REMOVING ANCHORS – PART 1
This value is probably the one that I have been struggling with the most in recent times and is, therefore, the one that I need to spend energy on. Take note that ‘Passions’ is plural in the title of this article. When I was younger, I was pretty single-(bloody)-minded, all I wanted was a career and a title with ‘Chief’ but as I got older I learned that we are multifaceted, no one thing defines us and least of all our job. Passions are what fill us up, give us purpose and provide deep satisfaction.
Often it can be difficult to discover what we are passionate about. Josh and Ryan talk about having to remove your anchors to be able to discover your passions in the book, Minimalism, Live a Meaningful Life. They identified the following as things that hold us back;
- identity – how we identify ourselves, the labels we apply and making sure they are reflective of who we are, not just our jobs
- status – where we fit into society or on the corporate ladder and what meaning we put on it
- certainty – the known provides comfort and security, change can be scary and uncomfortable
- money – an aspect of certainty but a big one. Financial security is an anchor that often holds us back from pursuing our passions
Prior to reading the book, I had unwittingly started chipping away at these. I no longer cared about promotions and titles at work, and money and certainty had lost their drag on me. Big changes were in motion and my identity had already changed from being my job title to all the things I wanted to do live that meaningful life. I had also discovered that having meaningful conversations that help people grow, writing articles that trigger introspective thought, handcrafting functional and beautiful objects, caring for, respecting and enjoying nature and being with my family and friends in the moment not only excites me but provide me with deep and lasting fulfillment.
When the uncertainty of our move came to fruition and money also became an issue, some of those anchors started weighing me down again. I stopped following my passions and I felt and do still feel stuck in no-mans land. I know what my passions are, I just need to find a way to get back to them so that I can shake off the black cloud that is hanging over me.
The only way out of it is to take action and cut those anchors. How to remove them is a combination of the practical, budgets, becoming debt-free and psychological, through mindset changes. I’m going to need a coach to help me. Maybe you do too?