This time last year, I shared the story of how a few years earlier, after moving back to my house for the third time, thrown into bankruptcy, a break up and wildly painful decisions I found myself in tears, sitting on the same couch looking out at the same broken fence. GROUNDHOG DAY. 

Wondering how it was possible that after all my hard work, everything I’d navigated, all I’d poured my heart into… I was in the exact same place when everything was supposed to be different?

The longer I sat there, the more overwhelmed and angry I became at the thought of fixing that fence and starting over… again. 

As I wrestled my stories, my past and all the should haves and could haves … something happened.

And in that kind of lightening bolt clarity, that comes only once in a while… I realized that yes, I was in the exact same place as I’d been what felt like a million times before but I was not the same person anymore.

I got up, put on my rubber boots, rummaged through the garage and found small sledgehammer, nails and some courage.

Stomped into the back yard, grabbed whatever wood that I could find and piece by piece, I fixed that fence and changed my story.

Over time that patched together fence stopped being an embarrassing reflection of my failures and instead became a symbol of my strength and tenacity. It worked well enough, while I focused on taking care of business and gathering resources.

Until this summer when my young, resident bear climbed over it and crushed my make-shift fence. So, I made the call, waited a few weeks for the fence guys to come and in one day I had a brand spanking new, beautiful fence – just like that.

But here’s what we know in our hearts to be true. That fence didn’t take one day to build. It didn’t happen just like that! 

The new fence is the Instagram worthy photo and part of the highlight real. It’s about 2% of the story.

The real journey and the story that matters took about 5 years. It involved some tough times and getting real, wrangling stories, showing up differently, cultivating courage, building capacity, learning new skills, knowing what to focus on, making strategic decisions and taking imperfect action (with and without a hammer).

When I read what Marlene Lowden recently shared about The DDA Method and working together, I thought about my fence.

“The last time I spoke to Leah, I told her that the freedom and clarity that I feel on a day to day basis, with my art practice, our business finances and long term goals are largely due to the work that I’ve done with her over the past few years. We did an exercise at her recent retreat, one where she asked us to write down all that we dreamed of for our future. I honestly already have what I wrote on that paper (minus the waterfront kickass studio, but I’m patient)! “

Marlene did the work with grace and courage. It took time. And now she is living the dream she once had and you betcha – she’ll have her waterfront studio soon.

YES, you absolutely can create and experience the life and work that you most desire. And NO, it doesn’t have to take 5 years to build your new fence. It also doesn’t always have to be so hard.

You can shift your experience by choice in a heart beat and start experiencing more freedom and joy immediately, while step by step re-defining, designing and aligning your world. And you don’t have to do it alone. In fact, you can’t do it on your own. Just ask anyone who has a life and work they love. One of the first things they will talk about are the amazing people who’ve got their back.

It is also so much easier when you have a proven road map and path to follow.

Which is precisely what The DDA Method Foundation Training Series is all about.

The format is structured yet flexible because I know how full your life is! 

At the end of The DDA Method Foundation Training Series you will have:   

• A proven methodology to transform any area of your business, work and life.
• A profoundly simple planning method to add more ease and joy into your life.
• A strategic Road Map to launch into 2019 with absolute clarity in your goals and priorities.
• Cleared the distractions and stories that have been blocking your path.
• Identified the systems and support you need to get things done faster and easier.
• Crafted your CEO schedule by drilling your big vision down into powerful daily actions.
• Implemented new habits and determined the benchmarks for success on your terms.

I can’t promise you flying unicorns and gold at the end of the rainbow! 

But I can guarantee that if you show up and do the work you’ll step into becoming the driving force in your work and thrive in your life.  And when life happens (which it will), you’ll know exactly how to navigate, decision make and take action with confidence, integrity and ease.

And if that’s how you define success then The DDA Method Foundation Training is for you.

If you have questions, send an email to leah@leahgoard.com! 

Here’s to new fences and making the journey so much richer and easier.