Given it's a new year there's a high chance you have made some sort of commitment to yourself recently. Maybe it's toward a goal that will require big change. Deciding on the goal, is often times the easy part, maybe it's even a natural progression. But starting.....well that's a different story. As the saying goes 'easier said than done'. You do your research and set yourself up to succeed. It all feels natural, it feels good. Then something changes. As the date draws nearer to the official start (change) date, you panic. Then your panic manifests into doubt, very likely driven by fear.
Big goals require big commitment and big fear = nagging self doubt. Starting can be the hardest part. Take a step back and you will notice there's a lot of wasted negative emotion involved. Sure there are times in life when big goals, lead to changes that don't net the results you want. But, these instances are less frequent than your successes. The truth is, you may well be experiencing a lot of misplaced fear and doubt.
What to do about it? The first step is most certainly awareness. Understanding that what you're feeling isn't an accurate reflection of the likely outcome. Even more important is the second step - gathering momentum. You've already set the wheels in motion - now it's time to honor them.
You know yourself intimately. Your dreams, your passions, your true desires. Your goals are not random. They are an expression of your unique self. Planning to bring them into fruition is empowering. Starting the process to bring them forth even moreso. That's how momentum gets going. Wait starting is empowering? Why am I so scared? (clue, you are human).
The good news is, you don't need to do much to shift the gears from scared to excited. It comes down to momentum. Momentum is the enemy of fear and doubt. It might not feel as strong emotionally, but like a snowball it gathers pace and force. It is capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Or at least steam rolling over fear and doubt along the way! How do you gain momentum? It takes one small step and then another. That is it. Simple.
What I've learned is this. Momentum is the fuel to the fire when it comes to creating your ideal life. So just start. START. Take that first step. Before you know it your goal will be closer in sight and you will be riding those empowering waves.
BTW, as usual this post was inspired by what's going on in my own life. This weekend I start yoga teacher training. I can think of a boat load of reasons not to start this journey. Despite them all, I took the first step - I got online and made the commitment. And while I'm still a little nervous with every passing day my excitement is growing. I know in my heart it's right for me. And so it shall be.
START.
