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Have you ever been stuck, felt paralyzed, and you found yourself in a place where you just could not move forward. In this episode of the podcast, David and Donna talk about times they’ve been stuck and some of the leadership lessons they’ve learned to help them move forward. [0:30]At Calibrate360 we talk a lot about forward movement, calibration, and climbing the next Summit, but what about those times when you are stuck and you just cannot find or envision a way up or a way forward. [1:55]
There’s a time to wait and a time to leap forward. How do we know the difference? [2:40]
If you’d like to read the time stamped episode notes, along with any links mentioned, just continue reading. (The time stamps are clickable.)
Sometimes, as a leader, I sit across a breakfast table from a leader who is going through some hard things in life. On many occasions I’d love to tell them what they want to hear, or access some really direct and clear answer, but often the only answers I have are “wait,” and “trust.”
Following is an outline for the podcast episode:
There is a time for action and a time for waiting, but how do we know the difference? [2:40]
- The time for waiting is when there is no clear path, no way made for us. In these times we have to exercise a lot of trust. [2:50]
- We know it’s time to take action when we do know where we want or need to go and we can identify the next step. [3:20]
Our life journey is one of plateaus. [4:05]
- Sometimes we feel stuck or even paralyzed. [5:40]
- Sometimes we cannot move forward no matter how hard we try.
- In this episode, we want to address those times we are stuck or paralyzed and it is TIME to take action. [5:55]
sometimes it’s …
- Day to day stuff [6:00]
- Loss of passion and motivation [6:05]
- But sometimes it is life altering circumstances, really big stuff that we just do not know how to navigate through. [6:15]
Let’s take a look at some common obstacles, how to deal with or overcome some of those obstacles, and some practical tools to apply when trying to press beyond the things that cause us to be stuck.
[callout]Forward movement always comes through taking action.[/callout]
First understand why you can’t move forward. [8:35]
- Perfectionism [9:15]
- Procrastination plays a role. Perhaps because we are overwhelmed… in our minds it is just so much bigger than we can deal with right now. [9:30]
- Fear of failure, which lends itself to perfectionism, because somehow we think that if we perfectly execute then it lowers the chance of failure. [10:00]
- Fear of criticism. If we don’t act, there is nothing to criticize. This lends itself to perfectionism, because if we execute perfectly then there will not be anything to criticize… yeah right! [12:00]
- Lack of focus is anther reason we do not move forward. because we are overwhelmed with so many things, we place our focus upon the most urgent things (instead of IMPORTANT THINGS) and often do not accomplish things of long term significance because of all the noise and business clamoring for our attention. [13:50]
[shareable]The imperfect thing I’ve put out there is far superior to the perfect thing you haven’t done yet. [/shareable]
Second, Commit to Taking the FIRST Step. [14:50]
- What is something in which you just need to move forward and take the first step? [15:00]
- Just jump in the water! Get some momentum going! [15:20]
- Once you take the first step and you launch, the possibilities will begin to explode in your mind. [16:00]
[callout]Once you take the first step and you launch, the possibilities will begin to explode in your mind.[/callout]
With this podcast…
We are so glad we just jumped in the water. We would still be stuck, still waiting until this or that were in place before we launched. We are no longer stuck. We are moving. We have momentum.
And the thing is… when we start moving possibilities begin to explode in our minds. When one thing is behind us and we look to the next, it expands our thinking, our leadership, and things start to really move forward.
I know there will be ups and downs (with everything), but I’m focusing on the understanding that, “This is a marathon, not a sprint.” In a marathon, you have to focus on just the next step, the next leg, not the next 15 miles.
So, what must we calibrate to get forward movement… [16:35]
#1 JUST START MOVING [17:10]
So much of life is wrapped up in doing, in launching, and in just starting.
I’ve found my writing to be very much driven by just starting, because when I start ideas start to flow.
I mentioned the free eBook chapter from my soon to be released book on journaling. If you’d like to receive this eBook, even if you’ve previously subscribed, put your email address in the subscription box either to the right of the page or below this post and we will send it to you right away.
[callout]When we take a step of faith a path begins to form. [/callout]
One of the most profound things I’ve learned is, it is not only important that I trust God, but I must also trust God in me. [20:45]
The trap of “someday” [22:20]
- We need to do this someday.
- Someday we need to get the leadership team together and work this to the ground.
- Someday I’m going to get with the person I love to pour myself into them.
How many visions have died simply because time was never carved out to clarify the vision and first steps were never taken? [23:15]
OK, AFTER THE FIRST STEP… THEN WHAT? [23:20]
Third, trust that the next step will lead to the next step. [23:45]
For LIFE Calibration
WE sometimes see the HUGE picture, but we cannot see the small steps to get us there.
What is your big picture? What is your summit? Can you describe it? Do you know what it is? What is the vision in your heart?
Break it down… See the next step, just the next step. What is it?
How my coach encouraged me to pursue a graduate degree by encouraging me to take just the first tiny step. One step led to the next, and within one year I was enrolled in a graduate program. This was possible because I took the first small step.
Transformation comes from revelation. Revelation is seeing, it is insight, it is inspiration. Revelation are the things we see in our spirit, in our souls. If you don’t look, you can’t see. But when you look you see and it builds. One thing upon the next. 2 Corinthians 3 says we move from glory to glory, revelation to revelation, one thing builds upon the next. (Transformation) [27:20]
THE POWER OF THE FIRST STEP [28:00]
SO WHY DOES ALL OF THIS MATTER? [28:10]
HERE’S WHAT’S AT RISK… Being stuck. Being stuck for the rest of your life. Coming to the end of your life and still being… stuck. THAT’S WHY YOU HAVE TO MOVE… ONE STEP, JUST… ONE… STEP…
At the end of our lives it is more likely we will regret the things we did not do, than the things we attempted and failed.
What if I do not know my next step? [30:00]
So, what are the practical tools for this episode…
#1 CALIBRATE, get quiet, listen, (refer to Episode 001) for ONE next step. It might not even look like what you think it should, but forward movement creates further forward movement… glory to glory.
#2 Explore your next step in LAYERS (TOOLS FOR CALIBRATING YOUR LIFE)
- Look for the activity of God.
- Look for YOUR passion point if there is one. [32:00]
- Look for the most critical “one thing” that you simply must do…because you just have to. (this relates to when you are paralyzed) ([33:00])
#3 When you don’t know what to do and you feel paralyzed, take the first small step that you do know to do.
For coaching and mentoring : (Lifting those you Lead and Love)
#1 What is it those you lead and love constantly talk about? What is their big dream?
#2 Have them identify the NEXT step, the next goal,
#3 What one thing must they do to move toward that goal?
- It might simply be putting something on their calendar.
- It might be researching something.
- It may even be setting aside time in their calendar to just think about the next step with an accountable conversation scheduled.
#4 Hold them accountability to the one goal they set and CELEBRATE the accomplishment of that goal.
Never underestimate the power of simply setting aside time in your calendar to get quiet and think.
Walking in the Fog
For pressing beyond the tough stuff become an action taker. When you are walking in fog you can only successively take the next step. We want to encourage you that you just do the one thing today that you know you must do. Find the courage to do that one thing. Isolate it.
See you next Thursday for the next episode of The Calibrate Life Podcast!
