Sometimes, something can be so simple, yet we make it so complicated. Do you ever do that? I’m so good at coming up with good ideas, but when it comes to implementing them… not always so good. Sometimes, I discover a great big dream in my heart but then I lose sight of it because I begin to handle all the obstacles in front of me without a clear plan for moving beyond them. Even writing my blog posts! I’ll think of something juicy to share, but then sit down to write about it, and I feel like I’ve got a huge boulder in front of me. And the problem is, sometimes that boulder stops me for long periods of time. Like years. And sometimes, even decades. And I can see how easy it would be to allow my life to simply pass by, and my legacy, my life’s work, could end up being nothing more than a small pile of gravel from my own roadblock. I don’t want to die and unlived life!
So how do we deal with these big ol’ monster blocks? I’ll share a few tips!
When I’m with a client, I notice that sometimes, I see the boulder long before they do! Sometimes we get right up to it and they still don’t see it. I begin to wonder if they are unable to see it at all (awareness), or if they just don’t want to acknowledge that its there (denial).
Since I’ve had to blow up some pretty hefty boulders on my own path, I learned how to deal with them. Do you have something blocking you from what you want to be, do or have? Here are four rock-solid strategies for getting past those roadblocks:
1. Vision. What would you like in your life that you don’t have right now? More time? More income? More fun? What would it look like to have what you want? Don’t be afraid of it! You can’t move toward something until you know its there.
What is it that you’d like to see in your life? Now go deeper. If you had an abundance of time and money, how would your life look different? Create a vision of something you want and hold that vision in front of you. Close your eyes and picture it. Memorize every detail of it. Maybe it’s a new boat! Maybe it’s a dream vacation. Perhaps it’s a new job or a cottage in the mountains. Picture something you’d like to have that makes your heart sing and imagine its sitting on the other side of the boulder!
2. Clarity. Get clear about what’s in between you and what you want! When I am with my clients, and they come up on a huge road block, I begin asking how they plan to get around it. Sometimes, I stunned. Sometimes, they say something like, “What block?” It is often so obvious to me, but it’s not always so obvious to my clients. That’s why we all need a coach! TO help us see and identify what stops of from reaching our goals, creating the life we dream of, experiencing our own success! So, even though it looks like a boulder to me, it might look like a dead-end road to my client. I call that a wall, but either way, it’s a road block.
Often, we don’t know there’s anything beyond the roadblock. Other times, we get so busy creating the detour we forget where we were going. Sometimes we feel like we’re not enough… or that we’d fail if we tried to move beyond it. What I’ve learned is that more often than not, the bigger the boulder, the better the destination! Close your eyes. Imagine your dream. Picture it again. Now, picture the boulder that’s in between you and your dream. Name it. Write it across that big boulder. Get clear about what your obstacles really are so you can effectively address them and continue moving toward what you want.
3. Focus. If you’re trying to move past the obstacle that’s keeping you from what you want, and all you focus on is the big bad boulder, you will grow tired and possibly give up. What you focus on expands. So don’t focus on the problem… focus on the solution! Otherwise, before long, you will be lost in the land of busywork and endless to-do lists and repetitive routines that keep you distracted and busy, but mean nothing in the big master plan of life. You could spend your entire life chipping away at the boulder, and never actually get beyond it.
Once you have a vision for what it is that you want, and then you get clear about what is blocking you, learn how to keep the vision of what you want in front in you. Keep it in your mind’s eye while you address the obstacles. This is bit tricky. It takes practice. When you chip away at the roadblock, or in some cases, you get dynamite and prepare to blow it apart, you want to keep your eyes and your heart fixated on your ‘why.’ Keep your heart’s desire ever-present. Otherwise, it becomes tedious, passionless, challenging work and you might give up. That would be a tragedy.
4. Action. Whatever you do, don’t get stuck. Don’t stop moving toward your dreams. Keep finding solutions and ask for help. Seek out an expert (coaches are awesome at supporting you through the roadblocks)! The good news is that as long as you take action, as long as you are moving toward your dream, it is moving closer to you! So stay in motion. Make decisions that help you move beyond it. Never stop believing its possible! And please, promise me you won’t get lost in the details and busywork and forget to live your best life!
Boom! That boulder I had in front of me – GONE! See? It’s as easy as that!
