It’s time for me to come clean about something.
Don’t worry, I haven’t done anything illegal.
I’m just avoiding doing something that I really want to do.
You might not know this about me but I am an idea person.
I love coming up with ideas an I really want to bring them into being, but my follow through sometimes stinks. Especially when it’s a little bit out of my comfort zone.
For those who are into Ayurveda, this means my Vata is pretty much always turned on full blast.
It’s not that I don’t want to see my ideas come to life; it’s more that bringing them to life feels difficult.
And even more so, it’s easy for me to come up with reasons WHY I should or could be doing something else.
In fact, it feels way easier to come up with obstacles and reasons why I can’t bring my idea to life than it does to actually DO THE THING.
Ridiculous, right?
Maybe if you’re reading this, you are shaking your head wondering why I can’t just put my head down, do the work, and make it happen.
Or maybe, some of you are a little bit like me.
You have great ideas and powerful intentions which could be really amazing if you step up to the plate and commit to them.
The problem is that you struggle hard with making it happen.
What that usually looks like is a long list of excuses.
Some are rooted in reality but many are created by your mind to prevent you from doing the hard thing.
In my experience, this is a protective mechanism.
I don’t want to try the cool thing I came up with because I am afraid I will fail or it won’t happen the way I want it to.
Sound familiar?
Here’s a current example from my life.
I’ve been teaching yoga and movement for years. 15 years, to be exact. I am a movement expert and professional. I’ve also been teaching online for the past few years almost exclusively. So when the coronavirus hit, I was really well prepared to keep doing what I’ve been doing AND support other teachers who are just getting started.
I offered a bunch of free/by donation workshops to help yoga and other movement professionals transition to online teaching back in the early part of the pandemic. They were really well received and after teaching them, a few people asked me if I would be willing to do more.
Like teach an entire program on how to build a successful and sustainable online yoga/movement business.
At first, I balked.
I didn’t think i was qualified.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am actually high qualified to do this.
So I started plotting out this program.
I designed it top to bottom. Then I mapped the program from beginning to end, as well as steps to take beyond the program.
I envisioned a bunch of cool freebies for those who join.
I even reached out to the groups of teachers who participated in my online training workshops and got positive feedback about offering this program.
And here’s the kicker:
I still haven’t officially launched it.
The program exists in my notebooks and my head, but not in reality.
Why?
Oh, well the excuses are quite good.
I don’t have a proper webpage explaining the program, so I can’t easily sell it.
Also, it’s summer and nearing the beginning of the school year, which is already nuts for most parents.
I also worry that people won’t want to pay for it, even if I keep the cost reasonably affordable.
Then there’s the excuse that lots of other yoga teachers are offering similar-ish programs. And these teachers are more famous than me or have more reach or more money or more whatever than me.
And after pouring my heart and soul into another program, I am afraid this one won’t sell at all like so many of my other big program ideas.
I’m not sure I can handle that level of rejection and failure again.
The thing is, I haven’t really dug deep into why I felt it was so important to create this program in the first place.
My big why is that I want to empower other movement professionals to take their career into their own hands and create a sustainable business that can survive even in times of economic crisis.
They might not achieve internet stardom or make millions.
Then again, I’m not either.
My business brings me joy, though and deep satisfaction.
I am proud of what I offer into the world and stand by the quality of my work.
I can’t give you the exact blueprint for silencing the voices in your head that distract you from completing projects or accomplishing goals or doing the hard things.
There isn’t some master list of things you can do or boxes to check that will magically give you the motivation to do something you’ve been avoiding.
Here’s what I do believe:
I think that instead of letting the obstacles dominate our field of vision, we have to ask why the idea or the gal felt so important in the first place.
We need to dig deeply into the WHY.
If the why isn’t very strong, then maybe another goal or idea should take precedence.
On the other hand, if the why is really strong and feels really important, then all of those excuses should become less powerful.
I know this is easier said than done.
Those voices of opposition are really good at keeping us stuck.
I know this intimately.
And I also know that change is uncomfortable. I know I am capable of doing hard things.
So instead of letting those excuses cloud my vision and prevent me from doing things that could create positive change in the world and my life, too, I’m going to act.
I’m giving myself a deadline — August 1st — to get started on opening up this training to movement professionals. If you’re interested, there’s no webpage with info but if you email me at naomi@conscioushealthymama.com I’ll send you all of the information on August 1st.
I’m making a checklist of what needs to get done before this date and checking one thing off everyday.
And I’m reminding myself of my why. I’ve written it out on a sheet of paper and I’m sharing it with as many people as I can as a verbal, visual, public statement of intent.
So now I’m asking you:
What’s something you’ve been putting off or avoiding that you really want to do?
What’s holding you back?
And how can you step into the choice to do the hard thing instead of avoiding it?
Let me know in the comments below!
