When is the last time you asked for permission for something? You would probably have to go back to being in grade school or high school, right? Once you get into the workplace, there is an expectation that you stop asking for permission and you do what needs to be done. There is even a saying that says “ask for forgiveness, instead of permission.” This means that you should take risks and try things without asking someone and having them tell you it is alright to do it.
I am not sure if it is because we grew up asking for permission, it is a hard thing to change in your mind sometimes. You may feel guilty because you should follow the rules that someone else set up or follow a process that was put in place. What I have come to realize is that these feelings of guilt may just be a sign of those old behaviors and thoughts. Maybe you feel like you are trying to live up to expectations that others have of you or that you have of yourself.
When you are an adult you should be able to make your own decisions and do what you want. So why do we fall victim to these old behaviors at times? Are we afraid? Do we need external validation to make decisions or to tell us it is alright to do something?
What if you just decided to give yourself permission to do what you think is right instead? No one else needs to do this for you. Brene Brown, best-selling author and researcher gives herself permission by writing a permission slip on a post it note and putting it in her pocket. It helps her feel brave and strong enough to do something hard, be who she wants to be in that moment or show up differently than others would expect. Maybe this simple act of writing it down is enough to trigger a change in your mind and give yourself permission.
What would you like to give yourself permission to do? What permission do you need to give yourself to show up differently? Take the opportunity to move past the guilt you may be feeling and do what you want to do instead. You can be creating new possibilities for yourself simply by giving yourself permission to go get them!