Transformation *Plus* Action: Why You Need Internal Work *and* Aligned Strategy Create Lasting Results

Over and over again -- here on the blog, in my social content, in my day-to-day conversations, all the ways and places -- I talk a lot about internal transformation, and/or doing the internal work. I talk about, “a different way,” a path less followed that offers exponential rewards, usually with an invitation to step into that way, to journey down that path.

I share that message so often, because the internal work is the work that I see not being done, and what I see is holding people back from reaching their potential, and their goals. I haven’t had a single client come to me and say they're not taking any external action, but most aren't doing much (or any) internal work. 

The story is usually some version of, I’m throwing all I got at it but I still can’t get where I want to go. And in our journey together we discover that "everything" lots of (external) actions and strategies, but none (or very little) of the internal work.

BOTH / AND

For that reason, our primary focus in the beginning of our work together is likely to be the internal work, because that is the work that most of my clients haven't done / aren't doing, and don’t know how to do themselves. But it’s important to understand that transformational coaching ISN’T just internal work without strategy or action. It’s BOTH / AND!

We won’t do the internal (transformational) work just for the sake of doing the work. It’s not about having session after session, feeling all high vibe, flowy, and expansive, and sitting around waiting for your dreams to come crash into you while you sit. We’ll do the internal work to illuminate and clear your path forward, so you can fully show up for your unique, aligned action strategy. The internal (AKA transformational) work will support you in designing and taking aligned action to create your goals and dreams.

YES, you’re likely to have a lot of intangible, internal feeling results. Frankly, it’s pretty likely you’ll feel like a whole new version of yourself (that's def been my experience). AND, that’s not the sole intention. It’s not transformation for transformations sake. It’s transformation for the sake of creating your goals, dreams, and desires. TRANSFORMATION + ACTION. BOTH / AND.

Detoxing

Everyone’s journey is unique, but there are some common themes. One of those themes (in my clients) is an over-reliance and over-utilization of external action, and an under-reliance and under-utilization of internal work. For that reason, there is often a “detoxing” period at the beginning of our work together, where you begin to give yourself permission to stop taking external action purely for the sake of action.

You start to cut the ties that have bound you to your old ways of being and doing, and thus, your old patterns and results. To do that, you’ve got to stop doing what you’ve always done. If you had a past pattern of forcing and cajoling yourself into nonstop movement to “prove” you were taking action, a period of time to focus primarily on the internal work might be a very aligned and effective path for you.

My personal journey into transformational coaching – me as the client, not coach – included a LONG detox from action for the sake of motion. I came into coaching as a massive action-taker. I was a goer and doer. I had a massive over-reliance on masculine, action-based, external-focused strategies. I had a lot of unlearning to do. I spent several months focused entirely on internal work, and week after week I’d show up to my sessions and challenge myself not to go schedule a bunch of external actions.

All the actions I took in that season of my journey were focused on supporting my internal transformation. I needed to develop my new way of BEING, and that required me to let go of my old patterns. NOT taking action was HARD for me! That was my edge, that was growth.

During that time I also detoxed from all the resources in my life telling and teaching about external action strategies. No more nonstop personal development or business strategy books, and no podcasts, blogs, or courses. No searching and seeking for external strategies and solutions. I was entirely committed to changing my life, and I just knew – like, when you know you know because you just know – that my next level of growth was about changing who I BE. My next level – internal and external results – wouldn’t become available to me until I did the internal work to change who I was and how I showed up in the world. I couldn’t steal second with a foot still no first, so I went all in on the internal work. 

When I pivoted back into taking external action, it was as an entirely different person. I brought in a level of confidence, clarity, and alignment that I’d never had before in my life. GAME ENTIRELY CHANGED. And now my external action was elevated by continuing to do the internal work, to support me through all the stuff that inevitably came up, as I was in the world taking bold and consistent action.

That’s the relationship between transformation and action. It’s a beautiful blend of BEING and DOING. A dance. DO BE DO BE DO BE DO BE DO. YES to action, but not for action’s sake. YES to transformation, but not for transformation’s sake. Transformation to support and elevate action. Being AND doing. Elevating on all levels. It’s the most powerful and effective path to changing your life – and results.

Are you ready to change your life? THEN LET'S GO!