If you’ve ever met me in person, you likely have seen me carting along a 32 oz glass mason jar of water. It’s a little ridiculous, but I don’t like feeling thirsty. I’ve done it for so long that I don’t even think about it; it’s just part of what I do.
It all started when plastic water bottles were bad for you…and every water bottle that I owned had a lid that leaked. It drove me batty, so one day, I put some water in a mason jar, screwed the lid on tight, threw it in my purse and went about my day.
Something about it just worked.
A good container means everything.
When we think about containers, we often think of water bottles or tupperware, or the cute little paperclip holders we keep on our desks. (I definitely do not, but some people do!) We think of the reusable grocery bags we take to the store, or the storage tubs we keep in the basement. We use containers for everything.
Containers hold stuff.
Containers keep things contained. (Especially if the lid doesn’t fricking leak!)
Containers signal to us what we can expect lives inside of it, in one way or another.
Containers help us know when we’ve reached capacity, and either need to reduce what we’re working with or move to a bigger container.
And just like I needed a mason jar to hold the amount of water I like to drink on a regular basis, people need containers to hold us and our energy as well.
Relationship agreements are a container.
Job descriptions are a container.
Certain kinds of diets/eating plans are a container.
Any sort of “5-day challenge” is a container.
Change always happens within a well-constructed container.
Why?
A container exists to provide the structure for energy to flow. The container includes intentions, expectations, agreements, and any other details that are necessary for all people involved to know what’s what.
When the container is clearly defined and you commit to it, you just show up and do the work. The work gives the energy a place to go.
The clarity of the commitment makes it a safe place to change. (Because if you show up and do the work you’ve committed to, you can’t help but change.)
If something in your life isn’t moving, it’s because it’s not being held by a clear container for it.
Whether that’s the number on the scale or a big dream you’ve been thinking about forever, if there isn’t structure to support the energy to move, the energy that you put into thinking about it doesn’t have anywhere to go. (That’s when doubt sinks in big time…”Maybe I just wasn’t meant to have this.”)
You can build your own container, or you can use someone else’s. Either way, you want to make sure of two things. The first is that the intention behind the container really matches what you want for yourself, otherwise, you’ll resist the work like crazy, or it won’t get you where you want to go. The second is that you have accountability. (If you’re doing something new, it’s always a good idea to be sharing what you’re up to with at least one other person.)
Pro-tip: containers aren’t for punishment.
I’ve built a lot of powerful containers in my time. I do it for myself and my coaching clients all the time. Containers are a place to see what’s possible, not to bully ourselves into doing things better, or to suck less. Build a container that offers you possibility, not punishment, and you’ll be much happier with the results.
Oh, and if you’d like some help to set up a container to help you create what you’ve been wanting to create, I can do that. Just send me a message and we can set something up.
Here’s to us all having the containers that have us feel supported (and hydrated)!