Why your ideas need action…
You know when you have a thought that starts with: “Wouldn’t it be cool if…”
And the thought comes with real excitement and curiosity…
But then, time passes, the idea keeps coming around, but it only stays vague and lingering in the back of your mind…
Something happens here, when you DON’T bring that idea to life, where it eats away at your confidence. It starts to send the subtle message to your consciousness that your ideas are only meant to stay in your mind and are not meant to happen…
Do you ever find yourself getting lost in daydreaming?
I wonder about this because there’s a danger for learned helplessness here - reinforcing the idea that you don’t have the power to manifest your dreams - and that the things that light you up are stuck in a fantasy, dream-land instead of reality.
But maybe manifestation isn’t so complicated as the mind makes it out to be…
I had the idea for a longer hike that crossed two park ranges near my home: from The Hudson River - up Storm King Mountain - and through Black Rock Forest.
But for many reasons, I kept putting it off… for two years!
Finally, I committed to making a plan and it happened this last week.
11.5 miles - challenging hills - and a gorgeous day with viewpoints, lakes, streams, and waterfalls…
See the Video Reel Here
I feel so much more inspired and renewed with energy. And most importantly, I feel like there’s space in my brain for the next idea and the next adventure! And for the next time, I believe it could happen quicker and with more ease.
So, what’s the take away?
Not every idea and dream need to be pursued of course. But there are some that you feel pulled towards - that persist over time. Those that catch your excitement and curiosity, if not acted upon, can sort of clog your mental space and stifle your creativity for other things. The remedy is to either detach completely from the idea or to take some action to walk toward its completion.
Sometimes the biggest cause of procrastination is that a project or idea seems too big to tackle and we succumb to feeling overwhelmed.
This is where the littlest steps - like finding one piece of information on the internet, or planning one small section of a journey, or even just finding a photo that helps you get a little more clear on your idea - can take you into the feeling of empowered achievement.
At a certain point, if you keep gathering each little piece, the puzzle will start to fit together and you will find the idea springs to life.
This is what happened for me regarding that hike: It stayed in my brain for too long until finally I committed to one small action at a time:
I picked a date on the calendar
I check the upcoming weather report
I reviewed the map
I sent an invite to a few friends
A hike like this is a low stakes example, but I believe the process applies to the larger dreams we hold… and the more we gain experience in bringing even the small dreams to life, the more confidence we’ll feel in taking steps on those longer, more important journeys.
What’s something you’ve been dreaming of doing for a while?
What’s the smallest step you can take toward that dream right now?
Right now, I’m feeling super inspired and excited to create the next adventure.
PS: if you’re in the area, sign up for my event list and join us next time!