Navigating the Gap

This week I had a wonderful conversation with my web designer and friend, Kristina Koslosky of Kreative Solutions LLC during the Open House for Whitewater University Technology Park and Community Engagement Center’s new Executive Director, Elizabeth Thelen.

Kristina and I were discussing the challenge faced by entrepreneurs who get caught up agonizing over details at the beginning of a venture and become paralyzed into inaction by over-thinking.

Kristina said, “At some point, you just have to acknowledge the website is good enough to get going. The creative process doesn’t end with the launch.” I’m thankful for Kristina’s “get it done” attitude. It kept me moving toward my goals as we developed the website for Ridgeview Coaching.

When Getting it Right Leads to Giving it Up

Her comments got me thinking about the number of times I have either talked myself out of trying something new or agonized over “getting it right” to the point of giving it up.

What does “getting it right” even mean for something I’ve never done? How did I develop the timeline for completing my project? What measures am I using for success and whose values am I using for approval?

On the other hand, how do I know when I’ve attained “good enough to get going?”

Coaching the Gap

The place between a person’s desire to get it right and doing it “good enough” is an example of a gap. Gaps are where dreams can die and good ideas churn in an endless spin cycle. This space is where I, as a coach, operate. I enter this gap with my clients and ask questions that help them clarify their goals and identify their barriers. We explore attitudes, assumptions and perspectives that are getting in the way of progress.

At the end of the session, the client leaves with two or three action steps and identified accountability partners to get them unstuck and moving toward their goals.

Identify the Gap

For many people, me included, it’s hard to identify the gap when we are in the midst of struggling with an issue. If you find yourself in this place, take time to identify contradictions in your thinking. For example, a person has an appealing job offer but feels guilty leaving her current employer. That’s a gap. The word “but” is a red flag for gaps.

Once a gap is identified, ask yourself specific questions to dig deeper into the feelings. In the example, one could ask, “How do I define appealing?” or “What's the source of this guilt I'm experiencing?”

You Can Do It!

Coaching involves the meeting of two experts. The coach is the expert of identifying gaps and exploring a client’s attitudes and assumptions. The client is the expert of their life and desired future. With the coach's guidance, clients identify gaps and solutions and get moving toward their preferred future.

If you find yourself stuck in an endless cycle of rumination or worry, schedule a free Welcome to Coaching session with me. Let’s explore how we can get you unstuck and moving toward a future of opportunity and possibility.

Don’t let gaps slow you down or worse, prevent you from pursuing your goals and dreams. You can navigate through them. I believe in you.