Susan Ferencak Coaching

How would your perspective shift if instead of saying "I have to" you said "I get to"?

This was taken after my 1st half marathon...well over a decade ago.

I share it for two reasons. First the simple lesson: I started running weeks before my 42nd birthday. So clearly, it's never too late to try something new. If this is the message you needed today, perfect! Scroll on. :)

But, if you want to go a little deeper, stay with me.

We've all heard the phrase it's a marathon not a sprint. Especially when chasing a big goal or dream.

During a recent small group coaching session where this phrase came up I had a small - or not so small epiphany. Building something new - a career change, starting a new business, a personal growth journey - anything that requires you to expand your skills and who you are - is a not a sprint or a marathon. It's a relay.

Susan, how on earth is it a relay? It's generally me doing all the work, at least initially. True. Hang in there with me.

While it's true that it's all you - it's different versions of you. The skills you aquire, the lessons you learn along the way, who you have to become to reach those goals all create different versions of you and in order to progress, you absolutely must "pass the baton" from one version of you to the next.

If you've been in the race a while and you're not any closer to the finish line, it's time to pass the baton forward and let the next version of you cover the next section of the course. All the versions of you will be grateful.

Who's ready for a different kind of bookclub in 2024?

Grab your 5 besties, work buddies, bowling team, whoever your group is and spend 2024 working on your goals!

Message me proof you ordered 6 journals and your group will get a free 60 minute group coaching session and built-in accountability to ensure you're all on the same page...literally!

Grab your group and get started today!

Journal link in the comments.

I've been sick since Christmas Day.

Which means all of the end of the year things I had planned to jump start 2024 didn't happen.

I was just exhausted and my head hurt too much to think.

So many plans and projects left untouched.

But that's ok. Rest was what I needed and rest is what I did.

I'm still only at about 85%, but I'm getting there.

Today, I made a list of what things needed to be done asap, things that would have the biggest impact, things that could wait or just not happen at all. And I feel really good about it.

If you haven't managed to get to what you wanted to get to these last few weeks, that's ok. Give yourself some grace and get started tonight...or tomorrow (cause it's getting late). Get started where you are with what you have and leave the guilt behind.

We talk a lot about celebrating the small wins around here. So a few days ago, when I realized that I was in a bit of a funk, I decided to take my own advice (after a reminder from my coach) and write out all my wins in 2023.

This is just the start of that list, but as I continued to list things out, the better I felt. The longer the list grew, the more proud I became of what I've accomplished.

So often our wins get glossed over, covered up, buried under the clutter of every day life and we forget how much we've actually accomplished. We forget how amazing we are.

My challenge to you this weekend is to find a quiet space, take out a fresh sheet of paper, and write down your wins. Then lift your chin, pat yourself on the back, and give yourself a high five! You're amazing, and now you remember that fact!

It's been awhile since I've talked about the Journal I created.

It's a great tool to help you define goals and focus on them daily, as well as practice gratitude and track your growth.

It makes a FABULOUS gift and if you have Prime and order by Wednesdy the 20th you should receive it in plenty of time to slide it into all those stockings!

Of course, make sure you check the delivery date when checking out!

Sunflower cover
https://a.co/d/96ip5we

Compass cover
https://a.co/d/7PPSkHf

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Are you living that dream now? If you are, I am so freaking happy for you!

There are so many of us that spend decades trying to figure out what we want to be when we grow up. Who we want to be when we grow up. I certainly fall into that category.

But let's examine the flawed theory that we should know how we want to earn our living at 5 or 7 or 18 or 22 or 35 or 50.

Let's say I had had it all figured out at 25. In the last (ahem, 30 years) the types of careers that are available now that didn't even exist when I was 25 is flat out mindboggling, I have absolutely zero statistics on this, but I'm pretty sure the number of "new" jobs is way bigger than the number of actual jobs that existed when I was 25!

The average US life expectancy for 2023 is 79.11 years. We live longer, we work longer, and there are so many new and exciting things to try, why wouldn't those of us who just couldn't decide want to mix things up a bit every decade or so?

The challenge in that is figuring out what YOUR next chapter is. What moves you.
What excites you. It's exciting! It can also be scary.

If you're trying to figure out your next step and need some help giving yourself permission to explore those options, or how to cut through the chatter in your head, we should chat.

I can help you work though all that, and bonus, I'm really good at it!

It only took me 50-some years, but I know what and who I want to be when I grow up. At least for this chapter 😉

Are you stuck?
Looking to make a change heading into the new year?
Not sure what your next steps are?
Need support and accountability for the dream you're chasing?
Need help figuring it out?

I get it. I've been there. I've done the work myself and I'm here to help you!

I have three 1:1 coaching spots open in November. One of them might be yours. Message me to claim your spot. Need to chat about it first? We can do that too.

What I do know is that the change you're looking for won't happen without action from you.

I've been working with this one a lot lately. If you've spent any time working on yourself - identifying your strengths, your talents, the mark you want to leave on the world - then you probably have a pretty good idea of who you are.

I thought I did.

But once I started to dream bigger, and I do mean BIGGER, all that self-knowledge and self-confidence seemed to hit a brick wall and self-doubt didn't just creep in it came in hard and fast and loud and crushing. I would put in the work, identify what I wanted to do and get so excited about where I wanted to go, and WHAM I'd be paralyzed under the crushing weight of self-doubt. I don't know enough about this or I don't know how to do that. I don't know the right people. I haven't taken the right - or enough - classes. And I couldn't move forward. I didn't trust myself to know what I was doing or that I'd be able to figure out whatever came up.

But then my friend, Hagan, told me you don't have to have it ALL figured out and you don't have to do ALL the things, you don't even have to do it the same way anyone else is doing it. She said, "just do what you can NOW. Give yourself permission to run your business your way." The rest will work itself out. She's a wise woman.

So, this is me, running my business my way, hoping you'll come along for the ride and find value in what I have to offer.

And, if you need a hand working through who you think you're not, I've got you.

Some people have always known who they are. They are few and far between.

Some people have been lucky enough to figure it out on their own along the way. There are a few more of these.

Then there are people like me…who’ve taken a REALLY long time to get there and needed some help.
- Recovering people pleasers.
- Former perfectionists.
- Those who have had to use all their energy just to get through the day in front of them.
- Those who have spent their whole life trying to be who other people have told them they were allowed to be.

The greatest gift you can give someone is to be your authentic self. To light the way for others. To hold space for them to figure out who they are. To give them a safe space to land while they do the work.

But funny things happen when you do the work. You want to share it with others. You want to help others uncover their true selves. You discover who you are and what you are here to do.

This is me, knowing who I am, holding space for you, to be who you are.

If you need help figuring out that last part…I’ve got you.

This has been my labor of love.

It started out as a project just for me, but I quickly realized I needed to share it with you.

As a client, you receive a copy when we work together.

You can grab your own copy anytime you want :)

I'm hosting a workshop tomorrow at 7pm eastern to walk through how to best use this Journal to clearly use define your goals and achieve them.

Comment below to join us!

https://a.co/d/f03U7zi