I recently received an e-mail asking if I was “ready to take a quantum leap into my success” and would get everything I needed in a 3- day program. Yikes!
I’m not ready, thank you, and the truth is most of us are silently terrified at a quantum leap. Did you know that the brain is designed so that any new challenge or opportunity – no matter how beneficial – will trigger some degree of fear? The bigger the challenge, the greater the fear. The idea that we can avoid fear in the face of success is pretty much impossible.
Once the fear response gets triggered, we unconsciously make excuses to resist any change and stay where we are. We say things to ourselves like “I’m too busy to deal with changing any behaviors right now,” “I don’t have the time to learn how to do new things,” and my personal favorite, “I don’t have the money to invest in myself today – I’ll do I it later when I have more money.” (Of course, that probably won’t happen until you change some things.)
This is why we find ourselves with big ideas yet resistant to implementation.
When our fear is triggered, we may experience one or more of these success-blocking behaviors: (1) lack of focus, (2) difficulty implementing ideas (3) perfectionism and (4) procrastination.
So, what works? Take extremely small steps. Consistently. Over an extended period of time, and, most importantly, be accountable to someone who will not let you slide. It’s magic.
According to one of my former teachers, Dr. Robert Maurer, author of One Small Step Can Change Your Life, and psychological researcher at UCLA, “small, easily achievable goals – such as picking up just one paper clip on a chronically messy desk – lets you tiptoe past the amygdala (fear center), keeping it asleep without setting off alarm bells.” He explains that while you take these small steps you are actually reprogramming new nerve pathways for your desired change so that it happens almost without you realizing it.
In my 30+ years of coaching, I have found this to be true. While we offer various mastermind programs, I added “Quick Coach” in 2023 which are affordable ONE TO ONE 30 Minute coaching and accountability check-ins, and clients rave about the results. Slowly.
You can read them here https://firedup4success.com/quick-coach/
I am opening a little space for 1-2 more, and maybe you’d like to make your “quantum leap” a little easier.
