How will you navigate your storm?
It came in faster and harder than originally predicted.
At first, it was light, barely visible flakes, just enough to be pretty on the grass and tree branches.
I was at my weekly silversmithing class, deeply immersed in setting up my second of six somewhat complicated solder seams, when I saw the text from my sister-in-law.
“Are you home yet? The roads are getting slick.”
That was my cue. I rushed to quickly get packed up, solder seams abandoned.
Most of the drive wasn’t too bad. The roads were wet and slushy, but drivers were taking care.
That started changing over the last 10 miles. The lines on the road got harder to see, many of the streetlights were out, and the snow was coming down even harder. Fewer and fewer cars were on the road. Pretty soon I found myself alone on the unplowed highway, in the dark, barely able to make out the road. Even though I had driven that stretch of road hundreds of times, I felt vulnerable and alone.
Do you ever feel that way? Vulnerable and alone?
I started with what I knew. I had just put snow tires on my car, which had all-wheel drive. I had been driving in snow for decades, and I was confident in my ability.
I began to make adjustments. Because I was driving so slow, I couldn’t rely on my muscle memory of the timing of the curves on the road, so I kept my GPS up to ensure I knew where I was. When I couldn’t see the lines marking the lanes, I looked for the reflectors on the guardrails and sign posts to know the boundary of the highway. I cautiously followed what tire tracks I could see.
I deprioritized some things I wouldn’t under normal circumstances. It was no longer important that I stay in a single lane, no one was around to be impacted if I drove down the middle of the highway. I drove slowly, well below the speed limit, at a speed where I could confidently control my car.
I focused on breathing calmly and consistently, trying to keep my body relaxed. I listened to familiar music, rather than a stimulating podcast.
After what felt like an eternity, I finally made it home.
How do you find your way through a storm?
Sometimes it’s something major, like a blizzard, medical diagnosis, or layoff. Sometimes it’s smaller, like the dishwasher breaking down or having to switch email services at work.
When these things happen, we can no longer rely on autopilot, the comfort of familiar territory, the security of our routine.
Instead, we have to find new ways to navigate. New ways of being or behaving, different signals to follow, different priorities. We need to lean into what we know to be true about ourselves.
If you’re facing something that requires a new or different way to navigate, a few things that can help:
Reprioritize
In periods of crisis or transition, focusing on what’s most important is even more critical. This includes both identifying what we want to say YES to in this season, as well as what we’re going to intentionally set aside.
Perhaps you’re prioritizing exercise and saying no to mindless eating in the face of a new medical challenge. Or perhaps you’re leaning into the new number one priority coming from your leadership while deprioritizing the project that your team has almost finished but is no longer relevant.
Pick new strategies
Part of what throws us off when something happens is we can’t rely on autopilot - doing the same things we’ve always done. Now is the time to intentionally decide how we’re going to show up, what strategies and systems will best serve us NOW.
Maybe getting a new boss gives you the opportunity to rework the way you’re crafting and sharing the progress of your team. Or maybe the shift in your kid’s after-school schedule gives you the opportunity to carve out an intentional family dinner night.Breathe
Whether it’s literally controlling your breathing or finding other ways to create calmness in the storm, it’s important to find ways to self-regulate and help our nervous system know we’re going to be ok, even when things feel chaotic and uncertain. We can’t help others through the storm if we’re not regulating ourselves first.
Perhaps that’s creating space for a mid-day meditation amidst dealing with the chaos of a reorg. Or maybe it’s working with a therapist while going through a divorce.
When the storm hits, as it inevitably does, it’s up to us to figure out how to find our way.
When we can’t rely on the things that have worked in the past, the things that have become ingrained in our daily lives and mindset, we need to take the time to intentionally reprioritize, pick new strategies, and self-regulate, so that we can navigate our way through it. Note: this is true even when the storm is of our own creation.
How will you navigate your storm?
As you think about how you want to navigate through whatever’s happening in your life, you might realize there’s an opportunity to explore this with a coach.
Curious about what coaching may have to offer?
Book your free strategy session and let’s dig in.
How will you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
November 7, 2024
About the author:
Christina Von Stroh is a leadership coach who helps her clients become wildly successful by applying iterative software development practices to achieve their dreams. Want to work with Christina to help you iterate towards the person you’re becoming?
Book your free strategy session.
