Admit it. You are stuck. It’s not easy clearing out life’s clutter and deciding what’s next for 2017 and beyond. You hear the words in your head. I want to transition to a new job or expand my network. I need to live a healthier lifestyle or rise above personal loss. Or, I’ve promised myself to slow down, give back to my community. Even with an inspired vision, you are reluctant to commit. You don’t need statistics to tell you there is an 85-93% chance your intentions will go unfulfilled.
There is no shortage of advice. Countless articles urge you forward: “Three, Five or Ten Steps to Achieving Your Goals, Overcome Your Fears, Strategies for Procrastination. Good counsel but will you follow it? I’m no exception. It has taken me three weeks to get started on this blog so that I can share my insights and learn from others on the heavily traveled road to next acts.
You have lots of reasons for not getting started. You don’t have the time, the money or the network. Family and friends don’t approve. You may be overwhelmed by not knowing what to do or by unfinished checklists. Sure. You can miss career opportunities, hang on to a job you hate, worry about your health or continue to be disappointed with retirement.
Stop. Personal or professional change doesn’t happen with one task. Success often comes to you a little at a time. My lesson learned this week? We don’t always need objectives with due dates to get started. I ignored the self-talk and wrote one word. That’s right one word, and I was on my way. It’s not the dreaming, the thinking, and the planning. It’s the acting and the learning that moves us ahead. Why not just do it and use the insight along the way to alter your course vs. being consumed with the results?
Take one step. Write down one idea, call one person, ask one question, research one career option, eat one less cookie, It takes just one step, one act to move you forward.
What one step can you take today? Try it. Join me on the path to “What’s Next.”
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