Changing: How’s That Working Out for You?

It’s always hard but it could be easier

Photo by stefan moertl on Unsplash

This morning, I saw a fellow coach post this on LinkedIn and it resonated with me:

It’s hard to change your thinking on your own.
It’s hard to create new patterns of thinking when old patterns are so comfortable.

Working with a coach, I get to consider my thinking from different angles.
My coach asks me questions I might not ask myself.
My coach helps me test my assumptions.
My coach calls me out when I am repeating a pattern, I said I didn’t want to repeat. 😊

With my coach, I can “think through” my thinking, and choose actions that lead to different results.

Yesterday, I was talking with a client about her new direction and creative vision.

She was clear on her direction and what she wanted to bring to life — and clear on her why.

It was inspiring to hear.

She also had done a great job identifying who she would need to become and what she would need to do differently to not feel stagnant anymore — and actually make her vision happen. It all seemed totally possible and within her capabilities and circumstances.

And yet, when we moved more into discussing the next actions to take and a roadmap to follow, an interesting thing happened.

Those old thinking patterns and limiting beliefs jumped right back out — the very same ones she previously explicitly identified as holding her back and keeping her stagnant.

The ones focused primarily on worries, concerns, and reasons to play it safe

The ones that rationalize doing things in similar ways so that she would feel more certain and planned out.

Anytime we’re making a transition in our life and work (especially bold, creative ones) those damn old habitual and limiting thinking patterns are going to show up and do everything they can to stop us or slow us down.

They are well-intended and want to keep us safe, secure, and certain.

But they also limit our growth and creative potential.

Luckily, my client and I were able to continue our conversation and call out these motherf*ckers and get her back on the bold track.

Do you have anyone in your corner calling out your negative self-talk, limiting beliefs, unconscious thinking blocks…and your bullshit?

If not, I hope you find someone to help you do this soon.

If you’d like support from me on this, there are a few ways to get it:

1. Join the next 30 Day Creative Momentum Challenge. Doing the Challenge will really bring out and challenge those unhelpful thinking patterns. By the end of Day 30, you’ll likely feel that those motherf*ckers have lost much of their power over you. Choosing to do something, deciding what to do, and actually following through on it every day is a transformative thing. And, if you join the Mastermind membership level, I host a weekly, live group coaching session that focuses on eliminating self-doubt, unconscious blocks, and anything else keeping you stuck. ⚡️If this is your first time joining The 30 Day Creative Momentum Challenge, get 20% off with the code NEWCHALLENGER20
2. Not into groups at this time? You can still challenge yourself via a low-cost, high-impact form of habit coaching that I am offering again in 2024. It’s all about setting priorities and staying accountable to them, and it’s facilitated completely over text. It’s asynchronous and lightweight, yet could be the extra accountability and perspective-challenging boost you need.
3. ​Creative Momentum Coaching — Work with me via my signature 1:1 coaching system designed to help you go deep and fast. This is more intensive and customized. You can schedule a complimentary 45-minute session with me to experience what it’s like and learn more if you’re serious and open to financially committing.

I believe my expertise in the psychology of creative work and the structures I’ve created to support creative people like you with bold goals could be a difference-maker for you.

Let’s go! 🤘

More About Coach Jeff

My name is Jeff Fajans (rhymes with “lions”) and I help creative entrepreneurs bring their biggest ideas to life and reach their next level of creative success.

I have a PhD in Positive Organizational Psychology from Claremont Graduate University, where I studied under Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the world-renowned author of Flow. My research focused on how to help people learn, develop, and lead more effectively to better achieve creative goals.

I am also an avid music creator and guitar player. 🤘

Through my 1-on-1 coaching, 30-Day Creative Momentum Challenge community, internationally acclaimed digital courses, and speaking engagements, I’ve helped thousands of people from around the world connect with their purpose, clarify their creative vision, amplify their motivation, and create actionable strategies that make achieving their most meaningful goals inevitable.

These are people who are pursuing big goals like starting or leading a business (and scaling it to higher levels of innovation & growth), writing + filming a feature film (and it winning a Sundance award), building an app or product (and getting accepted into Y Combinator or getting VC funding), writing a book (and hitting the Amazon bestseller list) or even exploring a meaningful side hustle or passion project.