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Why Knowing Where You Are Can Get You Where You Want to Go

Saren Stiegel, founder of The Glow Effect, asks four thought-provoking questions to consider if you're contemplating leaving the law.

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Feeling worried, fearful, guilty? These are not signs of an existential crisis for you to suppress.

Be clear: your feelings are real, but not permanent.

These feelings can be signs of more fundamental issues, i.e. unfulfillment in your job, insecurity in relationships, discomfort with your body, etc. When you face such obstacles head on, instead of avoiding them, you change your life.

Deciphering where you are in the stages of development can begin this transformation. Yes, “stages of development” sounds a bit clinical, but seeing what you need to strengthen before taking a risk supports you to make profound changes.

Where are you in the development cycle?

I’ll use the example of my career change. My job was creating tension in my body, manifesting as sickness, sadness, and anger towards others and myself. Taking the leap to quit included awareness of each of these stages.

1) Where are you now? What’s your mindset? Are you creating or limiting change? When you develop a strong daily practice of mind and body awareness, you have a firm foundation for growth.

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• Initially my thoughts were that because I went to school, worked hard, and got good grades then I must fit into this prescribed path. I let others tell me what I could do and who I should be. Before I quit, I had to discover such limiting thoughts and develop a strong meditation and yoga practice to support change. [There are many ways of cultivating awareness. These worked best for me.]

2) Where do you want to be? Discover what is possible. Read, explore, get out of your comfort zone. Refine your vision—what do you want to change?

• Before I could take a risky leap, I explored what exactly makes me come alive. I spoke with life coaches, therapists, body workers, and other mind/body entrepreneurs about their wins and challenges and created my vision.

3) How will you get there? What’s your action plan? Where can you make space in your schedule for this plan? Once you create positive habits for change you can re-create your life.

• I created a step-by-step process to bring my vision into reality. Step one was clearing out the space that my job occupied. Step two included reading inspiring literature daily and surrounding myself with people who believe in living their dreams.

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4) Are you making progress? Strengthen your accountability and self-awareness. You can develop strategies to help you reach new levels of growth. If you’ve made moves to better your life, learn how to celebrate your success.

• I work ALL of the time to develop my new business. Way more now than when I was an attorney (how is that possible, right?), but my happiness levels increased, as well. Sometimes I feel like I’m not working hard enough. That’s when I need to step back and congratulate myself on what I’ve accomplished thus far.

Working through obstacles can be frightening. Yet, when you know where you are in this cycle, you can equip yourself to take giant risks. If you’re nervous to work through this process alone or want a little support through one stage or another, don’t hesitate to reach out and seek help. You’re more than capable of taking risks and changing your life. Begin now.

Speaker, life coach and founder of “The Glow Effect,” Saren Stiegel is a professional glow-getter by inspiring individuals to get their glow on through courses, lectures and workshops. During her career as an attorney, Saren realized fighting darkness both internally and externally didn’t affect positive change and decided to be that change herself. To receive “3 Tips to Go from Defeated to Feeling Alive Again and Loving Life,” check out www.gloweffect.com, or follow The Glow Effect on Facebook and Twitter.

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