On Saturday, September 21^st,  I took on a challenge, letting go of any limiting beliefs.  I took to the streets in Massachusetts during a rainstorm to cycle 25 miles for a fundraiser that provides kids in local communities with opportunities for mentorship, growth, and development. If you’re reading this, you probably know of my passion for helping individuals, teams, and organizations evolve through growth and development for the advancement of themselves, the teams, and the organization as a whole.

Having a Plan

I have always been a recreational bike rider|cycler. I have never been a competitive athlete, nor have I have ever trained for any type of competition. Though this was not a competition, it was suggested that the riders train for the ride. I trained for six weeks to ensure that even though I’ve completed more than 25 miles on a ride in the past, I would be in my best shape to conquer this event.

I’m grateful to the organization that provided me with a training schedule, which was not vigorous by any means, but rather kept me focused and riding with intention to get out on my bike on the suggested days and complete at least the miles recommended for each day that I rode. This was so similar to development and action plans my clients commit to when they partner with me in a coaching engagement. The training schedule was a great accountability tool helping me to build healthy habits to ensure success on September 21^st.

Learning, Perspectives, and Moving Forward

Did I ever ride in the rain during my “training”? No. On the rare occasion we had rain, I rode indoors on my stationary bike. I was under the impression there would be a rain date. Very late in the game I realized there was no rain date and guess what? It poured on the day of the ride.

The night before the ride my son, who previously completed the Pan Mass Challenge 2-day, 190-mile ride, suggested that I be careful if I chose to ride in the rain because I could easily hydroplane. I took that suggestion and said to myself Friday night, the night before the race, “I think I’m not going to ride tomorrow if it’s raining”.

It is so unlike me to not follow through on a commitment. I felt off. I realized I was out of alignment with my value of dependability (reliability).

Saturday morning, I woke up to rain, and I said to myself “I’m going. I’m not going to disappoint those who supported me in this ride. And, I am not going to give up and not follow-through with what I have been so looking forward to doing.” And guess what? I rode the full route. I had a blast. I had rain in my face, I was soaking wet from my head to my toes, and I was filthy from all the dirt coming up off the road, AND it was invigorating. I was smiling the whole time.

What I realized, and what this is an example of, is that we can talk ourselves into what we want to believe. We can tell ourselves stories that hold us back, or we can tell ourselves stories that will help us to move forward. In this case, I almost told myself a story that would hold me back, and fortunately, through deep listening, I recognized I did not feel aligned with my values. By being able to check in with why I was feeling this way, I was able to change the narrative in my head. And I am so grateful that I did!

This is an example of how we grow, how we pay attention to what’s important, and how we change the narrative and let go of limiting beliefs and move forward.

What do you notice about the stories you tell yourself? How do they help or hurt you? What action do you take to move beyond those negative limiting beliefs? This is a piece of what I do with my clients when their limiting beliefs are holding them back. I challenge them to reframe, I challenge them to look at different perspectives, I ask them to articulate what’s important to them, I challenge them to visualize what they want to see for themselves, and so much more. Want to learn more about how coaching can help you and or your organization? Let’s connect.

“Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” – Henry Ford