What does the status quo feel like and why it’s okay to fight against it!
By simple definition, the status quo means the existing state of affairs - and we’ve all found ourselves in our own version of it at one point or another.
Being in the status quo may not feel like anything at first; the very basis of the status quo suggests a level of comfort and familiarity – a repetitiveness that seemingly flies “under the radar” without much cause for notice.
The problem with the status quo is it’s just that repetitive, sameness … it doesn’t allow for growth or evolution. And the moment you start to feel the discomfort of those patterns in your life is the same moment you begin to confront the status quo.
How, then, do you identify the status quo in your life? This looks different for everyone.
For me, the status quo was prioritizing my corporate duties, working long hours, missing out on time with my kids, “climbing” the proverbial ladder while still not being authentic to the growth, goals, and evolutions I deserved … the ones I was capable of achieving.
Almost like an itch, starting small, easily scratched, and satiated if only momentarily – the status quo, once revealed, keeps presenting itself. It becomes more and more uncomfortable. And it wasn’t until I really took control of my life, demanded more than the status quo could provide, and made a move to change the sameness that I was able to break free.
To do that, though, I had to be completely honest with myself. I had to forgive myself for falling into those patterns with the realization that I did the best I could at the time but that I wanted different now… I wanted BETTER now.
A common theme that has been revealed as a result of the pandemic is women realizing they are unhappy in their lives right now. The circumstances presented forced many of us to take a look at who we are and what we want – and how drastically unaligned those two versions of ourselves were.
I am writing this blog because I know there is guilt associated with this realization, and I want you to know it’s okay to fight back against the status quo. I want you to know that it’s OKAY to love yourself through this transformation, to prioritize yourself, without external pressure or judgements.
To break the status quo, you have to first accept that your opinion of yourself matters more. It matters the most. Tuning out the negative voices around you that want to see you remain in the status quo simply because it’s more comfortable for them so you can release yourself from other people’s expectations of you.
Instead, accept the expectations you have for yourself. The goals. The aspirations. The out-of-the-box thinking that scares you but excites you. Taking the steps you need to take to wake up liking YOURSELF.
For too long, women have been told to just “be happy” with what they have. That “someone somewhere has it worse, so be grateful.” But this messaging and these external pressures are designed to keep you small. To keep you in the patterns that hold you back from reaching your next level best.
So, what are a few small things you can start doing TODAY to break free from the status quo?
1. Write down one thing that would make you feel truly happy and fulfilled.
2. Explore the “what ifs” in pursuing that one thing, without the pressure of timelines or judgements. Just decide what it would look like if you were to really “go for it.”
3. Step into that exploration. Do a little more of what you want to do today and a little less of what is expected of you today… see how that makes you feel!
As women, we are constantly celebrated for self-sacrifice and villainized for prioritizing our wants and needs. This breeds inherent unhappiness and feelings of being “stuck.”
I want to show you how to become “unstuck.” I want to help you identify the wants and needs you deserve and are capable of achieving. I want to support you in setting boundaries for the expectations and judgments of others that will seek to hold you back.
Feeling disconnected from yourself and your life can be overwhelming, and I’m here to help you through it. I have created two self-paced programs from the depths of my personal experience with this very same battle that are designed to meet you where you are now, providing knowledge, guidance, and resources to get you through to the other side.
My Life by Design program is the best place to start. I built this program to help you gain clarity for yourself and reconnect with what you desire out of life. It also provides you with the process to begin to implement positive changes in yourself and your life to move you forward.
My Next Level You Immersion is for those ready to dive even deeper into mindset, identity, subconscious programming, our nervous system, money mindset, and imposter syndrome.
Cheering you on for realizing you have a desire for different – these programs are how I have changed my world and created a life I am WILDLY in love with.
I believe that you can, too, no matter where you are starting, and I will help you see that.
Believing in you,
Cheryl
