There will be times where you’re at crossroads and you have a choice to make. Do you go with the easier option that’s safe and comfortable or do you go in with blind faith and pick the challenging option? I was at that crossroads at the end of January and I had mini-epiphanies that we should be doing the thing that makes us uncomfortable.
I had a goal I wanted to accomplish years ago but because of reasons and excuses, I kept putting it off. With the pandemic, things were starting to line up to make this goal a reality. And even though I know it’s something I really want, I still found ways to talk myself out of it.
What gave me the push to actually follow through was:
1. Telling Other People
Manifesting it into existence, putting it out into the universe, whatever you want to call it, I made it known this is what I wanted to accomplish even if I didn’t 100% believe in myself yet. To be honest, I still don’t. But I put it out there, I let my friends and family know this is what I was going to do. I think the awkwardness I would feel from saying it and not following through was the extra push I needed.
2. Knowing I Wasn’t Doing What I Preached
I am a group fitness trainer at my local F45 Training studio and when our members are at the tail-end of a workout and they’re fatigued, I remind them that in order to grow and get strong, you have to allow yourself to get uncomfortable. As I say those words in class, I kept realizing that I wasn’t living by that. I want to be a role model for others and how could I be if I didn’t live up to what I tell our members?
I Took the Plunge; Now What?
I finally sucked it up and took a MAJOR step towards my goal. Did I have a moment of WTF right before? YES. But I did it and now I feel like it wasn’t that big of a deal. Or maybe I’m in denial. Too early to tell!
But the important thing is that I did it. I took the option that has an unclear outcome. I’m moving forward with blind faith that I’ll be just fine. I picked the option that is challenging but will allow me to grow and get stronger.
How Does This Apply to You and What Do You Do About It?
It’s likely you have something you want to accomplish but you’re not doing it because of reasons you told yourself. Maybe some of these are legitimate reasons and maybe some of them aren’t and you can get those out of the way.
Be honest with yourself and determine what’s legit and what’s an excuse.
Then take a step towards your goal. Doesn’t matter how big or small it is; just take any step beyond what you’ve already done which, if you’re like me, involves a lot of dead-end “research.”
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Then start doing the thing that makes you uncomfortable. If you don’t try, you’ll never know and if you don’t push yourself, you’ll never grow. Remind yourself of that when you start doubting yourself. You’ll want to second-guess yourself and stay in your comfort zone. Unless there’s a real reason, keep moving forward.