The Lessons of a Trust Fall

I’ll never forget my first trust fall.

Standing backwards on the stage in the high school auditorium, with my heels just hanging over the edge. 

As I stood there, my arms crossed in front of my chest and my heart pounding, a small crowd of students huddled together on the ground below me. 

Assembled in a wobbly, Ashley-sized oval, they stood with their arms stretched out in front of them and were instructed that they had only one job: Catch Ashley.

At some point, the teacher (maybe she was a student government advisor?) prompted me to yell, “Ready to Fall!” So I did.

“Ready to Fall!,” they yelled back in unison.

At which point I dutifully straightened my body, tipped my weight backwards, screamed in terror, and let myself fall into the sturdy, waiting arms of my classmates.

(I hated it. But it was also kind of fun. Does that make sense?)

Here’s what I know:

Deciding to take a creative risk to achieve more alignment and authenticity in your life –

Finding a new job

Deciding on a new career path

Starting a new relationship

Practicing a new hobby

– FEELS like a trust fall.

Of course the logical part of us knows that deciding to change your job or career path is not actually a trust fall. I mean, you’re not going to hit your head on the concrete if it doesn’t work out.

And yet – this kind of change can feel just as high-stakes, just as risky, as leaning back and hoping our friends from the drama club will catch us.

There are likely all sorts of reasons for why this is (some are situational to you, while some are biological and hard-wired into us). 

Whatever the reason, if the way you’re feeling about making change in 2024 sounds anything like how I felt in that stuffy auditorium back in the 1990s, I want you to know that you have options: 

First, you can decide to not make the change right now. This option won’t get you to the sense of alignment and meaning you desire, but it also won’t ask you to take on a risk if you’re not ready or able to make it.

Sometimes, this is the best option (I speak from experience).

Another option is to throw yourself into the change you want as quickly as possible – perhaps even before you’ve had a chance to steady yourself and check that your catchers have their arms outstretched. 

In a career change context, this could look like ‘ripping off the bandaid,’ rage quitting on a Friday afternoon, or taking some kind of decisive or irreversible action before you fully know what your plan is.

While this is not necessarily a fun or enjoyable way to go about change, sometimes it’s how it happens (I have also definitely done this before!).

But good news, my friend – there’s a third option:

Committing to the trust fall, but doing it with clarity, intention and support.

The way I see it, this option is about approaching the change you want with a slow, steady and sustainable pace. It’s about change that’s easy on your nervous system, that feels supported, calm, intentional and clear.

It’s about knowing you’re signing up for an experience that will stretch your edges and ask you to get uncomfortable. AND at the same time, you’re doing it with an audience ready to catch you.

This is the type of change I have come to love in my own career and life. And it’s the kind of change I guide my clients through, too. 

Daring to wish for something more authentic and aligned DOES feel like a trust fall.

It’s uncomfortable, scary and uncertain. It requires faith and commitment. And, yes, it can even be fun!

If you’re feeling ready to commit to what’s next – and you’d like to do it with a partner who can guide you through it – let’s talk about working together in 2024.

I have two openings for Coaching Strategy Intensive clients in January, and I’m offering $500 off the program fee when you enroll by the end of December. 

Schedule a call with me and let’s chat about how I can help you intentionally and sustainably grow into the meaningful change you desire in 2024.

Onward,

 
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5 Words that Changed My Life

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When Fear Takes the Steering Wheel