When we choose to change

It was 8.30am in Hong Kong I was on my way to our first meeting of the day and was just catching in with my wife on the phone, (It was time to choose to change)

“I have seen a house, can I look at it?” She said.

I was away on business in China with colleagues; the trip was three weeks. My wife was at home with our year one old son and had decided to visit her mother in Scotland.

With the time difference, we had fallen into the routine of speaking at opposite ends of the day

She was excited.  “I have seen it from the outside, and looked in the windows; it’s fantastic lots of potential.”

Being cool I said, “Ok Yes look at it, and long as you take someone with you and not your Mother.”

I had a vision of the pair of them walking around this house placing the furniture and deciding to buy it before they had walked out of the door.

A simple conversation and a chain reaction.

What is amazing is that simple conversation started a chain reaction for my family and I. It saw me leave the corporate world to find a new life in Scotland and opening up a world of opportunity.

We had been looking for a new home since the birth of our son, the attractions of London life had gone. But I had not expected the move would be 600 miles, a change of life and career.

My wife did the house tour with a surveyor who pointed out all the issues as she walked around. The property was a four bedroom stone built house by a river in a little town 23 miles east of Inverness.

I knew we would buy the house

Over the next two weeks in China, I was in supplier meetings discussing business by day, and overnight catching up with developments at home. I remember sitting in an internet cafe in HK looking at pictures of the house and the location. By the end of the first week, I knew we would buy the house and that I would not be completing on the business contracts I was negotiating. As I stepped on the plane to come home, the house offer letter was into the solicitors. On walking back into the office on Monday, I said to my boss.

“China was great lots to talk about, and by the way, Cheryl has bought a house in Scotland, and I will be leaving.”

So why am I telling the story, why is it so interesting? Well, it is about making that leap into transition and the unknown. I had been working for the same company for 20 years, seen it grow from a few million in sales to nearly 20 million. The company was a big part of my history and life. I was bored, but now life was about the energy of change.

New beginnings bring new energy

Life in that company had always been safe, it was an easy environment to work in, then in my 40th year, I was about to embark on a new journey a new chapter in my life.

Yes there was fear

There was fear, but what was surprising was the release of energy, it came in the waves, there was a tremendous excitement. Was it possible we could buy a house in such a beautiful location? Yes, it was! The drive and passion that was unleashed to meet that goal were greater than the sum of our parts.

Yes, It took six months to complete. Yes, there was a roller coaster of emotions, but we made it happen.

When you choose to change the magic can happen?

So I guess this post is about change, significant change. Because when you identify a significant change in your life, embrace it, launch into it and see what happens. It will release an enormous amount of energy. As we break the old patterns, we create opportunity, and at that moment magic can happen.

What made the difference for us was stepping into the unknown,

Once we had decided, we were going to do it, there was a graceful transition between working and living in London to the process of moving our entire home and family to Scotland.

Even once I arrive in Scotland there was no clear plan; it was just move, fix the house and see what happens. Within six months I was offered freelance work, and one thing lead into another.

Success and Stepping Up.

So was the move successful, it depends on how you define success. Did we become millionaires? No, we did not. That was not the overall objective. We were looking for more community; A place to bring up a young son in an environment that was child-friendly and safe. We found it.

I was looking to be a hands-on father, I did that, working from home I was there for the important milestones. He went to a community school, I saw the school plays and did the birthday parties.

We are 12 years on, and my son turned 14 last year, and he does not need me like he did. (Apart from his taxi driver). It has not been an easy journey but that said we are still her are having fun, and sometimes it is not.

I Choose to Change again

Change is needed a new burst of energy; I will go into why in another post. The point is now is the time for another new beginning, time to stop playing small, because if I want to make a mark in this world and achieve my life purpose, I need to look towards the bigger vision, that means taking my skills and experience and using them to impact more people.

So 2017 is the year that I step up. I am moving my business into a new phase I am building a team, and we will walk into the unknown and see what happens. I will speak more of change in the coming weeks.

What would be a leap for you in your life or business in 2017

How do we step up and out of the comfort zone?

I will be talking about this with Anthony Dexmier next week.

All the best for the year ahead

Paul Harvey

PS. I have scheduled a Free Webinar on Tuesday 17th Jan at 10 am with Anthony Dexmier

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