The First Step
Today's post is all about preparing you for success in 2016 with all of your goals, aspirations, and resolutions. Last week, I shared my goals with you for this year, and I hope that my goals inspired you to form your own for 2016. I truly believe that this year is going to be special for me, as I am a college graduate with a new job, apartment, and outlook on life, and I hope that this year will be special for you as well!
Let’s kick this year off right by discussing how to take the first steps towards our goals, why it’s so difficult, and how to combat this difficulty! (P.S. See my blog here about forming SMART goals!)
Why is the first step always the hardest? Why do we struggle to take the leap of faith?
I may not have the answers to these questions, but it is something to ponder. Why do we resist taking the initiative when it comes to our lives? Yes, often this step involves a change, and, like I’ve discussed before, change is hard! However, it is often the change and this first step that just might make a huge difference in our lives.
But, it all starts with that first step.
No matter what our end goal, we have to start somewhere. We have to take that active step towards reaching our goal or resolution.
As a personal example, when I started to have the feeling that the fashion industry wasn’t where I wanted to start my career, I resisted taking that first step, which was acknowledging the fact that my heart had changed. I was scared to consider my other options, especially after spending over three years in college studying fashion.
However, when I did take that first step and started to look into my other options (after much time spent in prayer and deep thought!), I felt so much better. Once I allowed myself to explore my new goal to have a career in fitness and nutrition as a health coach, doors opened up for me, and I began discovering new options and new steps to take every day!
As a result of that first step, I signed up for IIN’s health coaching program, enrolled in a group fitness instructor training class, and landed a new job as a Group Fitness Manager. Yet, none of this would have happened if I had let the fear of the first step control my actions.
There it is again: fear of the unknown, the fear of change. When we let this fear control our lives, we never allow ourselves to experience what is hidden behind that first step. We never get to discover the plethora of new experiences and habits waiting for us, waiting to make us healthier and happier.
What first step (or steps!) have you been putting off in your life?
Are you putting off looking for a new job or embarking on a career change, even though your current job is leaving you stressed and anxious, because you are fearful of starting the job search?
Have you resisted trying strength training because you fear that you will appear weak or unknowledgeable after years of inactivity?
Are you struggling with the decision to eliminate added sugar from your diet, even though you know that this added sugar is unhealthy, inflammatory, addictive, and may even be the cause behind your chronic headaches/colds/insomnia/acne/etc?
All this to say, whatever first step is weighing on your mind, I hope that this post will encourage you to take that step and leave your fears and doubts behind. You’ll never reach the second step unless you take the first step!