What’s Your Story

 I had spent 23 years in one organisation. Everything I was, I owed it to this organisation. It was the crucible that made me the person I was. I was now faced with a life changing choice to make. I was in conversation with the founder of an exciting but much smaller fin-tech organisation, to consider taking on an exciting new role .

What should I do ? The current organisation was my family. I was well regarded and comfortable. I had no big reason to move.

On the other hand, the new opportunity was exciting, but I was also wary of the possible risks if I were to move after 24 years in the same organisation. Was I too set in one place to make the move?

As a trained life coach, I was in a unique position to coach myself to take the right call. I started by asking myself what my story was going to be, if I decided to make the move.

Introspection leads to insight. Insight leads to clarity. Clarity helps one take affirmative action.

In trying to figure my story, my introspection started in right earnest.

• What is my motivation to make this move

• Why do I want consider moving when for so long I did not feel the need

• What is special about this option that I should consider it.

• How does a move at this point connect to my larger purpose

• What are my fears, insecurities that could undermine my confidence and pull me back if and when I move

I needed a compelling story I could tell myself, my family, my colleagues- When making a career transition, I felt that a story would be helpful in 2 ways. One, to inspire myself and two , for all those people invested in my well being- my family, my mentors, my colleagues and friends- create confidence in my decision .

I was the protagonist of my own story and what was at stake was my own career.

A good story has elements of drama, change ,conflict and tension. Also, In all great stories there is always this one turning point where the world changes in intriguing and compelling ways, forcing the hero to abandon his old ways and reveal himself in a new avatar, taking a break with his past. Stories that don’t have such twists would obviously be insipid and uninspiring.

I then went about threading the beads of my experiences thus far, into a coherent story that connected with my core purpose of creating value for myself, my relationships and the new workplace that I would be joining. The sense of risk and uncertainty I had with regard to the transition, morphed into becoming the key turning point of my narrative, allowing me to re-imagine the next phase of my life. The fears I was harboring around financial security, personal safety became the elements of conflict and tension that I would resolve and vanquish, in the many possible ways, that only a protagonist is capable of resolving. I created a powerful story for myself.

I narrated my story to my mentors, my family to iron out and eliminate any possible inconsistencies.

I was able to discover my true calling, refine my purpose, build confidence in my own abilities , resolve my fears, insecurities- all by creating a powerful story-line that enhanced my confidence and empowered me to take the decision to move, without an iota of doubt .

It’s one year since I have moved out and my story is unfolding exactly as I had visualized for myself. I am both the author and the protagonist of my story and the reality is even more exciting than what I had imagined for myself.

Create your own blockbuster by asking yourself this simple question “What’s my story?”