Drop the baggage

Are you an overpacker or an underpacker? My other half and I often go on UK-based self-catering holidays, our baggage limited only by what we can fit in our car.

My classic overpacking item is a bulging bag of worthy, non-fiction books I’ve been meaning to read. It always travels there and back without being touched. I end up just reading novels on my kindle!

A different sort of baggage

I recently had a coaching conversation with Rachel*, an HR leader who’s joined a new organisation. She’d noticed some poor leadership behaviour which she wanted to address, but she was worried about rocking the boat, especially so soon into her new job.

As we talked, it became clear that she felt supported and trusted in her new company and she was usually confident taking a stand. However, she’d had a very different experience in her previous role where there was a culture of blame and retribution.

We realised she was carrying her fear of getting it wrong from her previous company to her new one. Her head was telling her she was safe and trusted and could take risks, but her body was telling her to play safe.

When I asked her what would happen if she dropped the baggage of fear from her previous career experience, she was clear what she would do. She would take a stand in confronting the relevant leader, whilst managing her risk by consulting with her manager first.

Wired for self-preservation

Our brain predicts what happens next based on our past experiences. If those experiences have triggered anxiety or fear, then our brain fast-tracks those to our memory banks – our hippocampus, specifically – to help us to avoid a similar threat in the future.

This strategy has been great for our self-preservation as human-beings, but often surplus to requirements when the situation we are in has changed. 

Drop your baggage

What fears or other emotional baggage are you carrying which are holding you back from realising your aspirations? What would be possible if you left them behind?  

When I followed up with Rachel to see how she was getting on, she shared, “I’ve been focusing on getting rid of baggage and feel far more comfortable with where I’m going.”

I’ve come across this very apt quote to end on, though I can’t seem to find the original source : “Leave your fears behind. They won’t be useful where we’re headed.” 

*Rachel is a fictional leader based on real-life clients