“Life will only change when you become more committed to your dreams than you are your comfort zone”  - Billy Cox

- Get UP! Move!

- Move from what?

- Move from that comfort zone!  Because you know what you need to do to move forward, but you're scared and only doing just enough to get by when you can be doing something extraordinary to reach on to the High!  You hear what I’m sayin! MOVE YOURSELF!  I know right now jumping into it  you’re scared, you’re afraid, you can’t see the outcome, your mind is telling you ‘what if I can’t’… I get it.  But once you jump into it, you create an experience that can take you farther than you could even imagine.  I’m telling you… You Have to MOVE, You Have to GET IT because if not then somebody else will and that’s...your... Opportunity...TAKE IT, EMBRACE IT, CREATE IT AND GO GET IT!

Testimony of a Former Teacher

That struggle right there was what I was facing on the last day of school.  I wanted more.  I wanted to be challenged.  But most of all, I wanted my voice to be heard and for my talents to be utilized to the fullest potential.  I realized on that last day of school that I was not going to get there pushing that pencil.  So  I began to ponder… then what can I do?  All I know is education.  I can’t see myself in another role.  WOW… right there, that very moment, my mindset had already chosen for me.  So I had to re-route my GPS to a state of an extraordinary mindset. 

Reroute Your GPS

You might wonder what was the point of that dialogue you read in the introduction.  Yes, dialogue.  It’s the dialogue I had and maybe you’ve had lately between you and your mindset.  It’s time to reroute your GPS!  When you choose to reroute and move, you create the possibilities of what you want to pursue.  This means determining next steps, structuring your daily activities, mindfulness and ultimately happiness.  Making choices that align with the course of your path creates a clear vision of the process and your extraordinary goal.  

Focus on the Process

So there I was on my couch trying to figure out what my next move was and it was staring me in the face.  I had subscribed to a teacher career coach that helped teachers land side gigs beyond the classroom.  One day I opened my email and saw that she had promoted IDOL courses Academy.  I actually saw two emails promoting the academy, ignored them both and then the third email made me curious.  What is this IDOL Courses thing about??  That day, the process began.  I sat on my couch, looked through everything I could find about IDOL, went to the Facebook Group Become an IDOL page, emailed questions, researched on how to become an IDOL and I was hooked.  Everything that I wanted was right there.  It did not take long before I clicked submit and started Cohort 7 in June 2021!  

The excitement was there and the chance of meeting new people in the IDOL Community was exhilarating, the fact that I was going to be mentored was amazing, and I was going to journey alongside some like-minded people who wanted the same thing I did… the list was endless, the possibilities were endless and the process had only just begun.  I spent my entire summer learning how to translate my teaching skills into becoming an IDOL, learning the language of an IDOL, building my portfolio, and immersing myself in my new career path.  I sacrificed a beautiful golden tan at the poolside for sitting at my dining room table and moving myself towards that extraordinary goal.  Believe me, the comfort level was off the chain but I had to get over that fear, I had to push myself, and I had to to move forward with the process.  

The E.G.G Method

Getting from A to B is a process.  You have A.1, A.2, A.3 and so on until you get to B, you follow me?  So how did I accomplish this?  I use what I like to call the E.G.G Method.  E.G.G stands for:

• ENCOURAGEMENT- be engaged in a positive community of like-minded people that will encourage and empower you to move yourself.
• GOAL SETTING - non-negotiable.  If you don’t have a goal then what’s the point?  Part of the process is to create an Extraordinary Goal and move forward in the process.
• GETTING IT DONE - When you put in the work and focus on the process, It Just Happens.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it” - Abraham Lincoln

The Extraordinary Goal

Make that extraordinary goal and move yourself!  So what’s holding you back?  Skills?  Knowledge?  When you have more time?  Well guess what, your mindset needs an overhaul.  Your mind is always going to convince you to turn around and re-route.  You have to decide that it’s your time to move.  Your dream job is waiting for you, but you have to move yourself or somebody else will.  Extraordinary people focus on the process and MOVE.  By focusing on the process, you’ll achieve the desired result.  What will you do?  

“What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything” - Vincent Van Gogh

Check out these blog posts by extraordinary fellow IDOL’s for a little inspiration:

 Teachers in Need of a New Career Path: Think Instructional Design

Kick Self-doubt to the Curb: Mindset Needed to Become an IDOL

Credentialed Program Options for Aspiring IDOLs

Written by: Cynthia Berry

Cynthia is an active member of IDOL courses Academy who landed her first ID role just 2 weeks after graduating from the IDOL Courses Academy as an Instructional Designer for higher-ed. She loves spending time with her family, nature-journaling, crocheting and spending time outdoors.  Connect with Cynthia on LinkedIn, or have a look at her portfolio.