How many times have you heard someone say that it’s ‘time for a change’ only to subsequently notice that they continue to do the same thing again and again?  How many times have you made bold declarations about the shifts that you are going to make in your life to be exactly where you started – pick your time dimension of choice – days/weeks/months later? As Albert Einstein famously stated:

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Are you living out this definition of insanity in your daily life?

The fact of the matter is that old habits die hard, especially when they keep us comfortable.  You may not be fulfilled in your current role, but you don’t put energy into searching for a new opportunity because it ‘could be worse.’  You may not be happy with your health status, but going to the gym 4 days a week is a grind and ‘ain’t nobody got time for that.’

I know that you have good intentions.  Most people do. 

So what happens to all of that good will and inspired exuberance?  Why are you frozen in your tracks?  What don’t you just do the work that is required to get the results that you claim you want, already?

I think that it comes down to fear.  Fear of failing.  Fear of succeeding.  Fear of not being enough.  Fear of being too much.  Fear of what others will think, say or do.  I could create a list a mile long and you probably could too.

All of this fear essential stymies the momentum of progress and manifests as paralysis.

In other words, instead of doing the wrong thing you opt to do nothing.  And you know how far ‘nothing’ can get you?  Pretty much nowhere.  If you want to cease-and-desist with the nothingness that results from inaction, take these steps:

1) Gain Clarity:  Why do you want to make this change anyway? If you understand and emphasize your motivations for intentionally doing things in a different way, you’ll be in a  better position to start and stay in action.  Knowing and embracing your ‘why’ is an important way to sustain momentum.

2) Assess Impact:  How will you feel if you are still in exactly this position next year? Imagine that time passes and you’ve done absolutely nothing.  If your most immediate reaction is one of dread or despair, that is a signal that doing something – anything – will be better than remaining stuck.

3) Get Started:  What is holding you back?  Reflect honestly and identify the roots of your trepidation.  Take action while afraid; the fear isn’t going to magically disappear so embrace it – use it as jet fuel.  Small steps add up over time to yield big results.

You have the power to alter your life, behaviors and mindset right now. So do it. Right now.

Engineer Your Bliss Challenge:  Where are you paralyzed in your life and what will you do differently to move forward?  Let me know on Facebook.