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ARTICLE: Avoiding the Treacle Trap

(How to Deal with the Things that are Holding You Back)

You know how sometimes, when you want to improve some part of your life, you find yourself stalled, stuck and can’t seem to find the energy to get going?

You want to move forward – you really do.

You can see – over there – a better way of doing things. Perhaps a more satisfying job, or better work-life balance. Or being more organised.

Whatever it is, you definitely want it – and you’re clear about what the “it” is.

Trouble is – you feel stuck where you are. There’s a kind of lethargy and inertia.

You make some efforts to get started – but somehow, something is holding you back. It feels like wading through treacle. Maybe you even discover that you’ve been sabotaging yourself.

And this doesn’t make sense, because – you really want it – right?

It can be especially confusing, and frustrating, when the stall doesn’t come at the beginning, but part-way through a change programme. You’ve been going along happily, then - squelch! You hit the treacle patch.

So what’s going on? Why is it sometimes so tough to make even small steps towards something you know you want?

When small steps are really giant leaps

Small changes are usually easier than big ones. We know this intuitively.

Small steps need less energy and, generally, involve less risk and commitment than big steps.

But sometimes even a small step can seem like a step too far.

What’s really happening:

The important thing here is not actually the size of the step. (Or where, on any particular journey, the step comes.)

What’s important is whether the step represents an increment to what’s gone before, or whether it represents stepping through into something new. What you may like to think of as a “gateway step”.

Incremental steps move you on within the existing cycle. A “gateway step” moves you from one cycle to the next. It involves a more profound transformation.

And it’s round about the gateways that the pools of treacle tend to form!

Releasing Your Energy

As a cycle ends, the “energy” bound up in it needs to be released for use in the next cycle. Look out of your window and you can see it happening all around you right now, in the colours of Autumn.

But when you resist the ending, or try to move it along too quickly, the energy stays locked up. Hence that lethargic, “feet in treacle” feeling.

Sometimes though, it’s not so much about resisting, as it is about being asleep to where the previous cycle’s “leftovers” are still dragging around in your life…

Nature, of course, flows from one cycle to the next. And you can too, when you move with the cycles of your life, rather than trying to block them, or ignore them.

Tune into the seasonal turning of the wheel of life and you’ll find an echo in your inner rhythms and cycles. When “leftovers” are locking up your energy, you’ll also find solutions to letting go and moving on.

Three Keys to Letting Go and Moving On this Autumn

• Bring in the Harvest: No one is asking you to forget the past. But if there are times when the past seems to have too much grip on the present, it may be because you still have something to learn from it.
  
  When the apple is ripe, it simply drops from the tree.
  
  To ripen your experiences, take time to learn as much as you can from them. Get them out in the sunlight. Polish your memories to a ruby glow. Ask yourself: “What learning can I harvest from this?”
  
  When you are clear about what the learning is, you’ll find yourself better able to let the past fall into it’s proper place as part of your life story, rather than dominating the present.
  
  It’s also a good idea to take a moment to be thankful for what you’ve learned. Whether the experience was “good” or “bad”, celebrate the fact that it has added to the richness of your life. And let it go.
  
  
• Reclaim Your “Life–Juice”: Leaf fall happens when the plant has withdrawn it’s sap from the leaf. Where are you still pouring your “life-juice” into things that should be drying up and blowing away?
  
  Evict thoughts such as “If only…” and daydreams about what might have been. Get rid of any physical (or virtual) leftovers. Ask your friends to change the subject. Detach.
  
  
• Welcome the gap. Most trees do not immediately follow their leaf fall with new growth. There is a rest period over the winter. We humans often seem to panic when there is a gap in our busy “doing”. And yet, when you clear a load of old clutter off your desk, the resulting space is lovely! Sometimes, between one cycle and the next, there is a gap. This space is important. And to be cherished.
  
  Think about it – when you make tea, do you start with a half-full pot or an empty pot!?

Remember - pay attention to the cycles of your life, and you'll begin to understand why you are getting stuck. By actively clearing and letting go, you can flow more easily towards the things you really want.

Wishing You Autumn Blessings

Helen Ross-Hamilton

Find out more about how YOU can deal with the things that are holding you back, by arranging a free consultation...

About the Author: Helen Ross-Hamilton is a holistic coach specialising in helping professional women who want to stop striving and start thriving. Find out more and get free on-line resources at www.theresultsagency.co.uk

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Relax and Revive

Continuing our theme from this month's article, why not get out amongst the beautiful autumn colours this week.

Even damp windy days can be enjoyed when you're wrapped up warm. Especially if you can find some fallen leaves to tramp through. Get out there and let the autumn wind blow some of your cobwebs away.

And remember - Halloween is a great time to renew your commitment to the things that are important to you.

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