Focus on Signals

‘I feel off, but nothing is technically wrong.’

It’s a sentence I hear many people say with a shrug, as if it doesn’t deserve much airtime. Yet that vague sense of 'off' is one of the clearest signals you’ll ever receive. It’s not dramatic but it is meaningful. Something is asking for your attention.

Often, this signal shows up when you’re going through the motions. You log on, do what’s required and log off again. You’re reliable, capable and quietly detached. Meetings blur into one another; you contribute just enough not to be noticed. From the outside, everything looks fine. On the inside, things feel dull, heavy and flat. You tell yourself you should be grateful but the signal doesn’t go away.

This is where creating space matters. When you pause long enough to listen, that feeling starts to make sense. With coaching, you reconnect with what really matters to you, not what you’ve been maintaining out of habit or expectation. You gain clarity on whether your role needs reshaping or whether it’s time for a bigger change.

Energy returns when your effort has clarity of direction. The work doesn’t just fill time; it aligns with purpose. The signal was never a problem to fix, it was guidance. When you focus on it, you give yourself permission to shift, rather than stay stuck in ‘fine’.

Focus on Signals. Focus on Why.

REFLECTION WITH ACTION: Where do you feel quietly ‘off’ even though everything looks fine? Identify one area where you’re going through the motions and ask yourself: If I listened to this signal, what small change could I make this week to add more meaning or direction? Choose one action and commit to it.