I talk a lot about the power we all have inside us to achieve our wildest goals. Once we begin to feel this power, a raging fire ignites within us and we finally feel empowered to GO FOR what our hearts have been longing for.
But what about when the initial superwoman sense of “F Yeah!” wears off, and the magnitude of our goal paralyzes us?
If you've hit this roadblock, my friend, please know that THIS IS NORMAL.
Your hesitation, paralysis or sudden lack of motivation is NOT a sign that you aren’t qualified to reach your goal.
It’s overwhelm.
And that little voice of doubt inside LOVES moments when we feel overwhelmed, because it’s in the moments when we’re doubting ourselves, that the voice can swoop in and say “See? It’s all too much! I told you there was no way you could do this!”
Wham! It’s like a punch in the gut.
And it happens to every single one of us at some point (or many points) in our journey toward what we so deeply want.
Sadly, this is the point where most people give up. They take the overwhelm as “evidence” that they don’t have what it takes. They throw in the towel and decide it’s easier to go back to the way things have always been, than to remain in this uncomfortable place of unfamiliarity and overwhelm.
But not us.
No, sister, not us.
We know that this moment of not knowing what to do next – this point of overwhelm - is normal. It’s part of GROWING outside of what is comfortable. It’s part of stretching ourselves further than we’ve stretched before. And it is by living THROUGH this feeling that we will find our goal.
So when we’re frozen with overwhelm or indecision, what do we do?
We pause. We take some time to reflect and honor ourselves for how far we’ve come in our journey toward our dreams, even if we’ve only taken one small step. Even if we took two steps backwards after that first step.
Having the courage to take even one step toward our goals is something to celebrate.
And then?
Then we take the next small step. Nothing more. Just the next small step.
We don’t have to know the entire route from New York to California when we set out driving. We just have to know where we are and where we want to go. Then we plug the destination into our GPS and follow the first set of instructions - “In 4 miles turn left.” And after those 4 miles we follow the next instructions, “In 6 miles, turn right…” and on and on until we reach sunny Cali!
Our goals are no different!
Sure, we can map out our steps, and we can follow those steps toward the end, but there will always be detours.
That’s the fun of taking the next small step and staying open to what comes next. We don’t have to have it all figured out!
Our journey toward our goals becomes an exciting (and yes, sometimes scary) adventure, instead of a monumental list of steps that may or may not feel right in the moment, or worse, a list of steps that overwhelms us into paralysis.
So, my friend, take the next small step that feels right today, and stay open to what comes next.
Set your goal in the GPS of your heart, and take the next small step, enjoying each moment of the journey, celebrating every small victory along the way.
And when you hit a roadblock, which we all do, don’t throw in the towel. Don’t let the voice win. Just reroute.
Reroute and take the next small step.
Because that detour might just lead you to achieve more than you ever dreamed you could.
Life is an adventure, not a to-do list. Every adventure has setbacks. Yes, the goal is what keeps us moving forward, but the joy is in the journey. The excitement is in not knowing, not having it all figured out. The fun is in letting our hearts lead, knowing without a doubt that we can handle whatever comes our way.
And celebrating that next small step. Over and over again.
Xx Jen
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