Here's how to start 'repotting' to achieve your dreams.
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.
By Diana Holman and Ginger Pape, authors of Repotting: 10 Steps for
Redesigning Your Life (Hay House).
1. Rethink 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 colour to my landscape? For example, if you are constantly
travelling for work, but missing important family events, you could
shift your priorities and adjust your schedule.
2. Realize That Planting 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 "fallow beds" lie--don't fill up your free time
until you know what you really want to do.
3. Weed Your Garden
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 woman we
counselled who had her own event-planning firm found her client
lunches and after-hours professional activities were getting out of
hand. She cut back on the number of commitments to make time for
painting classes and choral singing--two long-lost passions.
4. Let in More 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 became a
pastry chef, giving up financial security in favour of a less
constraining lifestyle.
5. Tend Your Garden Regularly
Whatever you choose to undertake, whether it's building a new
career, volunteering, or pursuing a new hobby, do something every
single day to make progress. 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.
6. Cultivate Your Dreams
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 our clients,
a mother 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
therapist for troubled youth.
7. 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. For two
individuals we know, the answer to spiritual fulfilment lay in
serving non-profit organizations. Two others took a religious path:
one started a Bible study group, and the other entered seminary and
was later ordained.
8. Don't Forget Fertilizer
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. The
stimulation of learning fosters new growth and change at any age. A
middle-aged stock market analyst decided to go back to school for
an MBA so that she could start a business with her grown
daughter.
9. Plant a Sample Bed
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.
A woman we know 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 fulltime. She
continues at her desk job and has a small massage practice on
weekends.
10. Get Input 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
careers 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.
