How to Get Unstuck and Overcome Procrastination as a Creative Professional

When I tell people the things I do - and finish! - today, the consensus is that I'm so "productive" and "focused." I can achieve many things in reasonable amounts of time, it’s true, but it hasn't always been this way. In fact, I used to be a massive procrastinator. For anyone, this can be detrimental to success. For creative professionals or entrepreneurs, this can be the main reason they’re not achieving success - something I experienced firsthand early in my career.

But the good news is that it's possible to overcome procrastination and get unstuck. Once I'd figured out how to get unstuck and do things instead of thinking about them, I decided to sell my first business and pivot into a career helping others do the same.

Do you find yourself in an inescapable cycle of procrastination? Good ideas that fizzle out and die, projects that get endlessly delayed, and personal growth that doesn't bring about real change. It's a problem many people struggle with, but only a few know how to find the tools to break free from this self-defeating behavior. And it takes time! But imagine a world where you naturally take action and are free from the misery of procrastination - a life filled with productivity, confidence, achievement, and personal and professional success. I have dedicated the past decade to helping you achieve that vision, and it’s what my new book, "Get Unstuck!" is all about.

Procrastination: the paralyzing habit

Procrastination is more than just a time-wasting activity; it's a habit with different root causes: fear, uncertainty, boredom, or even perfectionism. Procrastination means delaying or postponing tasks that need to be accomplished, even when we know they're important and will benefit us in the long run.

One of the main reasons why procrastination can be so damaging is because it often leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety. When we put off important tasks, they linger in our minds, causing constant guilt and pressure. This can also affect our mental health, leading to feelings of inadequacy and failure. Not to mention the missed opportunities, the projects that don't get done, the relationships that suffer, and the potential income we miss out on.

But why do we procrastinate? Why can't we just get things done when we know they must be done? The truth is, there are many factors at play. From our upbringing, trauma, and past experiences to our current environment and mindset, all of these contribute to our tendency to procrastinate.

Overcoming procrastination: how to get unstuck

The first step towards overcoming procrastination is understanding why we do it. Often, it's not because we're lazy or unmotivated but because we're afraid of failing or making mistakes, question our ability to succeed, or simply don't know where to start. Identifying the root cause of our procrastination is crucial to finding effective solutions.

One common misconception about overcoming procrastination is that it's all about willpower and discipline; as I mention in my book, while these are important factors, they're not the only ones. Relying solely on willpower (a finite resource) and discipline will often lead to temporary success, followed by an even bigger procrastination setback.

Here are some tips on how to get unstuck and overcome procrastination:

1. Figure out what you really want: We often procrastinate because we don't know what we want. We could do so much, and everything seems exciting and new. Take some time to reflect on your long-term goals and how they align with your current ideas or projects. The more aligned this gets, the easier it will be for you to stay motivated and focused.

2. Look at the excuses you tell yourself. What is hiding underneath? Are you afraid of failure? Are you unsure of your abilities? A perfectionist? Are you struggling with limiting beliefs or negative experiences? Once you identify the underlying cause, it's easier to address and work on overcoming it. Remember, your fears and doubts are not facts; they're just thoughts you can change.

3. Don't make a mountain out of a thought: Often, we procrastinate because the task at hand seems too daunting. I tell my clients, "Don't make a mountain out of that thought you just had!" when I see them start to overthink it. It happens often. You start with a simple idea; before you know it, your mind has turned it into this big, scary, and impossible mountain. And, of course, you want to achieve the top with one big step. Realizing how impossible this is, instead of going back to the original idea, you give up on it completely. 

Understanding being stuck: identifying your paralysis

Stuckness is the feeling of indecision and paralysis when faced with a challenge or an important task. I often explain what being stuck feels like by using the crossroads metaphor. Imagine standing at a crossroads and having to choose which path to take. But instead of making a decision, you freeze, unable to move or progress. You keep looking left and right or front and back, waiting for clarity on what choice to make. And because that clarity doesn't come, you're paralyzed and stay at the crossroads, contemplating all the options available to you without ever taking a step forward.

Some people stay stuck like this for a long time. I had a client once who came to me after having felt like this for ten years. Ten years! Imagine feeling paralyzed and indecisive for such a long time. But even if you don't stay stuck for that long, the feeling of being stuck can be incredibly frustrating and discouraging. It can make us feel incapable or not good enough to move forward.

But here's the thing: most people associate being stuck with failure when it is a natural part of any growth process. It's like being at the foot of a mountain, looking at its intimidating height and thinking, "I'll never be able to climb that." But once you start taking small steps forward, one after another, you eventually reach the top.

That's why understanding your paralysis is crucial for overcoming it. Identify what is keeping you stuck - fear, self-doubt, lack of direction or resources, not knowing how to start or what to do - and work on addressing those issues. Seek support and guidance from a professional coach like me or trusted friends and family.

Remember, being stuck is a feeling, not a fact. It’s not a sign of weakness or incompetence. It's a temporary state that can be overcome with determination, perseverance, and the right mindset!

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To help you get unstuck, I'm hosting a "Get Unstuck!" The virtual Book Deep Dive Event on April 11th, 2024, at 11 am PST, 2 pm EST, 7 pm UK, 8 pm CET - LIVE ON ZOOM!

This event is more than just a seminar or book launch; it's an interactive experience designed to help you get unstuck and overcome procrastination for good! This year is the year you're going to do the thing, not just think about it!

I’m bringing together experts from the art world, tech, entrepreneurship, and academia to provide insights on the phenomenon of procrastination and understanding what being stuck really is.
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For all participants: don’t miss exclusive gifts delivered to your mailbox and fantastic giveaways during the event! It’s about YOU - learn how to overcome procrastination, stress, indecision, burnout, and overthinking and walk away with the power to create a fulfilling life and career.
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Start MOVE-ing Forward. The Time is Now! Reserve your spot now by clicking here!

How to Improve Your Life and Business

Have you ever thought about how incredibly limiting the word “but” is? It’s like a stop sign, halting us on our journey. Even when we are agreeing with someone, the moment “but” comes out of our mouths, it negates everything we just said.

“You’re right, but…”

“Okay, I will, but…”

“Yes, I will clean that up, but…”

“But” is a fatalistic word. When you use it, you redirect the conversation from what could be to what cannot. Unconsciously, when we “yes, but”, we give into the fear and hesitation that are holding us back, without realizing it. When you throw a “but” at something, you’ve predetermined that some outcome is inevitable. You stop yourself from following through. “Yes, buts” are excuses wrapped up to look like agreements. That’s why they’re so important to spot. 

“Yes, and” on the other hand is the key to infinite possibilities.

Every few years, I try to do something to get out of my comfort zone and push my limits. So a few years ago, I enrolled in an improv class. Anyone who knows me personally knows that this was VERY outside of my comfort zone. I’m an introvert and love my alone time, so the idea of taking this class was quite overwhelming, and it did, admittedly, take a while for me to get into it. But once I did, I was hooked!

During this class, I was taught the concept of “yes, and.” In improv, “yes, and” keeps the bit going, keeping the theater goers, and the cast members, on their toes, pushing the story along. By using this word, cast members are fostering cooperation and communication between one another, rather than shutting down, and, in turn, they’re able to build trust with one another quickly. Which is what makes the whole process fun for them and the theater goer. 

Now, what if we take that model and apply it to business and life? In business, “yes, and” actually encourages you to listen and be receptive to the ideas of others. It creates trust between parties and encourages you to try out different strategies for success. Even if you’re a solo entrepreneur without a team, this method will inhibit you from making excuses for yourself and pushes you to stay open to the possibilities that surround you. 

Think about it! When you’re trying to come up with a new client workflow, but you keep stopping yourself because of your fear of how long it will take to implement, you’re saying, “Yes, I agree I need a new workflow, but it will take too much time.” If you’re like me, you spiral and start thinking about all the things you will have to change, all the different systems you will have to implement, and how you are going to explain it to your clients. Doing so you create what I refer to as a “mountain”: an insurmountable melting pot of all the things that you believe need to happen before you can actually do the thing. That’s what “but” does to life, it creates mountains to climb instead of showing you a walkable path forward. But (pun intended) if we use the “yes, and” method, we are focusing on the end goal - having a streamlined workflow that will make our lives easier in the end. 

Let me give you an example from my own business. In 2021, I decided to transfer my website over from one web host to another. This was a HUGE undertaking and one that I had been putting off for - literally - years. Instead of continuing to say, “yes I should do that, but the workload will be too much for me.” I thought, “yes I should do that, and I will start small.” It took me a while, but over the course of six months or so, I had moved everything over from Wordpress to Squarespace, including the manual transfer of 250 blog posts! - which has allowed me to improve my SEO and the performance of my  website in such a way that allowed my coaching practice to grow exponentially - essentially improving my life and business.

Ready to trade your “buts” for “ands?” Here are my five best tips to start improv-ing your business and life, getting unstuck, and leaving yourself open for the possibilities that are just around the corner:

1. Commit to “yes, and.” from now on. It’s not enough to just say yes, you have to commit to it. Change your mindset for the long-term, make it a habit to avoid the word “but” as much as you can. . 

2. Be part of the team. Listen to your teammates, whether they are your business partner, spouse, or children, with an open mind. You don’t have to agree with everything they say, but you need to respect their suggestions and consider how they might work for your particular issue. 

3. Be part of the solution. Don’t just ask questions and point out obstacles, instead share ideas and work on the solution with your team. Keep adding creatively to what you are building, and let flow and inspiration guide you.

4. Recognize that there are no mistakes, only opportunities. Some of the best ideas will come from accidents. If you say “but” to everything, you won’t give yourself the chance to experience new things - and fail at them. Failure deserves to be celebrated, AND to be learned from 🙂

5. Make sure your team has your back. Your team should be made up of people who will push you into taking new opportunities and trying out new strategies, rather than sitting back and letting you call all the shots. Even the best employers or business owners need a gut check from someone they trust.

Remember, these tips will also work easily for a solo entrepreneur without a team. Instead of focusing on collaborating with others, you are focusing on dropping your internal guards and learning to acknowledge what you really want out of your life and business. Do you want to work 60 hour weeks? Do you want to build in monthly retreats for yourself? Are there days you want to keep your children home from daycare? The “yes, and” method will help you lead you to greater self-trust and confidence, which will, infinitely, enhance your life and business. 

The point of the “yes, and” method is to allow you to become more adaptable to change. The businesses that do the best work are the ones that can encourage new ideas and perspectives, stay flexible, and stay open to new possibilities.

The key is to treat your life and business like an improv class. Keep your heart and mind open to the suggestions of others - even your inner child - and before you say “yes, but,” think about what opportunities saying “yes, and” could bring about. 

What would change? How would your life and business improve if you said yes and then became a part of the collective intelligence, of the amazing experience that is your life?

Afraid to say, “yes, and?”

It can be overwhelming to try new things or to follow through on elaborate plans. Saying, “yes, and” can be scary, but the possibilities it opens you and your business up to are worth the fear. I tell my clients all the time to just take a leap! One step in front of the other until you are out in open air, soaring above the ground.

You are capable of scary things and I’m here to help! In our coaching sessions, I help my clients identify the cliff, assemble the parachute, and take that first - or tenth - step towards the edge. We will review your “yes, buts,” and see how your life and business can improve with a little “yes, and” flip!

Schedule your free session!

Navigating Entrepreneurial Growing Pains

Have you ever experienced that phenomenon where you are in a really slow season of your business, begging the Universe to provide you with more opportunities to grow, and then all of a sudden every available opportunity hits at once? You’re so excited for the chance to do business and show off your skills, so you say yes to everything, working yourself to the bone trying to hit all your deadlines on time, but then you finish and need a month or two of rest to recover.

Me too.

Since starting my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve had a hard time enjoying the fruits of all my hard work. I’d spend so much time setting up trying to drum up business without seeing any results. Then all of a sudden, the business opportunities would fly in and I’d be completely overwhelmed. I often felt like a chicken with my head cut off, running around with no sustainable strategy for how to get all this work done without burning out. 

In the years since, I’ve tried many tools to get through these busy seasons without burning out, but the ones that worked the best, that have continued to work for me, are the ones that seem counterintuitive. When I’m in my busiest season, the best thing I can do is slow down and take a breath. Even now, when I’m busier than ever, I struggle to manage my time without taking a moment to pause and reflect.

By pausing, I’m able to create a strategy for this particular busy season that allows me to thrive. Here are a few of the strategies that help me manage the growing pains, both personally and in my business:

1. Identify your vision and mission. All businesses start with a vision, whether it’s a vision of your personal future or the future of your company. When we’re in our busy seasons, we can lose focus of what it is we set out to do when we started our entrepreneurial endeavors. By setting aside time to refocus on the purpose behind our businesses or projects, and what we hope to get out of it, we’re better able to set boundaries and stave off overwhelm. 

2. Create your ideal team. When your business is growing and you’re struggling to meet demand, building a solid team around you is one of the best things you can do to alleviate stress. But great teams are not created accidentally. It takes time, patience, and a want to surround yourself with people you can effectively manage and interact with. That’s why it’s important to work on this when things aren’t busy. But if you haven’t, don’t fall into the trap of not doing it when you need it most! Once your ideal team is assembled, fervent energy manifests and stress dissipates, leaving only creative approaches to handling your growing pains.

3. Learn to delegate. Entrepreneurs and small business owners usually strike out on their own because they want to be their own boss. And when you have spent time working for yourself, doing all the tasks, and only having to hold yourself accountable, you can forget to delegate when things get busy. Look for support based on individual skills and expertise. Take advantage of it, let go of trying to do everything yourself, and the growing pains will be easier to navigate (and you’ll *finally* learn to delegate!).

4. Build strategy and SOPs early on. It’s important to have strategy and standard operating procedures in place prior to, or at least at the beginning of, the busy season to help prevent growing pains from stalling your work. I hired Alex recently, a new and amazing Chief of Staff. It's been a good year since I knew I had to find support to be able to navigate my growing business. So I’d started recording weekly marketing and communications tasks using Loom. When Alex came on board a few weeks ago, she had a (albeit small) library of SOPs to get her going. 

5. Letting go of growth and being okay with it. There’s this pressure in business that makes it seem like every idea, every project, needs to be striving for maximum growth. But what if you don’t want maximum growth? What if you’re content with where your business is and not enjoying the experience of growing pains? It’s okay to sit back and relax into the comfort of where you are right now. Also, a company can be a company of one and be very successful. There’s an amazing book by Paul Jarvis that speaks exactly to that. If staying lean and free of the burden of growth is your goal, I recommend you read it.

Life as an entrepreneur is always exciting. There’s always an opportunity for growth, both personally and professionally. They give you a chance to dig deep and push yourself to identify what systems are working for you, what isn’t necessary for success, and help you see what needs to evolve and what can be let go.

Overwhelmed by too many opportunities?

The five steps above sound easy to some entrepreneurs, but for most they might find it difficult to take that pause. In the past 25 years, I’ve experienced similar issues, both in my own work and in my client’s. This is why I became a certified career and business coach: I wanted my clients to navigate building and growing businesses and projects with ease and flow, and without the overwhelm.

You deserve an opportunity to see your company grow and not feel overwhelmed or stressed. In our coaching sessions, we will dive deep into how to grow your business successfully, your vision and mission for it, and how we can get you there feeling confident and fulfilled.

Schedule your free session!

45 Minutes a Day to Make Your Dreams Come True

We all have dreams. We all want to be successful in life and at work, and we all know - on a conscious or unconscious level - that the decisions we make can move us forward what we want or hold us back. What if I told you that just one decision could make all the difference? And I'm not talking about deciding to drink more water or eat better. That's good advice, but it doesn't make a significant difference in your life (at least not that quickly).

I want you to imagine for just one minute what would happen if you decided to start working on your dreams - no matter where they take you - just 45 minutes a day. What if I told you that's how I wrote a 300+ page book in just over a year (371 days to be exact), will read 52 books this year, am teaching myself Spanish and started a new business on the side?

In this article, we'll explore how understanding the opportunity cost of wasting your time watching TV, on Netflix, scrolling through your phone together with the power of the compound effect will alter the course of your entire life.

As usual, the formula is relatively simple: find your time wasters and commit to replacing 45 minutes of wasted time with proactively working on your dreams. It's the execution that requires a little support, practice, and perseverance. I often find that understanding the mechanisms of our behavior helps to steer us in the right direction. So let's dive in.

What is opportunity cost?

We all have the same number of hours in a day. Yes, some of us have more help and support than others, making more of those hours available for the important stuff. But still, every one of us wastes time. Whoever says otherwise is a big time-wasting liar!

What this means is that every decision has a price. Opportunity cost is the loss of other alternatives when one alternative is chosen; it's what you are giving up to get something else.

Opportunity cost can look like this:

• Watching TV instead of reading a book

• Spending time on social media rather than learning how to play an instrument

• Falling down the research rabbit hole instead of taking a practical step (aka doing something)

• Worrying about a project instead of starting it

• Wasting time binge-watching another Netflix series instead of writing the paper that's due tomorrow

All these things might seem like trivial decisions. They're not. When you make poor time choices, what you're leaving on the table is nothing less than your dream life. To grasp this enormity, we must first understand another concept of time: the compound effect.

What is the compound effect?

The compound effect is a concept that states that all small actions and decisions in life will have the opportunity to grow into big rewards. Although applicable to every aspect of our lives, this concept was first applied in the financial field. When talking about investments, compounding is the ability of money to generate more money, which is then reinvested or remains invested to create even more money.

A famous example is that of compound interest: the earlier your start investing, the more return you'll get for the same amount of money as someone who starts later in life than you.

The compound effect and your dreams

The compound effect isn't only applicable to money. Because everything we do requires time, it's relevant to EVERYTHING:

• Spending 20 minutes every day exercising can add up to a fully toned body over a year if you maintain this habit. This same action could also make you healthier and happier, which will lead to more opportunities in the future.

• Reading for 30 minutes a day, every day for a year can add up to over 60 books a year! The time you spend reading each day is short, but it adds up quickly and gives you new knowledge and life opportunities.

• Writing for 45 minutes a day every single day can add up to over 100,000 words in one year. Imagine how much you could write if you commit yourself to this simple daily practice. I'm living proof that it's possible!

Now let's take this concept back to your dreams. Spending a little time each day on something worthwhile will produce incredible results.

45 minutes a day to make your dreams come true

Things start shifting when we put opportunity cost and compound effect together:

• Identify 45 minutes of time wasters you can do without

• Work on your dreams every day for that amount of time

Using the opportunity cost concept and the compound effect for your benefit is as simple as replacing 30 minutes of scrolling with writing or 15 minutes of thinking about something. Remember that opportunity cost comes from every decision you make in your life while compounding means doing the same small thing over and over again every single day.

You might not know this, but these concepts are already at work in your life. Every time you're scrolling through your phone, your compounding your knowledge of what's hot or not on Instagram or Facebook, all the hours you spent streaming series make you a champion at Netflix trivia.

There's no way to escape these forces from being at play in your life, so you might as well use them to build your dreams, don't you think?

You know you need to make a change in your life, but you keep putting it off.

Maybe you're not sure what the next step is or how to get started. Or maybe there are too many options, and it feels overwhelming. Whatever the reason, I can help! I offer personalized coaching services that will guide you through every step of making positive changes in your life so that you can finally start living the way YOU want to live!

Let me help take away all those feelings of overwhelm and confusion so that together we can focus on creating a plan for success for you and push past any resistance or procrastination holding you back from achieving your goals!

Schedule your free session!

Dear Multi-passionate Creative: You Don't Need More Knowledge, You Need More Action

I don't know about you, but I'm a knowledge junkie. I love to learn and gather knowledge on everything from cooking healthy food, being a good writer, and how best to market my company. I'm sure you know someone like me (psst! if you're reading this article, it's probably you): they love knowledge and are never too tired to learn something new, but using that knowledge and taking action on it isn't always that easy.

"I'm not multi-passionate... I'm not even creative!" is a phrase I hear every day in my coaching practice, even though I coach A LOT of them. The confusion is, I'm sure, partly semantic. As a society, what we associate with passion and creativity is not always how these traits express themselves in us. Traditional creative expression is the form of the arts is probably not how creativity shows itself in most multi-passionate creatives! Problem-solving is much more prevalent as a creative trait than, say, being able to handle a paintbrush or writing poetry (although we can love to do that too!).

Knowledge is our one true passion.

In reality, however, knowledge gathering is what most multi-passionate creatives consider to be their one and genuine passion.

You can see knowledge as the fuel for our creativity. It's what feeds the fire of our ideas and helps them grow into something more tangible - if we take action on them, that is. In that sense, it might be more accurate to call us multi-interested than multi-passionate, with knowledge-craving brains that soak up information like sponges.

The problem is: knowledge can also keep you from taking action on your ideas because there's always something else to learn first!

You might feel like you need another degree or certification before you can do something about your dreams - which in turn holds you back from doing anything and being successful.

If that's you, read on for tips on how knowledge gathering can hinder you and what you could do instead.

• Tip #1: Knowledge only takes you so far - set yourself a goal for each knowledge-gathering session to take action afterward (e.g., don't just buy the cookbook and read through it, actually learn how to cook one new dish per week).

• Tip #2: Keep knowledge gathering sessions short - try to limit your trips down the YouTube or Google rabbit hole to no more than 20 minutes. After each session, take a few minutes to write down what you learned and set an action for yourself. What's the next thing you can DO (not learn!) with what you've just researched, read, watched?

• Tip #3: Focus on one thing at a time - if there's too much knowledge coming at you simultaneously, you won't be able to take action on anything. Turn your knowledge parties into their little projects: it's ok to enjoy it, but have an end goal in mind. Always ask yourself what you can do with what you've learned?

• Tip #4: Don't feel guilty for indulging in knowledge-gathering - in the end, all knowledge is good knowledge. It won't hold you back forever, and it's good for you to enjoy your passion just for the sake of it sometimes.

• Tip #5: Remember there's always knowledge to gather - when you feel anxious about not being able to learn or know all the things, remind yourself that knowledge never goes away and that you can always make up camp at the library later.

The key is not necessarily finding more knowledge but taking some action after learning - no matter how big or small that action might be.

It's ok for a knowledge enthusiast like you to indulge in knowledge for the sake of it, but remember that as multi-passionate creatives, we also love building things and seeing them come to life.

When we love knowledge for knowledge's sake and don't take any steps to follow through with our thoughts and dreams, we're just knowledge hoarders.

It's time to stop only gathering knowledge and start taking action too.

Being a lifelong learner will keep you growing as a person (which is fantastic) but being a lifelong doer will add purpose to your life and help you change the world!

You're passionate about learning and knowledge, but you need help taking action?

I'm a certified business and career coach who can help take your passion for knowledge and your many interests and turn them into something tangible. I'll work with you to create a plan that will get you from where you are now to where you want to be (even if you're not sure where that is) - all while still being able to learn new things!

Let's talk more about what we can do together.

Schedule your free session!

How to take risks (without losing everything you have)

In today’s dream bigger tip I want to focus on the “bigger” part of the process. In everything we aim to achieve there’s a level of change involved. Learning a new language, starting a business, developing healthier habits, … whatever you decide to undertake change is what will take you from where you are right now to where you want to be.

If you’ve been dreaming small until now – that is if you haven’t acted on your big dreams because you believe those dreams are not for you or you don’t know where to start – dreaming bigger means changing the way you’ve conceived your dreams so far. This change – like any other – requires you to learn to be comfortable with what often feels like excruciating uncertainty. It means learning to take risks, and be OK with doing it.

Imagine your big dream is to start your own shop on Etsy. You create the most beautiful jewelry, that all your friends love. But your own business? Actually making money from your craft? That’s not for you. At least, that’s what you keep convincing yourself of. So you keep dreaming small.

In order to dream bigger you need to be willing to take risks. Try something new. Tell yourself, whatever the voice in your head is saying, that you can do it.

How to learn to take risks?

In what follows I share 3 things that have helped me to learn to take risks, and reprogram myself to dream bigger. Whatever your big dreams are, if you’ve been hesitant to pursue them because it feels “too risky”, these tips might help you get started.

• Dream big, but start small

What I hear most often when I’m working with clients, is that they don’t know where to start. The lack of clarity about what to do first sometimes comes from not knowing what they really want, but in many cases it’s the result of feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task to start working on achieving dreams that look like huge mountains.

I know it can be so overwhelming to look at your big dreams in their entirety, and ask yourself how you’ll ever be able to reach them. Like standing in flip flops, t-shirt and pink shorts at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, wondering how you’ll ever reach the top. The result of this type of overwhelm is often inaction. The risks to undertake the adventure are simply too great to even try – or so it seems.

That’s why it’s important to dream big, but start small. Instead of focusing on the mountain, focus on the first step you can take right now. Then take that step. It will help reduce the level of risk you think you’re taking, while actually moving you towards your goals.

• Remember that you can always change your mind

Another reason my clients often procrastinate on getting started with their big dreams is the fear that the choices they’ll make will be forever. This is a mistake our mind makes when we’re about to step into uncertainty. Leaving the familiar behind is one of the hardest things we can do. We’re programmed to like the comfort that comes from knowing what to expect, so jumping into the unknown often feels like one of the most important decisions we can make in our life.

Although deciding to change something in your life can feel like a decision you’ll have to live with forever, this simply isn’t true. It’s not because you start an Etsy shop today, that you have to commit to it forever.

Even if you make a decision that you end up regretting later on, there’s almost always a way back. Or at least another direction you can take that will get you closer to what you really want. That’s the beauty of being in charge of your life, and having the power to make decisions. And why risk taking is not so risky after all.

• Always fail forward

Change involves risk, but it also involves learning. Perhaps there’s even no real learning without at least a little risk taking. Inside our comfort zone we’re usually well aware of what we know, and what we don’t know. Learning requires us to step outside of it, and stretch ourselves a little more. It’s outside of our comfort zone, where risks are taken, that we open ourselves up for failure.

The fear of failure is one of the top reasons why so many women don’t follow their dreams. Unfortunately, as I’ve explained above, there’s no risk taking without risk of failing. And that’s actually OK. What needs to happen to dream bigger is not to avoid failure at all costs, but to reframe what failure really is, and to get rid of the notion that it’s bad to fail.

Failure is essential to growth, and part of the process. Learn to get comfortable with your mistakes, to see them as key learning moments, to fail forward.

If you want more tips to get unstuck, I’ve got great news for you! This tip is part of a series, you can find all entries here.

3 tips to get started with almost anything – immediately

Last week on the blog I wrote about 5 ways multi-passionate, creative women such as yourself can declutter their minds for success. While the tips I mention in the post are pragmatic, and actionable, there is one thing that remains absolutely necessary in order to achieving anything – success included, and that’s to get started!

After spending years overcoming the fears that kept me from doing what I wanted to do, and be who I wanted to be, I know how hard it can be to get started. Much harder in fact than many things that come after it.

One of the things I procrastinated the longest on was putting myself out there. Spreading my message. Articulating my ideas. Sharing my beliefs. Now that I’ve sort of come out on the other side of that fear of being visible, it’s easy to forget what it took to get here, or how I felt before. When I think about it hard enough, like now when I’m sharing this personal story with you, I remember the hard work that was involved, the fears I had to overcome, the questions, doubts, and insecurities that I’ve worked through…

But what I remember most, and what stands out as an act of personal bravery in my book, is that I got started. Whatever came after, all the successes (and failures) I’ve had until today, none of that would have happened if I hadn’t taken that first step.

You wouldn’t even be reading these words.

That’s why today I want to share 3 tips with you that I’ve used successfully to get started with almost anything – immediately.

The beauty of these tips – as you’ll see below in just a minute – is that you can practice them anytime, anywhere. And what they’ll teach you is how to put the powerful mantra of “do first, think later” into practice for you. Something that has been instrumental in helping me get started on so many of my projects in the past few years.

#1 Ignore (silence) your inner critic

The whole point of doing first, thinking later is that you don’t think but do. Duh! Now listening to your inner nasty doesn’t count as not thinking. However unconscious or subconscious the listening may be, there’s a mental process going on that is keeping you from taking action.

Working my way through my own procrastination, I’ve found that silencing that inner voice really helps to get me moving. One of the ways that really works for me is to acknowledge her, then challenge her beliefs using questions such as “So what?”, “Who cares?”, and “What’s the worst that can happen?”.

#2 Focus on one small step

Failing to take action often comes from wanting things that seem way too big. You’re in a job you hate, single while you’d love to have a relationship, you don’t make the money necessary to live the lifestyle you desire, you’d love to start a business, be fluent in another language, bake cookies for a living… but when you look at where you are right now, you can’t seem to imagine you’ll ever get where you want to be.

I’m here to tell you that there’s nothing wrong with your dream, and that you can achieve it, I have no doubt. But you need to forget about the dream, already! That’s right, in order to work on your dream you need to forget about it so you can focus on one small, and simple step. Nevermind the flourishing business you want to have, the fluency in which you want to speak a new language, or the tons of delicious cookies you’re eager to delight children with. Instead ask yourself what the first step is that you can take to start your business, learn that language, bake a cookie today.

#3 Let your body lead the way

Finally, and this is the tip that really brings all of the above together, let your body take over. To get started we need to physically move our bodies – always. When we imagine doing something we’re firing neurons through our brain, sending signals to our body that something’s about to happen. The body’s reaction is get into motion.

This is not only true when we want to get a snack out of the kitchen, choose a show to watch on Netflix, or grab our laptop to Google something. This is also true when we tell ourselves we should email that accountant about that business we want to start, or pick up that language book and start with that first lesson, or get our ass into the kitchen so we can bake some cookies! The best way to get started is to let your body lead the way. When you’re feeling the body’s readiness to get into action to go and grab that book, let it lead the way.

Before you know it, you’ll have started working your way towards your dreams.

In the spirit of taking action right now, and letting your body lead the way… in the comments below let me know what your big dream is that you’re finally ready to take action on! And if not yet, what’s stopping you from doing it?