Life Changers: Sally Harrison’s Story – Sallying Forth

Sally Harrison (no relation) is a Certified executive coach, consultant and trusted advisor to organizations and individuals, with twenty plus years’ experience in Executive Leadership, Performance and Change Management as well as Talent Management Strategy.  You can follow her on Twitter @sallyingforth, or check out the blog section of http://brandywineconsultants.com. She is also an avid lacrosse fan/team mother (former) for Army Black Knights Lacrosse (West Point), where one of her sons played defensive long stick when he was a cadet.  Sally has a special place in her heart for her other son’s beautiful Portuguese Water Dog, her grand-puppy Leonidis. She also enjoys the outdoors and spending time sailing, skiing, hiking, and gardening.

Man knows himself only to the extent that he knows the world;
he becomes aware of himself only within the world,
and aware of the world only within himself.
Every object, well contemplated opens up a new organ of perception within us.

~ Goethe

Apparently I’ve always had an independent streak. My mother tells me that I literally threw my bottle across the room at a very young age. I guess I had had enough!

Not that I was a total rebel. Although I’ve always managed to be polite and considerate, have good manners and play nice, I have also followed my own path.” Sallying forth” I now call it. As a seasoned executive coach and management consultant, I have learned that change and the ability to learn and adapt nimbly is paramount to success.

I dared not to listen to:

• The misguided guidance counselor who could not see the forest through the trees and told me to basically lower my aspirations.
• The college who did not offer the major that I wanted (30+ years later it’s considered cutting edge)
• An industry publishing pro who told me that people would never pay $15 for career/resume prep services
• Those who thought it insane that I volunteered to be a guinea pig for genetic testing back in the 80’s (part of an experimental pilot program in DNA mapping)
• My then boss who thought I was crazy for wanting the flexibility to work from home to better juggle a dual career and raising children
• Other corporate partners who did not embrace my pension for a holistic approach to professional development

So, how can my life changing experiences change your life?

CHANGE YOUR DAY

Attitude is everything, and should be examined daily. Think about a challenge that you are facing today: is something not working they way you wished that it would? Move out of you comfort zone (just a little) and try something different, a way that you have not yet tried.

CHANGE YOUR WEEK

Have a personal week of learning – for the next 7 days, look to learn something new each day, even if it is just one little fact. Then share what you learned with someone else. The goal is to spend a week practicing intellectual curiosity and willingness to keep an open mind.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Spend more time listening to your intuition and less time listening to the critics. You might not always know where it will lead, but the journey will be more rewarding. And most importantly, it will be YOUR journey.