Taking one step is like eating potato chips; you hard to stop at one. One step leads to a second step and soon you’re well on your way to accomplishing whatever you wanted to do in the first place. I have developed a few rules that help when tracking the progress you’re making.
- Keep a journal of each and every brave thing you do and the effect it had. Did it soar? Did it flop? Did that one step lead to three others you hadn’t thought of before?
- Have someone to cheer you on. A friend who won’t judge you is the best thing any of us can have. By telling him/her about the small steps you’re making, you’ve become accountable. Share the triumphs and the disappointments. Ask opinions—they might see a different way for you to accomplish your goal.
- No goal is silly—no idea for change is crazy. Just remember to stay within the laws of the land and of science. Don’t try parachuting from the top of the Empire State Building with a tablecloth.
- Form a support group. Cheer each other on. Take one or two steps during the week and report back to the group on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis.
- Don’t be afraid of failure. I have a sign over my computer, “Failure is God’s way of saying you’re moving in the wrong direction”. If one thing doesn’t work, try it another way, or in a different direction. While trying to get my son’s learning disabilities and ADHD diagnosed, my ex was amazed at how persistent I was. Whenever I ran into a wall, I would step back, collect myself, turn one way or another and run at the wall again, hoping this time to find the gate.
- Don’t forget to celebrate your accomplishments, big and small!
No matter what you attempt, remember that it is all right to be a little afraid. Fear means that you are, indeed, moving out of your comfort zone and into a new place in life.
Roof, Car, Job, Card, Fund
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