You’ve got good instincts! Go with them.

After 10 days of trying to push myself off the fence and move forward, this was the parting advice from my writing teacher. I admit being momentarily disappointed and a bit perplexed. I mean, really. If I thought my good instincts were going to get me to my goal of a finished book would I have been at the Writing Festival with this dilemma?

To leave with an instruction manual would have been nice. Or perhaps, a nifty “6 Steps to Getting it Done” guide to get us on our way. But there was to be none of that. Instead she affirmed the two things I already knew – there’s no way to get it done except to do it, and I already knew what to do.

So what’s stopping me from just doing it? Is it laziness, fear, or a lack of self-confidence? Who knows, maybe it’s all three. I’ve been pondering this for the last few days and still no clear answer except one. I am the only thing holding me back. It’s time to get up off my behind and head on down the road.

How is it that we get stuck in such a quagmire of uncertainty? We see a thing before us, want it so desperately and yet remain stationary in our pursuit. It seems our mind conspires against our success, making the thought of a thing more pleasing than the actual pursuit of it.

I just got a note from a friend struggling with this same issue. She’s gained a few pounds and wants to lose weight. Everyday she looks at the treadmill, searching for the will to actually get on it. She finally reached out to me for a word of encouragement.

Now that I’m back to exercising regularly – at least for now – I feel empowered in this regard. I want to say, girl just get your a$$ off the couch and get on the treadmill. It’s right there at your house. But of course that’s not encouraging. It’s also a bit hypocritical given that I too am struggling to do something I already know how to do.

So here’s what I’ll say to both of us, and to you too if there’s something you want but have struggled to pursue – every day we get up we must make the decision to get after it. There are no more steps between “I want it” and “I have it.“

We can spend all our time psycho-analyzing ourselves to determine what’s holding us in place, or we can take a step and get closer to our goals. Amazingly, when we start to move forward what was no longer has the power to hold us back. Actively pursuing our goals causes fear to abate, builds self-confidence, and builds a desire to do it more. The cure is in the doing.

So tell me, what is it you want but haven’t found the gumption to get after? Is it losing weight, going back to school, or like me building something new? Whatever it is, I want you to remember three things:

• You are the only thing holding you back.
• You have everything you need to start from right where you are.
• You can do it!

Indeed, we all can do it. We can relentlessly pursue our goals until we reach the finish. No, it’s not easy. Very few things in life worth having are easy to obtain. It takes work, but I’m confident we’re up to the challenge. Because we’ve got good instincts, we know what to do, and when a woman makes up her mind there isn’t anything she can’t do!

See you at the finish line!

Loving on Me as I Love You. ❤