HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED?
One of our deepest human needs is to work and grow toward what brings more meaning, fulfillment, and connection. Life is busy, time flies and before we know it a decade has passed. Are we having fun? How do we know we are on the right path?
Some of the busiest people I know accomplish a lot of tasks and busy work but by the end of the day they feel wiped out, over committed and unproductive. How do you spend an entire day running from one thing to another and feel like you didn’t accomplish a thing? You stop dreaming. You find yourself uninspired and in reaction to everything and everyone else around you. You’re in maintenance mode, a comfortable groove, efficient and proficient, doing the thing you’ve always done. It’s feelssafe, but can dangerously threaten what deeply connects you to more fulfillment in life.
Do you remember when you felt that nervous excitement and wonder, the desire and motivation to do whatever it took to achieve that onething you wanted more than anything else? How do you get there again? More heart, less hustle and 3 critical decisions will make it possible.
First decision, dream again. Take a timeout and go all inon an honest unharnessed dreamin’ session with yourself. The more audacious and bold the dream the better. It needs to be something worth fighting for, a deep stretch and the possibility of it freaks you out (in a good way). The experiences that brought you here won’t take you there so make it something that inspires action. It’s up to you. Bring back the desire to lose yourself in something that makes you crazy passionate again. Take the time to pause and connect with this new challenge, take notes, make plans, get specific.
Next, what’s your growth plan? For some of us it will mean a small pivot and others a BIGleap. Once you’ve identified what’s next, how will you engage with it every single day? It’s easy to get stuck in the weeds. There are a million distractions, some beyond our control, fighting for our attention. We are less committed when we aren’t intentionally connecting daily to the one thing we really want. We won't get there overnight so, how are you learning and developing the skills that will get you closer? The education and resources you commit yourself to today, will keep you inspired along the way. Maybe it’s podcasts, books, online classes, seminars and events, a coach, a mentor, regardless, there are so many resources available to keep you moving forward.
Lastly, contribute and connect with others about what you’re learning and working toward. This alone can be a game changer. When we share our ideas and thoughts with others, we are fulfilling a critical piece in our commitment and shift toward what we want.
Truth be told, in a world of instant gratification, big dreams can quickly derail without thoughtful goals and benchmarks along the way. The value of setting goals is less about getting stuck in the busy work or comparison to someone who’s already killing it in the place you want to go. Focus on showing-up to do the work, the time and energy you spend now is a worthy investment for future gain.
Goals are little wins that create big progress. Even if you’re taking small steps forward, stay inside the work, it will remind you whyit’s important to you. Progress is where inspiration comes alive and thrives, it’s what brings life to the big dream.
