Here’s a question for you…Do you hold yourself back by thinking that you have to choose between all the things you want in life?
Trust me, you’re not alone if you answered yes to that question. I see it…All. Of. The. Time. In my colleagues, in my clients, in fellow coaches and, if I’m not being intentional, even in myself.
For whatever reason, we decide that we can only have one thing or another. A fulfilling career or a nurtured family. A healthy lifestyle or a fun lifestyle. Freedom or a fabulous relationship. A dream lifestyle or money in the bank. I’ll stop here – you’re all smart humans – you know what I’m getting at.
It’s almost like we can’t imagine being able to have all of our heart’s desires. So we tell ourselves we have to choose. But here’s the thing. Choosing between all of the things we want is hard. And we want to make the right choice, in order to protect ourselves from the risk of failure or disappointment. So we turn ‘not choosing’ into a protective behaviour. And in doing so, we get ourselves stuck.
But what if I told you that there is another option? It’s something called the ‘And Strategy’.
The ‘And Strategy’ is super simple to employ. It only requires two things. The first is to replace the word ‘or’ with the word ‘and’. And the second is opening up your thinking to possibility.
‘And Strategy’ element one
When you enact the ‘And Strategy’ you no longer have to choose. And how much better do the following statements sound when you just replace an or with an and?
- A fulfilling career and a nurtured family.
- A healthy and fun lifestyle.
- Freedom and a fabulous relationship.
- A dream lifestyle and money in the bank.
It’s amazing the difference a single word can make. Where ‘or’ contracts the energy, ‘and’ expands it. It opens us up to the possibility of more rather than less. Which leads me to part two of the ‘And Strategy’…
‘And Strategy’ element two
This part is slightly trickier. We’ve become so conditioned to thinking that we can’t have it all, sometimes it’s hard to believe that we don’t have to choose. The ‘And Strategy’ elegantly side steps this by offering you a win-win scenario that is far more empowering than all or nothing thinking.
If believing that you can have or do more than one thing seems difficult for you, I encourage you to sit with the possibility that the ‘And Strategy’ offers. Grab your journal and write out all the ways you can create a life around your heartfelt desires. Get clear on how you can combine the pieces of your life in a way that works for you. And then start experimenting with ways that you can bring this new story to life.
Have you heard of the ‘And Strategy’ before? Do you think it could work for you? Let me know in the comments section below.
And until next time – stay fabulous.
Janelle xx
Photo Credit: Haute Stock Co
