Navigating the Fog: Strategies for Gaining Clarity in Tough Times

Written By Victoria Psaltis

Individuals with clarity often experience a greater sense of confidence, direction, and satisfaction in their pursuits of happiness. BUT more often than not we find ourselves unsatisfied with aspects of our lives and as a result. Think about it now? Are you truly satisfied and fulfilled in all aspects of your life? Career? Finances? Personal development?

Early 2020, covid was just entering the news on a nightly basis and people were beginning to talk about how this may effect the world. But for me, I was facing my own health battles at the time. I remember sitting across from a doctor and he said,

“Victoria, you are very sick".

I said, “What do you mean sick?”

“You’re going to need therapy", he whispered.

“Wait I don’t understand, “chemo” therapy, “ I said confused, “I’m going to lose my hair?”

He nodded.

You see, at the time, I had neglected my happiness in most areas of my life. For years, I had immense physical and emotional stress, through relationships, career and finances. I used to drive hours to get to and from work, spent weekends in cafes catching up on the workload from the week, and lost all sense of self worth and confidence. Now it was finally affecting my health in a very real way.

I wish I knew back then, what I know now!

In the modern world of coaching, the Wheel of Life was popularised by an author and entrepreneur Paul Meyer. In his book ‘Altitude for growth’ he talks about how we ALL can assess our lives based on the 8 most prominent themes in life; family and friends, romance, personal growth, finances, fun and creation, just to name a few. This visual representation aims to reveal the contrast between what we feel our current reality looks and feels like, compared to where we would like to be.

Wheel of Life: source-https://lifepurposeadvisor.com/what-is-the-wheel-of-life/

By rating ourselves honestly on these 8 themes, we not only gain clarity in our goals, but can make decisions more clearly and navigate emotional states with a clear perspective, and therefore take conscious steps towards bettering our situation. A life coach does just that! A good life coach will guide and support their clients through the aspects of life they wish to improve, providing strategies, tools and expertise.

In my situation years ago, I could have very easily recognised my rating of health, wellbeing and relationships as aspects that needed change. I could’ve taken action, true action of what I wanted, in order to light up my soul again, BEFORE it began affecting my physical health. It is for this reason, that I will NOT compromise on my health and wellbeing anymore, I will NOT sacrifice my body for the sake of a person, or a career, because now I can make more focused and intentional approaches to all aspects of my life.

And when I feel myself slipping back into old patterns (and it happens), I use the Sphere of Influence; another tool that consciously allows me to choose where I spend my time and thoughts more effectively.

The Sphere of Influence:

There’s no doubt that there is a lot going on in the world right now, most of which we cannot change. Lets face it, even the most experienced leaders, CEOs and business people have moments of helplessness and frustration.

What makes the best leaders, CEOs, mums, dads, colleagues and friends different, is their ability to sort through their priorities and spend time on the components we can control. In personal development or coaching contexts, recognising a clients sphere of influence is about identifying and working within the boundaries where one CAN control and effect change, set goals, and make a difference in their own lives or the lives of others.

Whenever I speak to students, I often draw their attention to this model when they convey a problem or conflict going on in their lives.

Highschool students will come to me and say,

“I just don’t have enough experience in this field, but I really want to try. I think I’d really enjoy it. Should I apply for this job?”

In these situations, I explain that at the core of the sphere is YOU; your own bubble where you can control ONLY YOU. You see the more we focus on what we can control, the more likely we are to reach our goals, whether that be friendship, overcoming fears or even a new job.

In the middle, is what we can influence. These are the aspects of the situation where you can communicate our feelings, study more, ask for help writing a resume, give the boss a call and express your interest. All things we can do. Note: we cant control what others DO with our actions, but we can certainly influence their decision in a way that we choose.

The outer circle are the aspects of situations where often students stress the most. What will the boss think of my resume? What will my friends think? Maybe the boss has reorganised the staff/management systems. These are the thoughts and stresses that should be ignored. 

See, back in 2020, for me there was no way I could control my diagnosis, the treatment, and the time I spent in hospital, BUT there was a way I could influence my body and mind in such a way as to promote healthy cell regeneration, get the rest I needed, and have a healthy mindset. I read books, I went to the gym, I got myself dressed every. single. day, and practised gratitude for my life.

“We live what we create”

My challenge to you is this. Use these tools as a transformative guide to navigate yourself through the fog that is some situations. These two coaching tools are designed to help readers gain a clearer understanding of their goals, emotions, and decision-making processes. Grounded in actionable insights, they serves as a valuable resource for those seeking to enhance self-awareness, make informed choices, and achieve meaningful growth in various aspects of their lives.

Make a commitment to yourself today.

Much love xx

victoria psaltis