Angela Lijmbach – Create Your Vision

Angela is married to Wouter and has three studying children: two sons of 19 years old and a daughter of 18. And also a Golden Retriever of 12 years old. She coaches organizations in the field of strategy, organizational and leadership development. Angela: “I love change and challenge. Reducing complex things to the core and working and living from the whole: connecting head, heart, belly and hands.” She also does energy work: consciously managing your own energy, reading energy and the exchange of energy between people.

“What fascinates me is that this plays out in all sorts of areas. In Yoga, for example, you work with the different postures on the flow of energy in your body. I also like sports, running or skiing also gives me energy, but on a different physical level.”

Angela’s first trail went to Botswana. During a knowledge network meeting Erna ter Weele told about leadership and the trails of FNL.
“I had a strong feeling at the time that I had to go and do such a trail as well. Without knowing exactly why. I was looking for a different way of knowing. During the trail I learned to observe more intuitively and I came to my inner knowing, the non-cognitive.”

2021 year is the year of change for Angela: from substantive consulting work to facilitating and guiding organisation and employees in their development and growing self-awareness: “organisations grow when people grow”.  The reason for Angela to participate in Create your Vision was this change. “Moreover, I am interested in ‘slowing down to accelerate”. The right side of the ‘U’ is about crystallizing, prototyping and scaling up what you have to do. That fascinates me, how do you do that? And how do you accelerate, after you have slowed down?

Ultimately, this leads to better performance, but it is difficult. It is the same physically: interval training is more difficult than just running through it. In business life it is also easier to keep on running, but it does not lead to excellent performance, creativity and fun.’

Angela wanted to make the step from substantive consulting work to facilitating and guiding organizations and employees in their development. I’m a do-er: get cracking. But it’s all about slowing down by reflecting and feeling whether you’re still on the right track. ‘

“We met three times for a day with a group of 7 people. Two facilitators: Bernet Elzinga and Abel Boor. It is mainly a program aimed at old trail participants.”

“Beforehand, you already have a project, something you want to work with: what you have to do. After the trail you usually have good intentions or concrete actions in mind. You get to work with those, with what you have to do. So it’s more than an action list.”

In these three days you start by exploring the project or what you have to do. Then it becomes more concrete, more action-oriented and you start to further crystallize your idea and make it a reality. 

Angela experienced Create your Vision as a great program. You take time and space to look at what you have to do from different perspectives. And to feel each time if it is right for you. “For example, each of us has put the project in space and then looked at it from different perspectives: if you are halfway there, if you are still far away, if you are close, … And to explore; how does it feel? What comes up in you?  Or to look at your inner team: what gives you energy? Where are your doubts? Where are your fears?”

“But also: what values are really important to you? And what are your sources?”

The group consisted of like-minded people, everyone had done a trail before and was used to working intuitively. Angela: ‘It was very inspiring, also with each other. We had solos, exercises in pairs and campfire conversations.’

The location was in the nature of the Kennemer Duinen. Just like in the trails, nature was a source of inspiration. What can nature teach you? 

In short, they were varied experiences and interventions. ‘In my opinion, a very good follow-up to a trail. For people who have a concrete theme or idea they want to work on. Everyone really took concrete steps. Create Your Vision can help you to stay on track, to make the intention from the trail more robust and sustainable. Am I still on track? What will my next steps be?’

Angela has gained some new insights. “I have explored my family lines, including the artists on my mother’s side. I got more connected to the creative family lines and therefore to my own creativity. My own perfectionism was getting in the way of my creativity.” The program also inspires her to stick to her choices and not be tempted to keep following her old pattern. “I hold on to my own values: humanity, wisdom, playfulness and courage.”