“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Lau Tzu
Are you waiting to learn, know or understand every step you need to take before taking action? Are you waiting until you feel confident before pursuing something new? Or are you waiting for your fears to vanish before stepping out of your comfort zone?
Waiting on each one of these ‘pre-requisites’ to your progress is actually what is hampering you in moving forward.
It’s natural that we want to look for guarantees that the actions we take will deliver the results that we want. We want ‘up-front proof’ that things will work. We want to know the step-by-step instructions that will get us to where we want to go before we get going. If we had those instructions clearly laid out in front of us, then there’d be nothing to be afraid of and we could step forward with confidence.
It’s also natural – and more common – to remain stuck in exactly the same place today as we were yesterday because those guarantees and assurances aren’t available.
The truth is that when we have a big dream to pursue, those step-by-step instructions are unlikely to exist. The gap between where we are now and what we want to create in our lives can feel overwhelmingly huge! But what we can be sure of is that if we don’t take that first step, we’ll remain exactly where we are today.
It takes courage to move forward when you don’t have every step laid out in front of you. However, that first step is what is needed to get you moving.
Having a beginner’s mindset and not knowing all the answers is actually what makes achieving those big dreams possible.
“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities but, in the expert’s, there are few.” – Shunryu Suzuki
I recently had the opportunity to take a short vacation with a friend whom I admire immensely. She has, over recent times, set up two charities that help support children with disabilities and their families.
This was her big dream. And when she commenced upon this path, she had no idea of the immensity, nor the complexity, of the work that would be required to get these charities up and running. However, what she did have was a burning desire to help these families and children. That dream, that desire, pulled her through every bureaucratic obstacle that would come her way.
She didn’t wait until she knew every step that had to be taken. She stepped forward and took one action. That led to the next action, then the next and the next.
As a result, there are children and families who are now receiving physical and psychological therapy.
Where would these children and families be if my friend had waited until she knew every action that she would need to take, or if she had waited to feel confident and unafraid?
You, too, may have a dream that’s burning within you – something that will change your life, that will change someone else’s life, or even change the world. Are you waiting for all the answers before you start pursuing it? Who is missing out on the gifts you have to give?
Don’t wait.
All you need to do is take that first step. You may not see the second step right now, but you will – once you step over that threshold.
