5 Steps to Move Forward with a Dream
EEEEEeeekkkk!!! Hi Guys! Welcome to the Deeply Rooted Blog & what is referred to as the Be Fiercely YOU series, Blog Numero Uno! Let’s talk today, about stepping outside your comfort zone...not being afraid to take to steps toward your goals… doing something that makes you feel alive...and ultimately sets your soul on fire.
Am I an expert? Absolutely not. Am I wealthy in my new business? Nope. Well let me rephrase that...I AM wealthy in a lot but not monetarily here (yet). Do I have all the answers? Negative. Let’s be clear, I am not going to tell you how to start a business, build a website, get clients, make a zillion dollars…but I am going to tell you how we got out of our own way and established our business, brand, clients…and are doing something we LOVE after our initial conversation of launching this business 5 months ago!
(1) An experience that changed the way you think about life - It’s so vague, right? There’s no definition of what that truly is because it is different for everyone. It can be very involved or very simple and is super personal...maybe you climbed to the top of a mountain or ran your first marathon....maybe you woke up one day to miss your child’s play or soccer game because of work for way to many times to count...Maybe you sat there staying at home with your 3rd child crying to yourself every day that you want more...Maybe you’ve been finally hit with the reality, that having a child is not in god’s plan…maybe you overcame some serious demons of your past life and are ready to start anew...maybe you lost 50lbs and feel like a whole new person...maybe you just got into the best relationship of your life …maybe you just lost a piece of your heart and view life a lot different now. Ding DIng DING! That was my why, my personal, life changing experience.
(2) There’s “ideas” and there’s “action”. We all dream, right? Of what we want, what we want to do, what we want to be. I can hear my dad saying for the thousandth time...”what do you want to be when you grow up kris”? While it’s so important to dream, if you want to turn it into more...you need to take action. It’s the hardest step as you question where to start. But just START. You need to visualize, create, plan, and take action. One foot in front of the other.
(3) After you have a plan and take action, DO NOT let other people’s words, opinions, advice (whatever!) decide or detour your success. This is such a BIG one. If any of you follow Rachel Hollis at all (my favorite!), I can hear her important, fiery words now. “Someone else’s opinion of you is none of your business”. Preach GIRL! Let’s remind ourselves of the definition of success. Success is “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose”. It's important to have big dreams and big goals but do not let those blur your vision of success. Ask yourself how do I define success? The answer is simple. You define it. Not your partner. Not your parent. Not your boss…your best friend...YOU!
(4) Stop overwhelming yourself! Stop making an unrealistic list of goals to complete! How many times do you wake up feeling great and saying todays the day I am going to change my life. I am going to drink my body weight in water, not yell at my kids, cut out sugar and carbs, clean my house, right down my goals for my business, respond to every social media comment, and have dinner ready for my significant other when they walk in the door. By the time you are done, you have a list of 50 things you want to change before you even start...that’s called BIG FAT FAILURE. Stick to success for that day or that week. Concentrate on what you are doing in that moment and give that moment the time and attention it deserves vs. thinking of everything else you need to do while you’re doing something you need to do! Right?!?! What did you aim for on this day? Did you want to start brainstorming about your mission? Did you start up a social media platform for your business? Did you aim to start your day with a healthy breakfast all week? Did you write down 5 names of people you want to connect with? Did you go for a run to clear your head that has been bogged down by your hectic schedule or your screaming kids? If you took any kind of action toward your goal...that is success. PERIOD. Repeat that...THAT IS SUCCESS.
(5) The comparison trap. Every.Single.One of us does it. Please avoid comparison. When you start a journey of any kind. You typically look for insight and guidance of others that have journeyed before. And that is awesome, but you have to clearly understand that your mark in your journey, is miles away from there’s. These traveled souls were you. They put in the work and time and have went on their journey. It’s yours & not theirs. Stop comparing.
Meg and I’s journey here at URD included every one of these steps:
Life event...check - Loss of my dad. You will learn a ton more about the impact and loss of my angel under the “Losing a Piece of My Heart” series of our deeply rooted blog.
Dreams turned into action...check - We sat down and set small goals that turned into action that have continued us on our path of moving forward. We have completed our vision, mission, branding, website, all the needed legal documents, networked with numerous people, and have closed business. We did all of this with a crazy chaotic life surrounding us. All because we have a plan.
Controlling other people’s thoughts on YOUR goals and letting it affect what we believe is success...check - I mean if we took on everyone’s opinion about our business we would not have taken one step forward. “Nobody who has achieved more than you, will ever judge you.” ~ Again…my girl, Rachel Hollis. Read that again...it is the people who are too scared to step forward that will judge, and throw hesitation your way. AND that’s ok. We all start with shaking knees.
Stop overwhelming yourself…check - Meg & I are mothers, wives, career woman, active, social (enjoy a cocktail), multi-taskers…among 100 other things. We have every reason to fail in this category. We knew right when we decided to open this business that we had to have a clear-cut picture of how we measure success and we set it weekly for our business.
Not comparing ourselves to others who have similar goals & dreams...check - Way easier said than done BUT...we are clear to ourselves, our future clients, and future business partners about who we are and more importantly...who we are not. It’s ok to not fill up everyone’s cup. You cannot be everything to everyone. Especially when you start on a new business path. Again, dream big...always, but set the expectations for those touched by your business upfront. Don’t overpromise. And always follow through with what you say you will do. Mean what you say, always.
Would love to hear the #1 thing standing in your way of doing something that sets your soul on fire?!?! Is it any of the above? Something entirely different? Love hearing friend’s road blocks and insecurities…because we ALL have them.
Now go spread your magic!