Alignment. How Do You Know You Have It?
It’s the new year! Time for goal setting and getting busy with the new goals and activities. But how do you know that what you are planning is aligned with your spirit and authentic self?
Alignment is not just logical or intellectual, it’s also a feeling. When you’re aligned you feel good, at peace, clear, like ‘that thing’ is in balance or right. When you are out of alignment you feel out of sorts, like something is ‘off’.
You can be aligned in one part of your life and not in another at the same time. This can lead to a detailed sorting process about what feels aligned and what doesn’t. So, as you are planning your 2023 and discerning what opportunities and actions to take, sit with your choices and feel the alignment, or discomfort, until you see what is working or what is needed.
The other way you know you are in alignment is that everything flows easily, and all the components seem to line up. I often have visionary ideas and strategies for myself and my clients. I know that if there is resistance in me or them, it’s not aligned with what is needed now. If you feel like you are pushing or forcing something to work, let go of it. It’s not time or the idea is not in alignment with you, your business, values, or organization.
My primary focus involves helping clients find aligned ways to get what they want and do the things that need to be done in an effective way that feels good and right to them. There are thousands of ways to do any given task or achieve any given goal. Your uniqueness, gifts, and capabilities dictates which way will support your success. You just have to think it through and trust your instincts when the “way” others are promoting doesn’t work for you, then take the wisdom of how others are doing it and find your own way that is aligned for your spirit and the wisdom of the industry or organization’s experience. That is the part most people forget. There is wisdom in how an organization or industry does a thing. And you don’t want to lose that wisdom in your search for your own way to do it.
So, Alignment is a feeling that is supported by ease of doing and ease of all the components falling into place. It is important to understand and appreciate the wisdom in the system and see its value as you search for your own unique ways of doing and approaching any given task or goal. This doesn’t require a lot of time. It does require that you slow down, pay attention, and sort through your feelings so you can discern where the alignment is or isn’t as you continue to refine your life map, goals, and action plans for 2023. Pay attention to alignment. Alignment will allow you to enjoy the journey.