Hi! Coach J here!
Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!
How has your month been going so far? How has navigating through (all of) its shifts been for you? Well, I hope!
And here we are.
We've been steering, navigating, adjusting, creating pockets of silence, and establishing boundaries throughout this month's focus — Steering Through Shifts.
We started by checking our alignment and becoming more aware of the direction we were moving in.
Then, we talked about steering through busy days when everything seems to need our attention.
We created pockets of silence to give our attention somewhere to land.
And lastly, we talked about creating boundaries around those pockets of silence and what it can look like when those boundaries meet real life.
Now, we're arriving at our destination for September.
Reserved Parking
I want to explain what reserved actually means.
What Does “Reserved” Mean?
When something is reserved, it has been set aside for a particular person, purpose, or time.
A reserved parking space isn't waiting for just anyone to pull into it.
It has been designated for someone.
You may have seen one at a restaurant, business, an event, a school, or somewhere else.
There's a sign.
There are markings.
There's an indicator that says: The spot is reserved.
Now, let's take that idea out of the parking lot for a moment.
What if we thought about some of the destinations we're working toward in a similar way?
Not because every destination is guaranteed.
Not because every path looks the same.
And not because we can always predict where we'll end up.
But because sometimes, the destination you're moving toward is a place that is uniquely yours to occupy.
And getting there may take some navigating.
The Route Isn't Always Straight
If you've ever driven somewhere unfamiliar, you already know the route may not go exactly as planned.
You may miss a turn.
A road may be closed.
Traffic may slow you down.
You may have to take another route.
You may realize that the directions you started with don't quite match what you're seeing in front of you.
And sometimes, you may decide that the original destination isn't where you want to go anymore (and that's okay).
That doesn't necessarily mean the drive was wasted.
It means you encountered things you needed to navigate through.
You adjusted.
You kept moving.
Or you changed direction.
That's part of navigating.
And life can work much the same way.
A change in direction doesn't automatically mean you've lost your way.
As mentioned in previous blogs, sometimes it means you're paying attention to where you are and responding accordingly.
What Did You Learn Along the Way?
When you've been focused on getting somewhere, it can be easy to pay attention only to the destination.
But the route can teach you things too.
Maybe you learned what helps you stay focused (pockets of silence).
Maybe you discovered that certain routines support your day better than others.
Maybe you learned that you function better when you have uninterrupted time.
Maybe you became more intentional about where your attention goes.
Maybe you became clearer about what you're available for (boundaries).
Maybe you realized that some things you once considered priorities don't need the same level of attention anymore.
Those are not small discoveries.
They can influence how you decide to move forward.
The journey can give you information that the destination alone couldn't.
And that information can become part of how you navigate forward.
Reserved Doesn't Mean Immediate
Here's something else worth considering.
A reserved parking space doesn't mean you have to arrive at a specific time.
The space can still be reserved whether you arrive at 2:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m., or 3:00 p.m.
Your arrival time may change. The space doesn't necessarily change because your timing did.
The parking space is reserved. The arrival time isn't.
We don't all move at the same pace. We don't all have the same responsibilities. We don't all encounter the same road conditions.
We don't all receive the same information at the same time. And we don't all recognize our destination at the same point in our journey.
So comparing your arrival time to someone else's may not tell you very much about your own journey.
Someone else's parking spot isn't yours (vice versa). And their arrival time doesn't determine yours. Go at the pace that best supports you.
What If You Haven't Arrived Yet?
Maybe you're reading this and thinking: “I'm not there yet.”
That's okay.
This isn't about assuming you've arrived somewhere if you haven't.
If you're still navigating, you may still be figuring out where you want to go, how you want to get there, or what direction makes the most sense for you right now.
If you're still figuring out where you're headed, you're just still figuring it out (give yourself grace and credit for trying).
If your destination has changed, you can acknowledge that too.
And if you're somewhere you didn't expect to be, you can take a moment to look around and decide where you want to head next.
You don't have to consider yourself late just because someone else arrived before you, or because you didn't arrive at the time you wanted to or thought you would.
Sometimes, you're still on the road.
Sometimes, you're taking the scenic route.
Sometimes, you're making a necessary detour.
And sometimes, you're realizing that what you originally thought was your destination isn't where you want to park anymore.
All of those situations call for awareness (information to help guide your next step(s))—not comparison.
What If You Have Arrived?
And maybe you've already arrived.
Maybe you've reached something you've been working toward for a while.
Maybe you've settled into a new routine.
Maybe you've reached a goal.
Maybe you've made a decision you've been working toward.
Maybe you've reached a point where you can say: “This is where I am now.”
If that's where you are, you don't have to immediately start looking for the next place to go.
You can acknowledge the arrival. You can recognize what it took to get there. You can take in what you've built.
And you can decide what is next when you're ready.
> Arrival is worth noticing too.
Sometimes we're so focused on the next destination that we don't recognize when we've actually reached one.
What If the Destination Changed?
There's another possibility we can't leave out.
What happens when you arrive somewhere and realize: “This isn't where I want to stay.”
That can happen too.
A destination can look different once you've reached it. You may learn something new. Your priorities may change. Your circumstances may shift.
Or you may discover that what you wanted before isn't what you want now.
Changing direction doesn't erase the distance you've already traveled.
The skills you developed still belong to you.
The awareness you gained still belongs to you.
The decisions you made still taught you something.
The adjustments you practiced can still help you navigate what comes next.
A changed destination doesn't make the journey meaningless. It simply means you have new information about where you're going.
You Don't Have to Rush to Get to the Parking Spot
Sometimes, we can become so focused on arriving that we forget to notice how we're getting there.
We rush.
We compare.
We question our timing.
We wonder whether we're behind.
We look at someone else's progress and assume their timeline says something about ours.
But what if arrival isn't a race?
What if the goal is not to get there before someone else?
What if the goal is to be aware enough to recognize where you're going, make adjustments when necessary, and arrive in a way that still reflects what matters to you?
Your pace may change without your direction disappearing. You may slow down. You may pause. You may take another route.
You may continue forward. And sometimes, you may need to pull over for a moment before continuing. All of which are okay.
That doesn't automatically mean you're no longer moving toward what matters to you.
A Moment to Reflect
As we conclude this month's focus, consider where you are right now.
Are you still navigating? Have you arrived somewhere you've been working toward? Have you discovered that your destination has changed?
Or are you somewhere in between?
Then consider: What does your “reserved parking spot” represent right now?
Would it represent a goal?
A new routine?
A healthier rhythm?
A decision?
A project?
A personal milestone?
A way of living that feels more aligned with where you're headed?
Or maybe something else entirely?
This Week's Challenge:This week, identify one destination you're currently moving toward—or one you've recently reached.
Then ask yourself: What have I learned along the way?
Think about the routines, decisions, adjustments, boundaries, habits, or moments of awareness that have supported your movement.
If you're still navigating, consider what information you have now that you didn't have when you started.
If you've arrived, allow yourself to acknowledge your arrival.
And if your destination has changed, allow yourself to recognize that too.
You don't have to force the journey into a straight line. It doesn't have to be a perfect answer. Just...
Notice where you are.
Recognize what you've learned.
Adjust when necessary.
Then continue from there (with what you've learned).
Coach J's Final Thoughts:This month, we've been exploring what it looks like to Steer Through Shifts.
We checked our alignment and became more aware of the direction we were moving in.
We navigated busy days and practiced being more intentional about where our attention goes.
We created pockets of silence where our attention could settle, refocus, and reconnect with what needed it.
Then we talked about creating boundaries around those pockets of silence—not simply to create limits, but to help protect the intentional space we'd created and support the direction we were trying to maintain.
Each part served a purpose.
The alignment helped us notice where we were.
The navigation helped us respond to what was happening around us.
The pockets of silence helped us create moments to reset and refocus. And the boundaries helped us become more intentional about protecting those moments and the direction they supported.
Now, we're here at the destination.
But arrival doesn't look the same for everyone.
Some people may be parked.
Some may still be looking for their exit.
Some may be taking another route.
Some may have changed destinations.
And some may still be figuring out where they want to go.
All of those places are part of being human.
You don't have to compare your arrival time to someone else's. You don't have to assume that because someone else has arrived somewhere, you should already be there too.
And you don't have to remain at a destination simply because you once decided that was where you wanted to go.
Sometimes, steering through shifts means recognizing when the road has changed.
Sometimes it means adjusting your route. Sometimes it means protecting what matters along the way.
And sometimes, it means pulling into the parking spot and recognizing: “I made it here.”
So wherever you are right now, take a moment to acknowledge it.
If you're still navigating, keep paying attention to the road. If you've arrived, take a moment to recognize the destination.
If you've changed direction, allow yourself to use the information you've gained.
And if you're not sure where you're headed yet, you don't have to manufacture an answer just because the road is moving.
The parking space is reserved.
The arrival time isn't. So keep steering. Keep navigating. Keep adjusting.
When you arrive, I hope you recognize that you made it there in your own way, and that's what makes your journey yours.
As always... Be kind to yourself and others this week!
Until next time...!
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