Let Go to Move Forward

“Oh, yesterdays are over my shoulder, So I can’t look back for too long. There’s just too much to see waiting in front of me, and I know that I just can’t go wrong” — Jimmy Buffett

Recently, one of my readers posed an interesting question, ” …you have to let go of now before you can pickup something new, how do you free yourself to take the leap?” How many times have we hesitated on moving forward because we were afraid to take the next step? How often have we complained about our current situation and even had an idea for the solution or wanted to make a significant change, but sat on the sidelines because it was seemed more secure? I know I certainly have.

As I reflect on my personal hesitations, I often find that I was living with the false belief that my present situation was secure and that it was a risk to move forward. Over the years I have come to discover that security is really an illusion. There is no more certainty that tomorrow will be the same as today as there is likelihood that it will be different. We could be so fortunate as to win the lottery or inherit a great wealth or so unfortunate as to lose our health or employment.

To quote Helen Keller, “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

So what do we do? How do we live with that reality and how do we let go of today to get to a better tomorrow? There are a couple of previous Blog posts we can take a look at that may offer us some guidance and structure.

In the Change Formula blog we discussed that our motivation for moving forward (change) was a product of our level of dissatisfaction with the current situation, a strong vision of the future, and practical next steps. The formula theorized that if all of these things were strong we would be motivated to move forward (change).

In the Be Bold blog we discussed that being bold to move forward was not an act of taking a foolish risk, but about putting together a well thought out plan, being confident in our abilities, gaining the knowledge needed and then taking action. In other words moving from careless risk to prudent risk with a high likelihood of success.

So what can we do? Let’s take a look at the issue we are hesitating about and figure out how to move forward.

Here are some practical steps:

From: The Change Formula

1. Level of Dissatisfaction. Are we unhappy with the current situation? If it is really as bad as we think then we need to make sure that we don’t forget that this situation is intolerable.
2. Vision. Do we have a strong vision of the future? Do we have a clear mental image, based in reality of what the new opportunity holds? If so, then let’s write it down and put it in front of us so that we have a constant reminder of where we want to go and what it will be like.
3. Practical First Steps. Do we have a Plan? Do we have the next steps formulated in detail? In not, then it is time to do so.

From: Be Bold

1. Be Prepared. Again, this refers to having a plan. Take the time to make a plan, think it through and then be ready to take the appropriate next steps.
2. Be Confident. Now that we have a plan, have confidence in our thinking. We are ready and most of the time our thoughts and actions lead to success.
3. Ask for What We Want. If there is knowledge, experience or resources needed, then set about filling that gap. We will not succeed without this part of the plan, so lineup the things we need to be successful.
4. Take Action. Now that we have a plan and the resources we need we are ready. Move forward and put your plan in motion.

Once we have put all of these things in place we are ready to move forward. If after all of this we still have a nagging hesitation, let’s remember that the present is not any more secure than our future. We are at a crossroad, do we continue to suffer through inaction or do we embrace our future? Go ahead, the only thing we are truly risking is embracing the future.

I hope this has been helpful. I certainly want to thank the reader that posed this interesting question. I look forward to our next discussion. Please feel free to extend the conversation in the comments below.

Thanks,

Skip Gilbert