Why Can't You Take the Next Steps?

Why don’t you feel ready???Perhaps you’ve just reached the point where you have started?to do something different or are about?to launch?a business.??Congratulations!

And you know that taking those next steps could mean turning the corner to get closer to what you truly want.

But even with all that time and attention devoted to this new adventure,?you don’t feel ready.

Now what????

The answer to this question?can make a sea change of difference in your life!

So, let’s begin to peel this back and?see if we can make some sense of it…..

When we start to think about?change or begin to step toward what we want from our life or our business, our thoughts and actions begin to change and our mind knows this is new.

But there is a truth that, at least for me, makes it a lot easier to take that next step forward.

You’ll never be completely ready for that next big step in life.

It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try — quite the opposite. You should take those steps forward even though you don’t feel completely ready.

One caveat though — it’s alright to make sure that you are mentally and otherwise prepared enough. You don’t need to feel like you have to push yourself super hard to do things that deep down you know you really aren’t ready for.

I’m talking about the times when we’ve prepared as best we can but are still letting our fear keep us from taking action.

If nobody ever stepped forward through their fears, we wouldn’t accomplish anything in life. All of the most exceptional people throughout history were at some point thought to be crazy for moving forward.

In many cases, the same will happen to you, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.

You get better at overcoming fear the more you do it.

“I don’t know what to do with my life!” If you find yourself saying this, you’re not alone. It’s common for people to get to a point where they feel stuck or directionless. It can result from poor decision making or an inability to make decisions at all.?

“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.” -Oriah Mountain Dreamer

This state of not knowing what to do next applies to a lot of people, at any age and at different times in your life.

Whether we are graduating high school, choosing our career path, recovering from a heartbreak, being made redundant, or entering retirement, we all have a point in our lives where we may not know what to do next.

The answers or solutions we seek vary according to where we are at in our lives.

A young graduate will focus on answering this question in relation to their future and choosing the right career. A person starting retirement will ask the question in the hope of doing something that has value in their life. A young mother recently divorced will be asking this question in the hope that she can find an answer that will enable her to survive another day.

Indecision is no fun

Does figuring out what to wear to a party put you into a tailspin? Do you become paralyzed when trying to decide whether or not to take that new job? Struggling with indecision is like being stuck in the mud. It’s just no fun. Famous psychologist and philosopher William James said, “There is no more miserable human being than one in whom nothing is habitual but indecision.”

Don’t worry, though. Making decisions might be difficult sometimes. But like any skill, you can get better at it with practice.

Why is making decisions so hard?

Fear of making the wrong decision is one of the reasons that many people hesitate when faced with a choice. You may be afraid of failure or even the consequences of success. You may worry what other people will think about you. Perfectionism may be getting in your way.

And you might be out of practice, especially if you haven’t made many big decisions in your life.

So, let’s work on why you really ARE?ready even thought it?hasn’t felt that way!

Let’s take all that experience you were able to identify and add the secret ingredient of helping or?serving others in your own special way.

Now can you see how ready you really are?

Recognize all of what you have to offer.

You aren’t a fraud.

You’re just scared.

It’s natural.

Don’t let your head play tricks on you.??

Don’t let the fear guide you.

Summon up your confidence from all you know how to do.?Add those other accomplishments?you are trying to implement.

And then realize how much you have to give.

Know that you are ready!

And finally, just start somewhere!?Take action….it will make your fear disappear.

Ready, set, go!

I hope this exercise worked for you!?This is a process I use with my own coaching clients – and we often go through this in several sessions.?

So, if you haven’t had any immediate “aha’s”, have patience….sometimes it just takes going through it a few more times and writing things down so you can come back to them.?Sometimes it simply has to sink in –?we don’t often readily believe the great things about ourselves and the fact that we are ready to tackle anything!?

If you still need some help, you can always reach out to me by?leaving a comment or?sending me a note at [email protected].

And just for taking the time to read this,?I’d like to offer you a free best-selling digital book at?Abundance Mindset.

Let me know what you learned about yourself as you read through this exercise.?

Tell me some of your wonderful strengths and what others have to say about you.

Finally, accept the power of “good enough,” especially if you tend to be a perfectionist. None of us can achieve perfection all of the time.