of growth and renewal. 

Most of us seldom live in alignment with those rhythms, but energetically, we are still attuned to them. Summer vacations are in full swing. Fall days start to tug at us to slow down. And in winter, we have this urge to burrow, even though we are often tasked with hitting end of year goals or preparing for holiday celebrations. 

How does this tie back to story? This past fall. I decided to slow down and listen. What is this season REALLY asking of me? It was asking me to pause, to slow down, and assess what I might need to step away from. I resisted. A lot. "If I don't show up fully, in every area I have committed to, I am letting people down."

But I chose to slow down and listen anyway. And that stillness gave way to some pretty profound insight. It helped me challenge the story I was telling myself and consider another perspective. What's at stake if I don't slow down? How is my work, my contribution, compromised if I don't learn to create space?

• I was showing up with good intentions, but minimal energy.

• I was in the process of building something I was excited for, but pulled in too many directions to breathe life into it.

• I was sacrificing so much of my time in "every space" I felt responsible for, that no one space received my full presence.

All of these scenarios diluted my impact and drained my energy. 

We all carry stories:

• "I should know this by now."

• "If I need help, I am not ready for this role."

• "Let me just prove myself a little more first."

• "I can carry this - it's fine.

What if we paused? What if we challenged? What if we observed what's sitting just below the surface?

How is this story serving me? How is it impacting how I show up as a leader?

As we move into spring, most of us expect to suddenly feel a sense of renewal or growth. But there's a practice that feels forgotten. Spring cleaning. 

Just like we clear closets and open windows in spring, we also need to clear the quiet stories that have been accumulating in our leadership. They are seldom dramatic and obvious. However, they still quietly influence our thoughts, energy, and behavior.

As we move throughout this month, I'll continue to explore what it feels like to shift and respond from a place of intention. In the meantime, I invite you to pause and consider - what stories have you been carrying that may need a refresh?

Interested in diving deeper? I’ll be holding space for this kind of reflection in the upcoming Creating Space Live gathering. Tuesday, March 31 - Release. Recenter. Recommit

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Thank you for your presence. I am so excited to continue this journey of Leading with VOICCE® with you!

With gratitude, Tian.

Tian Philson Leadership, Wellness & Mindset Coach | Creator of the VOICCE® Decision Making & Empowerment Framework | Helping leaders go inward so they can go upward.