Digital Miss - May2017

BUSINESS/BLOGGING
BUSINESS/BLOGGING
Every Exit is an Entry
to Somewhere Else
If I had known two years ago that I would be where I am right now, I would
have just laughed and said “not possible - other people make those sorts of
changes but not me, I am not brave enough”.
Things for you to think about:
• Who inspires you?
• Who can you learn from?
• Who will challenge your thinking?
Then I got really clear on the life I wanted to live
Auguste Crenshaw is a Personal
Development Coach. She holds
a Bachelor’s Degree in Business
Administration from Lindenwood
University in St. Charles, MO.
Her primary focus is on mindset,
discipline and confidence. She helps
entrepreneurs deal with the day-today
distractions that blocks them
from running a thriving, profitable
business.
Her belief is we were all Created to
be extraordinary, her mission in life
is to help others repair their hearts
and minds through practical lessons
that have a tremendous spiritual
impact. Reframing an individual’s
mindset is her specialty.
At the time I was in a complete comfort zone. I was in a senior and safe
position - I wasn’t unhappy, but I wasn’t feeling fulfilled either. The senior
position I was in was not panning out the way I had once imagined it
would. I was successful and outwardly one would never have realised I was
starting to think about a shift in career - hell I didn’t realise it at the time!!
But a subliminal process had started and an exit strategy was forming - organically
at first, but later far more consciously. I knew I wanted to make a
change but my ideas varied as far and wide as ‘leave the country’, ‘put my
passion for baking to good use’, ‘register for a PhD’, or ‘something else’....
something I just couldn’t put my finger on.
Any of this sounding familiar to you? Or are you in that boat where you are
so deeply unhappy that you know you need to get out but you just don’t
know how? Or to where?
So you are thinking of leaving your job and starting something new - a new
job elsewhere? Your own business? No idea... but something, anything
because you just can’t stay where you are!
Wow that’s exciting! Well yes! But it’s also terrifying. “I don’t know where
to start” I hear you say!
Well, let me tell you what I did...
I am a very visual person and the only way for me to get clear on what I wanted, was to collect a whole load of
pictures and quotes of things that inspired me and experiences that I wanted to have. High on my list was creating
a lifestyle that allowed me flexibility, the opportunity to pursue my creative outlets, time for travel, and work that
would allow me to express myself fully and honestly. I realised pretty quickly that I valued experiences, relationships
and connection far more than I valued things and so any work that I was going to go into, would need to help me
optimise on this.
It became abundantly clear to me that I wanted work that supported my lifestyle, not a lifestyle that was subservient
to my work!
Things for you to think about:
• What is your vision for the life you want to live?
• What would make you leap out of bed every day full of excitement for the day?
• What do you value?
• What will you stand for and what will you not stand for?
After that I decided what I wanted to be known for - what legacy I wanted to leave
I was in a group coaching workshop at a some point where we were asked to introduce ourselves and we all did the
usual “Hi, I am so-and-so, I am a xyz, and I work at blah blah blah”.
I surrounded myself with confident people who had made inspiring
changes in their lives
So first things first, I started hanging out with people that I thought were
braver than me. And I listened to their stories. And as I listened I asked
myself what was it that they had done that I felt I couldn’t do? What made
them more deserving of the lives they wanted than I was? And when I realised
that the answer was nothing, that they were no more clever, no more
talented, no more able than I was, then I decided well maybe I could too!
Surround yourself with people that inspire you! They say you become like
the people that you surround yourself with, so choose wisely!
We all looked predictably bored but impressed with our titles, until the facilitator told us how it was inevitable that
we would define ourselves by our boring job titles (ha ha ha). We were then challenged to introduce ourselves in a
way that indicated what our passions were and what legacy we wanted to leave behind. Well mine was “Hi I am Briony.
Every so often I get to contribute to the growth and development of young professionals - when I see how they
have grown, and I know that I had just a little to do with that, it makes me feel all glowy. I want better leadership,
better thinking and better decision making to be my legacy and contribution to South Africa”.
That was a pretty pivotal moment for me, knowing that this was what was actually important to me.
Things for you to think about:
• What do you want to be known for?
14 DIGITAL MISS MAGAZINE | MAY 2017 ISSUE
DIGITAL MISS MAGAZINE | MAY 2017 ISSUE 15