“How can I take action without knowing the end from the beginning?” || Coaching Call with Madeline

coaching call get started podcast Oct 16, 2022

 

Have you ever found yourself in a "What's next?" phase of your life? Lots of possibility, and the opportunity to even explore them, is a good thing! So, why can it be so hard to take action?

 

Sometimes when we lack certainty, it feels uncomfortable to start something new. That's why today's coaching call is focused on answering this question, "How can I take action without knowing the end form the beginning?"

 

In this episode I talk to Madeline, who finds herself with the ability to think of lots of good ideas, and the inability to act on any of them. Once we discover that her fear is a result of not knowing exactly how things will end up, we unpack how she can address that. If this resonates with you, you'll leave this episode with two questions you can ask yourself and a better understanding of why it's okay to move into your discomfort zone to finally feel some good growth.

 

 

About a few other things...

 

Do you struggle to create habits that stick? It's not your fault. The truth is simple: you've been trying to form habits using methods designed for perfect robots--not real women living real lives. It's time to change that. If I could help you gain confidence in creating habits AND guide you to uncover the ONE supportive habit to deeply care for yourself, could you commit 21 days to learning this method? The Sticky Habit Method is a 21-day course that revolutionizes the habit-formation process. It's real habits for real women.

 

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TRANSCRIPT

 

Monica: Madeline, thanks for doing this coaching call with me.

 

Madeline: Good to be here, Monica.

 

Monica: We would love an introduction. Tell us about you,

 

Madeline: Okay, so I am in my thirties and I have two kids. I have a seven year old and an almost five year old, and we live in Utah and I love to read. A little too much. I always tell people like, No, it's kind of a problem. Like I'm the type of person who might need to fast from reading to like get stuff done. But yeah.

 

Monica: Well, you know, I love that about you and it's been fun for me to check the books that you're reading and kind of similar series that we have read around the same time too. We have a lot to talk about off the air, about like a couple fantasy

 

Madeline: I know.

 

Monica: both, both read. So but today we're gonna be talking about not the fantasy reads.

 

Okay? We're, we're gonna be coaching you through an issue that you're having. So how about you tell us why you're here.

 

Madeline: Okay. So I feel like I'm a really good ideas person. Like I have tons of ideas for myself or for other people. I'm just always full of awesome things that could be done. And then when it comes to actually doing it, I'm just like, I don't, I don't know about that. I, and then I just pick up a book.

 

Monica: So this, tell me some of the things that you have ideas about, Like what kind of things come. Feel like I wanna do this, I wanna try that.

 

Madeline: Yeah, so the biggest thing for me is that it's like a huge range of things. I'm like, Okay, maybe I should go back to school and like get another degree in something completely different, or maybe I should go and. Like, I've always been obsessed with the seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and so I'm like, Oh, maybe I should go to their like school and get certified as like a seven Habits person.

 

Maybe I should really, you know, just do photography or maybe I should go back to teaching. Or like it just goes on and on and it's like all over. Or like, maybe I'll go into politics, like maybe I'll start doing things in my community, like, there's no rhyme or reason to it. It's just like all these different places that I could go, I guess.

 

Monica: So with this, is this, is this part of who you are? Like have you always been this way since you were a kid? Or is this more recent years? Is it more circumstance based, like a life change or a season of life change that you're now you're trying to figure out what's next?

 

Madeline: I think it's probably more season of life because yeah, growing up I was always very content to just like stay in the comfort zone always. And in the past, like five to 10 years I've been branching out more and trying to be braver and like, and get outta my comfort zone. And I've just tried to be a lot more open minded about things and like learn about new things.

 

And so I feel like since I've kind of opened myself up to the world now, I'm like, Oh, there's so many possibilities.

 

Monica: Mm-hmm. So you're kind of in this metamorphosis, like an inner metamorphosis, like that butterfly, you know, that's coming out of the cocoon.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I guess so.

 

Monica: And as part of that, like, yeah, it's really exciting. There's a lot of different places you can go, but it's also new and it's scary and, And you're not typically this, like you said, this is more recent years,

 

Madeline: Mm-hmm.

 

Monica: this isn't something like you're used to explore, like actually doing different things to explore the ideas you.

 

Madeline: Yeah. Like I have no idea how people just go out and get started on a new thing. I was just like, How? I'm so impressed that you did that

 

Monica: Well, let me like ask you then, if you were to phrase this problem as a question, and this is hard to do, I understand. How would you phrase this as a question?

 

Madeline: I guess like. I don't know. That is hard. So I think, like for me, I'm such a big picture, like I'm more more of a big picture person. Like I love to know where things are gonna go. And so with all these possibilities, like I have no idea what would happen if I started anything. And so I guess the question is like, how do I get myself moving, even if I don't know what is gonna happen in the end.

 

Monica: Yeah. Okay. I'm just writing down for just a moment. I've learned, I, I can't write and talk at the same time the hard way. So, you know, I'm hearing you say like something to the effect of, how do I take action without knowing the end from the beginning or where it's headed

 

Madeline: Right.

 

Monica: in the past, I know I'm talking about something probably totally different than you thought you would talk about right away, but we'll, we'll get to it, I promise. How, How have you always been with decision making? Like with big life decisions? What's your style when you approach those things?

 

Madeline: So I really don't like it , but I'm like the type of person who will, like, it will stress me out to make like a big decision. I'll like ruminate over it for a really long time, but then once I make the decision I'm like, Good, we're good to go. I'm doing this like committed and then like everything feels good, but it does take me a little bit of time to allow myself to get there, I guess.

 

Monica: Okay, and let's like think about one of these big life decisions just as an example. Okay. So, I mean, tell me one was it getting married? Was it having a kid? Was it going to a certain grad school? Cause I know you guys did that. Was it moving? Like choose one of those for us.

 

Madeline: Okay. Yeah, grad school is a big one because like I said, my whole life, I just really liked staying in the comfort zone. And so I was the type of person who was like, I'm never gonna move like 15 miles away from my parents. Like, we're just gonna stay close by. And so when grad school came up as the opportunity, I was excited, but also just like this is not what I pictured for my life at all. Like I did not wanna move away. And he got accepted to Purdue, which is in Indiana, and I had to like look that up on the map to see where Indiana was . And I was like, I was upset about it, you know, like I was like, there were lots of tears shed over moving so far across the country. But at the same time I was. No, I think this is the right decision. So like, even though I was sad about it, I was like, all right, we're going like, we're moving. And then of course I ended up being like the best experience ever. But so, but you know, there were lots of long conversations about like, are we sure this is where we wanna go?

 

And, you know, put the stars align and , there's no denying that that was where you're supposed to be. So,

 

Monica: And is that more in hindsight?

 

Madeline: At the time I felt confident in the decision. Like even though I don't wanna go, I know we're supposed to go kind of a thing,

 

Monica: Okay.

 

Madeline: so,

 

Monica: So using that decision as a, as an example here do, did you feel the time that you knew more about, like, what the end would be as you went into that decision?

 

Madeline: Yeah. Which is funny because it didn't end that way at all. Right.

 

Monica: Okay, interesting. Tell me, tell me more

 

Madeline: Okay. So we're like, Okay, you're gonna go to grad school. He got accepted to a direct PhD program, which meant he skipped the Master's and he thought he was gonna be a professor. So we're like, Okay, we'll go to get your PhD. You'll graduate, you'll get hired to be a professor at some big school and that'll be life. And so, you know, we went off on that journey and then come to find out halfway through, he hated academia,

 

Monica: Mm

 

Madeline: and would not wanna be a professor and actually wanted to go in a whole different direction. And so there's, you know, just this roller coaster of not knowing what we were gonna do at, like, he still got the PhD and stuff, but it just looks completely different now than we thought it would.

 

And so in the middle of that, it was stressful, but I was just like, Well, here we are. We have to just make it through. So,

 

Monica: So we're seeing from, you know, this decision, like you said, you know, that was the right decision for us. So even with the quote unquote right decisions, cuz we can even talk about how that can be, that's a whole other topic.

 

Madeline: Right.

 

Monica: right. Decisions, Right? But even with this quote unquote right decision. The ending did not match your vision at the beginning,

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: There was still stress involved. Okay? Life changes, things you cannot predict,

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: So why do you think I'm bringing that up?

 

Madeline: because that's just gonna be true about everything.

 

Monica: It is, which actually might contribute to your, where you are right now feeling, feeling stuck in lots of that, that idea space

 

and you know, like where do I go next? If you were to like really sit in that space that you are right in right now of like considering all these different options, what are some emotions you feel.

 

Madeline: I feel like excited about different possibilities and like, I don't know. Yeah, Excited is probably, A good word for it, , just sitting and thinking about it, you know, I see a lot of potential.

 

Monica: Okay. That's funny. I just wrote down that word as you were saying it. You're excited about the different potential. Okay. Anything

 

else?

 

Madeline: And then just I guess probably like

 

I'm trying to think of like the right word. I'm like, I can picture the feeling, but what's the word I need to pull out My Brene Brown book about all the different

 

Monica: have that on the shelf.

 

Madeline: Just kind of also at the same time, just like, well, like probably most of those won't happen

 

Monica: Hmm. Okay. So a little like hopeless. Is that too strong of a word?

 

Madeline: Yeah. Maybe a little too strong. No, just like

 

Monica: I'm just gonna

 

try to pull

 

Madeline: like complacency.

 

Monica: Hmm.

 

Madeline: just like that would be a lot, Like a lot of those would just take a lot to get there. Right? Like a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of like, And so it's like, How much do I want it

 

Monica: Sure.

 

Madeline: it? You know,

 

Monica: Mm-hmm.

 

Madeline: obviously I would do all of it if it took no effort and would result in instant success.

 

Monica: Yes. That's a big thing that you just said there. I think that's a lot more at play than maybe it seems at first glance for you too.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: think if, if it were a success, then would

 

Madeline: I would do it.

 

Monica: Mm-hmm.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: Okay.

 

Madeline: But I'm also not like, I don't know, I feel like I'm just kind of lazy too. Cause I'm like, I'm not necessarily a afraid, like the example. So I have this dresser that I thrifted. In my garage. It's beautiful. It's really cool, and I, it's just not very like up to date. So I was like, Oh, I could get the dresser and I could update it and it would be so cute, and it sat in my garage for months and I'm like, Okay, what is my problem here?

 

I can't just get to the store and like buy the supplies to, but I'm like, well, what if I ruin it? Like, what if I destroy the dresser , Then it's just garbage. I'm like like I'm not necessarily, I don't know. I'm not afraid. I just more would be like that's like a waste of time.

 

Monica: Sure.

 

Madeline: a waste of time if I ruin.

 

Monica: If you ruin it. Okay. And I, and I'm not like saying these things because I'm like, See, it's only your fear of failure that's getting in your way. I don't think that's the only thing. I think it's a lot of different parts and most, mostly it's just the way. Our, We're gonna talk about comfort zone a little bit.

 

Okay. But it's mostly just, it, It's hard to get the energy to, to start things, especially if you don't know the end from the beginning. And you, you would like to, to know the path and all that. So you're kind of, you're in a next, what's next phase of your life, it seems like.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: Okay, when you're at a, what's next phase?

 

To have those conflicting emotions of both excitement and dreaming about the, the potential and letting those ideas just swirl around you and kind of like, you know, almost almost like a manic wave. And I don't mean that in any other derogatory way, but just like that way of like, you know, we're being wrapped up in it.

 

Okay. That can be fun and exciting and energizing, right? But then when it's time, you know, for the rubber to meet the road, that's when it requires a different type of energy, it also involves you having to make decisions, how you're gonna spend your time, how you're gonna spend your money. So like we do need to consider those things too.

 

Like those can be a part of the equation. But I see you almost in like stuck in this complacency that you described there as a way of feeling safe.

 

Madeline: Yeah, totally.

 

Monica: And we've kind of thought about safe, from safe from what? Safe from disappointment in yourself.

 

Madeline: like any negative emotion whatsoever.

 

Monica: Yeah. Okay. And this is because like you actually are very, very smart because no matter what you do, whether it's go back to school or get into politics or do photography or work on that dresser,

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: all of it is going to a require energy from.

 

And be required discomfort. And from what you've described, you've had an, a lovely life, but a tendency in the past to stay more in the comfort zone.

 

Right?

 

Madeline: for sure.

 

Monica: So, I'm proud of you for one, like, you know, being open to, to learning new things. Like I, I'm sure that grad school life changed your life in many ways.

 

Madeline: Oh yeah,

 

Monica: I felt similarly when, when we, when, when I moved away and, and had like a

 

whole other experience I didn't expect to have too.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: And you're, you're wanting more of that, but it's scary without clear guidelines of what's next.

 

Madeline: If I could have someone just like telling me what to do all the time, I would actually be very happy.

 

Monica: I am one of those people too. Like I just tell me what to do and I'll do it and

 

I'll

 

Madeline: I'll do it. Well,

 

Monica: Yes, exactly.

 

Madeline: let me know.

 

Monica: I know. Just tell me, tell me the how and I'll, and I'll do it. So this is one of those things like bigger life lessons, mindset changes that I think come with time. And they come also with a willingness to have the courage to move out of the comfort zone.

 

And move into a place of discomfort. And I actually released a, a quick growth spur on this recently. I talk about it with my coaching clients a lot, so I'll just refresh a little bit if, if you haven't heard this, usually I have an elastic band on my wrist, but it's in my hair. So, you know, the comfort zone is like, where that elastic is, just slack.

 

It's just like that perfect circle and it feels perfect cuz it's like so neat and tidy and it's, it's known and, and, and it works well. It like works well enough, like it's comfort. Okay, but when you take this elastic band and you're stretching it, it, it can go too much too fast to a point where it snaps okay, and it's useless.

 

Or it can happen gradually. And as it's getting stretched, it is no longer the shape it was before. So there's still a lot of unknown with it. A lot. Shape shifting required, but it becomes actually more and more comfortable too. Like, it, it doesn't actually hurt, you know, the, the elastic, and I guess if you're gonna go with the hair thing, it doesn't actually hurt the hair.

 

So we want you to be in this place enough where you are learning how to be uncomfortable and, and that's the discomfort zone. Like you're learning to be uncomfortable in ways that are not self betrayal, not you making poor decisions, not you like disregarding like the facts of like how. Well, I'll just go to grad school cuz it'll be fun and you're like,

 

wait, like I can't start that tomorrow without knowing the effects of the, the, the finances and the time commitment and yeah.

 

Where I am going with it. You do need to know those things at least to make a big decision. But why I'm bringing this back to the discomfort zone is I actually think we can just start with this dresser, I was gonna say with this dang dresser. But yeah, like that would honestly be a wonderful way for you to learn how to one, be uncomfortable. And the, and two, we can talk about this too, is get in, get in the state of action instead of inaction. The safety of being complacent learning how to, to go to move forward and making those steps. So what if this is resonating with you and what can I help you understand better?

 

And don't worry, we're still gonna help you actually make sense of this too.

 

Madeline: Yeah, no, I think it's all resonating. It's all really good. I think the dresser is the perfect place to start mostly cuz I need it outta my garage. , I'm just kidding. It's also a small, a smaller scale thing, so I like that. And then, yeah, like I want to be able to get into this discomfort zone, like, That is a desire that I have.

 

I just don't know how to get there. So I need like, like a, you know, phrase or something that, like some sort of, Yeah, like

 

Monica: I actually have one for you. Okay. This is, this is kind of a mantra I guess you could use, and this helps with momentum a lot when we're feeling either, either a big decision or just our to-do list, you know, that is ever ongoing and always taxing and yeah. Overwhelming. Overwhelming too, right? This is the phrase, it's do something to start.

 

Madeline: Okay.

 

Monica: Okay, this is where we, you know, sometimes yeah, of course with bigger things, we can actually break things down into like a series of phase one, phase two, and here's all the steps you take. That can happen, but even that takes a ton of energy to do. So we want to just instead embrace this mindset and this state of action where you are doing something to start, and that should require a low amount of energy.

 

And it's like the first step you can think of next. And again, like small and simple, and as you do that, you will create momentum, which I'm sure you've heard me talk about. But that momentum, what's great about that is instead of waiting for the motivation or waiting for that feeling of like your, like, I'm, I'm ready to do this now, cuz you're, now you're in a place of action, right?

 

And you're meeting that resistance in a resistance against that comfort zone. Doing something to start is just like that little bit of a stretch of the elastic and it also creates momentum, which creates more energy. What would that be for the stressor? Let's go with the dresser for a moment.

 

Madeline: Okay. I think one of the biggest things that's stressing me out about the dresser is if I need to paint it or stain it,

 

Monica: Yeah.

 

Madeline: and so, like, color,

 

Monica: So what would help you even know? If to paint or stain.

 

Madeline: I don't know. I guess I could look, try to look for pictures of like similar dressers or.

 

Monica: So this comes more down to like your personal preference.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I guess so. But then I'm like, so my husband wants me to sell it , which I'm fine with selling it. I wouldn't mind it being in our house, but we also don't have a great spot for it. But so, so I start getting like, Oh, well, like if I paint it this color, what if that makes it harder to sell?

 

Or like, you know what I mean? So I just start like thinking, Because I wanna know how it's gonna, I'm like I wanna be able to sell it for

 

Monica: Sure.

 

Madeline: double what I bought it for, and so I need to Yeah,

 

Monica: And that's where, you know, the, the fear of the end product is getting in the way of you taking action now.

 

Madeline: yeah, exactly.

 

Monica: So what if we were to remove that? Like I have to sell it. Pressure

 

Madeline: Like if I was just doing it for myself.

 

Monica: Uhhuh. . Yeah. What would change about this for you?

 

Madeline: I think I would, I don't know, like I think I would paint it, but actually if I was keeping it in my house, would I want it to be painted? I don't see, this is my whole, I like go back and forth so many times. No, I feel like I probably would paint it, but yeah, I don't know what color.

 

Monica: Okay, so now it's like getting a vision, right? Like what color? What's a great place to explore color? And I don't have a right answer in my head, by the

 

Madeline: I know like, I don't know, Home Depot,

 

Monica: sure. Okay. What if that were, Do something to start. What if you go to Home Depot and you say, For 10 minutes, I'm just gonna look at the, the color swatches that are all up on the wall.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: That's it. I'm just gonna look and see what I gravitate to.

 

You don't have to pick, you don't have

 

to, You don't have to even know how to paint.

 

You're just collecting ideas.

 

Madeline: Yeah. That would be good.

 

Monica: Okay. Does that seem like enough to stretch you without snapping you or is that time commitment pretty intense right now? Cuz you never know, like sometimes that, that could be like asking you to go and hike Mount Everest right now with if

 

Madeline: I know

 

Monica: tough

 

Madeline: No, I think right now I could probably do it. Yeah, that would be, yeah, something I could fit in. Now that the kids are in school and stuff,

 

Monica: Mm-hmm.

 

Madeline: I might have a minute to swing by Home Depot.

 

Monica: Sure. So this is an example of all these other big life things too. It's like in these do something to start phases. You are, you are now outside of like the yay new ideas, lots of room. Like I'm excited and now you're in this like, Pre momentum slump of just feeling overwhelmed about getting information or making the right decisions or the time and the work that it will entail moving forward.

 

Okay? And the do something to start mindset is not again, to disregard wise decision making is to help you make those decisions because you're just in a collecting information stage. You're just getting the ball rolling it, it's just looking up a program and it's, it's just like, maybe another step is putting something on a Facebook group and asking, does anyone know who's done this program before?

 

You know, it's like, it's just gradually just bit by bit collecting momentum.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I like that. That's good.

 

Monica: There's one other thing though with this, I think that's actually quite deeper

 

Madeline: Okay.

 

Monica: that you might be like, Thanks Monica for telling me this, but,

 

Madeline: Oh, great.

 

Monica: and actually maybe not. Maybe this is something you're gonna be like, Oh. I actually feel pretty good about that and I feel pretty strong with this. Okay. There's a whole other layer to the what's next?

 

Big question. Okay. Whether that's what's next with my season of life or what's next with this dang dresser, and I like that. I just keep calling it like that's it's name now

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: dresser. Okay. And it's a lack of connection or fear of wants that you have.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I could see that.

 

Monica: In what way can you see that?

 

Madeline: I feel like I, I don't like ever like rocking the boat. Yeah. Or like causing discomfort to like other people,

 

Monica: and if your wants were part of the equation.

 

Madeline: Yeah. It would honestly be fine. Probably , like everyone in my family is very, I mean, besides my four year old who's extremely possessive of me, everyone else is fine with me, like, Going about and doing my thing. So I think it's mostly like in my head, probably stemming from like childhood trauma or something, you know, But just like,

 

Monica: I'm just laughing because of how you said, just probably send me from childhood trauma, but

 

yes, I know what you mean,

 

Madeline: we all have it, so, you know but yeah, just like, just not wanting to like, Cause I'm also like the oldest daughter, which.

 

Monica: Mm-hmm.

 

Madeline: you know what I mean? You know what I mean? So

 

Monica: I was not the oldest, but I know what you mean.

 

Madeline: yeah. Oh, I know. You know what I mean? I've listened to you for long time , but but yeah, so I feel like there's, yeah. I'm like, well, if I gonna do the dresser, like it better turn out great, or it's just, you know, in the way or whatever.

 

Monica: Mm-hmm.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: Now we don't need to go to sociopathic levels in this, like, you know, it's, it's not an either or thing. Like either it's all about what I want or it's about what everybody else wants. But it seems like even this decision with this dresser is being really navigated by this compass of. What other people will like, even if you're thinking about selling it or even people in your own home, like what they want you to do with it, which is totally valid. They can have their input as part of things, but if that's the only compass, then what you're actually doing is you. You've lost your inner compass,

 

Madeline: Yeah,

 

Monica: and if you've done that for years, if not your whole life, that's a whole other layer.

 

Madeline: I know. So that's why I'm like, I have to get into this discomfort and like this away,

 

Monica: And, and how you can do that. I'm gonna give you another phrase that you can say to yourself. It's really simple and it's what do I want?

 

Madeline: Okay.

 

Monica: When you ask that of yourself, you're, you're trying to queue into the inner compass that's kind of gotten muddled, muffled, maybe.

 

Madeline: Yeah.

 

Monica: You know, with good intentions, you're trying to be a good person. You're trying to be considerate, you're trying to be a good, fill in the blank, but the compass you've been navigating with, cuz yours isn't a part of that compass, it's gonna always feel a little bit like something's missing or you'll have that lack of security and confidence in yourself, even if you make decisions based off of input from others and input on what's gonna happen in the long run and trying to make good decisions if the, if that part of the compass is missing.

 

You will lack the security and confidence you, you need to keep moving forward with decisions.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I think that's so true.

 

Monica: Yeah, with that momentum, What do I want? So, you know, that's funny because when I asked you about like stain or paint right away you started saying paint and then you stopped

 

Madeline: Well, I think steam can be so pretty, but you know, I think with this dresser it would just be tricky. It has this like the, like rattan, like drawers.

 

Monica: Okay. Yeah.

 

Madeline: and so you would have to like match it really well. So anyway,

 

Monica: I know from someone who just spent like three months standing my grandma's table, I like wanna tell you, don't do that . But even though I love, you know, the, Yeah, okay. So that, that's a practical side. So what do I want? I don't wanna go through a whole thing like that and, and not look good and me feel frustrated.

 

So I wanna paint, so what colors do I want? You know, And again, it's not an either or. When you consider what you want, you're not taking other wants or values or good decisions off the table. This just becomes part of the compass that's leading the decisions you're making.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I like that. I like that. I think I wanna paint it a green color.

 

Monica: Look at that you already

 

know,

 

Madeline: I know

 

Monica: Okay, now we, now we're narrowing it down, which helps with the overwhelm. Now we have like some great limitations that will help you look for just green, different green colors.

 

Madeline: Yeah, I'll just go to Home Depot.

 

Monica: Yeah. Or even yeah, Pinterest. And start pinning what green dressers you like, and then you'll start to get a sense of these kind of greens.

 

Madeline: Yeah. Okay,

 

Monica: So

 

Madeline: I'll do it.

 

Monica: we've, we've kind of, you know, I'm sure this is one of those calls where you're like, What did we talk about? Well, I think we talked about almost we can,

 

but in a way that admittedly like there's more thinking to do.

 

Madeline: Oh yeah, for sure. For sure. There always is.

 

Monica: what, what would, what do you take away from this conversation?

 

Madeline: I think, yeah, I like the phrases like, I'm going to do something to start and just, you know, take into account what do I want, you know, without being a complete crazy person, but I feel like I usually want pretty good things.

 

Monica: That trust

 

Madeline: yeah, just like, just trust myself and just like get started.

 

Monica: Beautiful. If that's, if that's what you got away from it, that's exactly how I'd want you to feel.

 

Madeline: Okay.

 

Monica: And from here, I like want you to actually tell me when you go somewhere like about this dresser, let's use this dresser as just like, a micro version of the bigger questions that you are asking yourself, The bigger things you're considering about what's next in my life.

 

And I wanna leave you with one other thought for you. Okay. This thought is that the transformation lies in the process, not the outcome.

 

Madeline: Okay.

 

Monica: Okay? Just like your grad school experience.

 

Madeline: Yeah,

 

Monica: It wasn't where you ended up that transformed you and your family.

 

It, it was the process. Right.

 

Madeline: Yeah, totally.

 

Monica: And I want you to lean into that.

 

Like, even with this dresser, it's not the end result, you know, even though it's so it's so wonderful when you do reach an end of something like that, right? But when that's all you're focused on, that can get in the way. Of you learning, growing, changing, opening up along the way, even with the dang dresser

 

Madeline: yeah. That's so true.

 

Monica: and learning as you go.

 

Madeline: Yep.

 

Monica: Now you learn how to paint a dresser,

 

Madeline: Yeah. Here I go off to accomplish something

 

Monica: do something to start. What do I want?

 

Okay.

 

Madeline, that was great. I want you to keep in touch with me and let me know how, how this goes.

 

Madeline: I will for sure.

 

Monica: Thanks so much for your time.

 

Madeline: Thank you.