I first heard John O’Donohue’s For a New Beginning when I was attending the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara going through my executive coaching certification, and it has held a special place in my heart. O’Donohue beautifully captures the essence of transition — the quiet, transformative moments that often weave around outward change.
As we embrace the New Year, O’Donohue’s poem offers timeless wisdom on growth and renewal—two vital themes for navigating change and uncertainty. Reflecting on my work with leaders and organizations amidst transformation, I see this as an opportunity to explore five key themes inspired by his words.
1. The Call to Change
“In out-of-the-way places of the heart,
Where your thoughts never think to wander,
This beginning has been quietly forming,
Waiting until you were ready to emerge.”
We are seeing so much change in the world and inside organizations. Change is constant. Yet, change within us often begins in silence, in the unnoticed spaces of our inner world. As we reflect on the past year, we may recognize the subtle shifts that have been preparing us for something new. It’s often in these uncomfortable moments, there is the most learning. It’s the tragedies in our lives that define us. They are the fence posts on which the rest of our lives hang. The world is a beautiful, resilient place. In coaching, we explore these hidden desires with our clients and allow them to surface, nurturing readiness for the next steps.
2. Letting Go of the Familiar
“For a long time it has watched your desire,
Feeling the emptiness growing inside you,
Noticing how you willed yourself on,
Still unable to leave what you had outgrown.”
The New Year invites us to acknowledge what we’ve outgrown. Whether it’s habits, roles, or mindsets, the allure of safety and sameness can hold us back. Sometimes it keeps us stuck – stuck in toxic cultures, companies or with terrible managers. How can we start to shift habitual behaviroal patterns that are not serving us anymore? How can we reframe negative thoughts or beliefs that no longer serving us? These familiar patters impede our growth. In the coaching process, we explore this tension, helping our clients navigate the delicate balance between honoring their past and embracing their future.
3. Cultivating Courage
“Then the delight, when your courage kindled,
And out you stepped onto new ground,
Your eyes young again with energy and dream,
A path of plenitude opening before you.”
Every beginning requires courage. In moments of uncertainty, it’s natural to hesitate. Yet, as O’Donohue reminds us, stepping onto new ground brings renewed vitality and possibility. Leaders often face the challenge of stepping into uncharted territory—whether it’s taking on a new role, driving transformation in their organization, or redefining their leadership style. The New Year is an ideal time to reconnect with dreams that may have been dormant and to chart a course for what’s next. In coaching, we focus on fostering this courage by identifying core strengths, reframing limiting beliefs, and cultivating the mindset necessary to embrace growth. This work helps our clients approach new opportunities with clarity and confidence, rekindling their vision and energy for the road ahead.
4. Trusting the Unknown
“Though your destination is not yet clear
You can trust the promise of this opening;
Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning
That is at one with your life’s desire.”
Trusting the unknown can feel counterintuitive. We are conditioned within our organizations to plan meticulously, control outcomes, and anticipate risks. Yet, transitions—whether they involve stepping into a new role, launching an initiative, or navigating industry disruption—demand a different skill: the ability to embrace ambiguity. This is an increasingly more important skill for leaders in today’s organizations.
In our coaching, we work with our clients to reframe uncertainty as opportunity. Instead of focusing on what’s unclear or beyond control, we work on developing trust in their ability to adapt, embrace, and thrive. This trust comes from self-awareness, clarity of values, and confidence in the vision they’re striving toward.
Trusting the unknown also requires letting go of the need for perfection or certainty and leaning into curiosity. What can be learned from this moment? How might unexpected outcomes lead to innovation or growth? In coaching, we explore these questions, encouraging clients to see ambiguity not as a threat but as fertile ground for creativity, bold decision-making, and transformative change.
By cultivating this mindset, leaders not only navigate the unknown more effectively but also model courage and resilience for their teams, fostering an environment where others feel empowered to take risks, innovate, and grow alongside them.
5. Finding Rhythm in Change
“Awaken your spirit to adventure;
Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk;
Soon you will home in a new rhythm,
For your soul senses the world that awaits you.”
As the New Year unfolds, we are invited to approach life with a spirit of adventure, embracing risk and growth as natural companions. Change can feel scary at first, but with time, a new rhythm emerges. We can accept it as a way of life – it will help us to move through it and move our teams through it. Coaching supports this process, helping individuals align their actions with their aspirations. Coaching helps leaders identify strategies to find equilibrium during change and transition, whether they’re scaling operations, managing cultural shifts, or facing market uncertainties. By developing emotional agility and learning to lean into calculated risks, leaders can create an environment of trust and adaptability for themselves and their teams.
For a New Beginning reminds us that the New Year is not just a change in the calendar but an invitation to awaken, to step boldly into what’s next, and to trust the process of becoming. As we navigate transitions, let this poem be a guide and a reminder that even in uncertainty, the promise of a fulfilling path lies ahead. Don’t be tempted to rush through times of uncertainty and discomfort or dismiss emotions. Instead, embrace and sit still with those feelings, which may be exactly what is needed. It is within the discomfort that the most profound learning often begins.
Melanie brings a dynamic journey that blends the experience of working across many organizations from startups to Fortune 50 in various industries with the strategic wisdom of three decades in C-level roles in Organizational Development and HR. Her mission is to ignite her clients’ leadership prowess and help them unleash their full potential. She’s worn the hats of both the entrepreneur and the executive, giving her a profound understanding of the challenges and triumphs in these worlds. She understands the urgency, agility, and innovation needed to thrive in this ecosystem.
She is coaching leaders and their teams in organizations such as CVS Health, Microsoft, Fresenius Medical Care, ServiceNow, Johnson & Johnson, Amdocs, Accenture, Amdocs, Checkpoint, Centrical, and Cedar.
