How Do You Know When You're 'Ready' To Make A Growth Step?

Short answer: you don't.

Long answer:

If you wait for that moment of certainty where you absolutely 'know', you'll probably never move. Taking steps forward usually means embracing a level of uncertainty and trusting the process, even when you can't see the full way ahead.

Trusting the process can also mean 'trusting that I will be able to handle this change even if I'm not always in full control.' This might not be comfortable, but it is an inevitable part of change and growth. The good news is that it's something we can train for...

Gearing Up for Change

In my marketing and coaching work, this question of 'how do I know when I'm ready?' often comes up when people are thinking of altering their business, usually in the name of growth (which doesn't always mean bigger, but does usually mean better in some way). It could be a rebrand, a new specialism, change in location or message, or niching into a specific area.

It's great to have planned and thought about the practicalities of potential changes before making them, but be careful not to get stuck there. Fear of change can easily manifest as procrastination and 'over-planning'.

If you recognise this in yourself, be compassionate! A lot of our culture (especially for people raised as women) is very risk-averse and we are taught to stay small and not push boundaries outside of our comfort zones. Small and familiar usually equates with safety, but it doesn't equate well with growth.

Feeling Safe Enough For Sustainable Growth

In order to be able to grow, we need to be able to create more feelings of safety as we move through the process of change.

We need to anticipate the fear and know how to work with it, otherwise it's tempting to fall at the first hurdle and go back to our comfort zones. An internal dialogue could go something like this: 'of course I'm anxious, I'm doing a big new thing, but I know how to support and soothe myself.'

This is why I work somatically (with the body) and include our nervous systems in conversations about business marketing and how it feels to put yourself out there. Breath and body awareness can supercharge how safe you feel, and this gives you the opportunity to take brave leaps without absolutely freaking out and putting the brakes on.

You Choose Whether You Want To Train For Growth or Predictability:

Another way of looking at it is like this:

Do you want to to live in a pattern of low risk, linear patterns and predictability, or do you want to invite in growth, bravery and leaps? If it's the latter, it's a good idea to train your body to handle a wider range of stimulus/emotions/movement. If you're happy with the former, you probably don't need to be as 'fit'.

I would do a different level of training for a walk than I would a tough mudder obstacle course!

(There's no judgement by the way, and I think all of us go through times in our life where we want more predictability, and other times where we want more growth. The trick is knowing what you want in your current season, and training for that!)

Finding The Edge:

I just want to mention the familiar 'I can't do this, I'm giving up' moment, and reframe it as a time where things may stop and still, just before the breakthrough comes.

When we really push ourselves to expand our capacity, we might get close to our limit, and this can make us want to stop (the safety alarms are ringing!) Don't lose faith here, as this is just a signal to ease off a bit, because a big breakthrough is probably just around the corner.

Feeling Supported in Your Expansion and Growth:

It's important to go into any growth phase feeling well-resourced. This will mean different things to different people, so you have to feel into it for yourself and be honest about where you're at. Are you time poor at the moment, or do you have capacity? Financially abundant or restricted? Socially and emotionally supported or less so? How is your physical health?

A reminder that waiting until everything is perfect probably means never getting started, and sometimes necessity is the mother of invention, so feeling a 'lack' somewhere can be an ideal motivator for growth. However, it's good to have at least some pillars feeling strong and stable before you start to move the others. Know where your existing safety and supports are, and how they can hold you.

If you're planning a growth spurt or inviting a big change and think that I could be a support for you, please do get in touch! This might be a set of coaching sessions, a one off consultation session, or creating your content for you so that you can free up time for big plans...

If you've got this far I know you're someone who is doing brave and inspiring things with your business, and only you will know when you're ready to press the go button and when you need some resting and grounding time before you begin.

I'm excited for you!

Emily xx