What are you waiting for?

A promotion? A raise? A word of encouragement? A sign?

What is holding you back from just starting and moving forward toward your dreams?

I bet you could make a whole long list of things that are keeping you in a rut and away from your long-held goals.

Some of these dream-blocking things could be a reality you live with day-in and day-out, like limited funds, while others could set up residence in your mind and refuse to let go, like a paralyzing fear of failure.

But the truth is that all of these things that you think are holding you back—whether real or imagined–don’t matter. What matters first and foremost is you. Yes, you.

Because you already have what you need right now to get to where you want to go.

Let me repeat that again because it’s worth saying again and again: you already have what you need right now to get to where you want to go.

How is that possible, you might ask? Well, because if you’re reading this then you’re likely looking for ways to to level up and meet your goals and achieve your dreams.

This simple act—of reading, of acquiring knowledge—tells me that you’ve made a conscious decision to focus on your own self-improvement.

This act also signals to me that you’re already channeling your Everyday Leader—learning to work with what you have to lead from where you are, even if you don’t realize it yet.

As a Confidence Coach, I’m here to help embrace and refine the Everyday Leader that lives within you and get you to your next level because I know that you have what you need in you right now to get to where you want to go.

I try my best to hammer this message home with my clients—that you are the answer, that you are your best resource—because oftentimes you won’t get exactly what you need (a promotion, a raise, the words of encouragement you so badly seek, or that one special sign) in order to move forward.

You don’t need permission to pursue your dreams—you can just start working toward them one day at a time.

But, I know, I know it’s much easier said than done.

I know that no matter how hard you try to work with what you have, you can still find yourself in a rut, unable to figure out how to get free from whatever is holding you captive.

Ruts, false starts, and self-doubt happen to the best of us, me included.

So how can you get unstuck?

Here are 3 simple action steps that you can take today to help get yourself out of a rut and moving forward.

I’ve used these steps on countless occasions, and I hope they can serve you well too in your journey toward your big goals.

Get Yourself Out of a Rut Action Step #1: Infuse Your Life with Inspiration

Whenever I find myself sinking into a tiring or unhappy place, I try to infuse my life with inspiring things that will keep me motivated and hungry to do what I’ve set out to do in terms of my own goals and dreams.

For example, if I’m feeling unproductive or bummed out, I turn to my favorite podcast, How I Built This, because hearing stories of how other entrepreneurs got started in their fields and found unconventional ways to solve challenges motivates me to overcome my own hurdles and gets me out of whatever rut I’ve found myself in.

The How I Built This podcast is just one of many tools I use to get myself energized to tackle my next action items. I also regularly track my best moments in my planner to help overcome self-doubt and I practice surrounding myself with quality people because the company you keep can either make or break your success.

I encourage you to find what will work for you. As meditation guru, Light Watkins says, “Every time we consume content that leaves us feeling uplifted and inspired, we’re voting for more of that. And conversely, whenever we consume negative, gossipy, or fear-based content, then we’re casting a vote to see more of that.”

By infusing your life with inspiration, you’re making the conscious choice to surround yourself with goodness rather than focusing on the negative or “not good enough” voice within you.

Inspiration is an excellent source for conquering self-doubt–use it well and use it often to keep you out of a run and moving forward.

Get Yourself Out of a Rut Action Step #2: Seek Out Positivity

A close cousin to infusing your life with inspiration is the act of seeking out positivity.

I think positivity is one of the most underrated leadership skills, which is why I chose to spend an entire chapter talking about it in my latest book, Leader by Mistake.

Positive thinking has so many wonderful benefits—from lowering your stress levels to reducing your risk for heart disease.

For some, positivity comes naturally, but for others, less so.

Don’t worry though—positivity is a power you can cultivate, and it starts with seeking out the positive within and around you.

For instance, as you walk out of your front door tomorrow morning, instead of thinking through your to-do list or feeling guilty because you didn’t solve every single problem before the start your work day, try to focus on a few positive things:

• Listen to a bird’s song or hum your favorite song.
• Recall a recent joke from a coworker or a TV show that really made you laugh out loud.
• Think about a family member (or friend) and reflect on a fond memory you two recently shared.

Taking stock of positive moments like these helps to remind us that they happen with greater frequency than we may realize.

We must remember that positivity is all around us—even on bad days—because these moments can help push us through especially tough times.

Beyond looking outside of you for the positive, you can also take the time to look within—to value your own mistakes and accomplishments.

By doing this inner reflection, you make the conscious choice to place yourself at an advantage, to highlight the ways you can learn from yourself and the ways in which you already shine.

Through these inward and outward positivity-seeking practices, you can start to piece together what you already have to get to where you want to go.

Positivity truly is one of the best tools we can access to get us out of a rut and inject us with the enthusiasm we need to keep moving forward.

Get Yourself Out of a Rut Action Step #3: Stop Overanalyzing & JUST START

Along with surrounding yourself with both inspiration and positivity, you really need to kick overanalyzing to the curb if you want to have any chance of digging your way out of a rut.

Overanalyzing is the process of thinking about something in way too much detail to the point where it bogs you down and hinders you from taking action.

You can infuse your life with all the inspiration and positivity in the world, but overanalysis can stop you dead in your tracks on your way toward your goals.

If you’re turning a decision over and over again in your head, you’re wasting precious time that could be used more effectively in moving toward your goals and dreams.

Nothing is perfect. But done is better than perfect, and you need to make whatever decision or take whatever action you’re mulling over so you can pull yourself up and force yourself forward.

As the dynamic Marie Forleo says, “Life doesn’t demand perfection. Life doesn’t require you to be constantly fearless, confident, or self-assured. Life simply requires you to keep showing up.”

I wholeheartedly agree with Marie. And I’ll let you in on a secret—there really is no perfect moment to just start.

You can start today.

You can start tomorrow.

You can start now.

This is one of the most important lessons I’ve learned as an entrepreneur and, in fact, I wouldn’t be the entrepreneur I am today if I didn’t let go of overanalysis and will myself to just start working toward my goals.

As I said before, no matter what your goals and dreams are, you can start with what you have now to work toward the changes you want to see happen your life.

So, just start. It really is that simple. Don’t sweat the small stuff and overanalyze the details—you’ll figure it all out along the way.

I believe in you. Now all you need to do is believe in yourself too.

Your dreams are waiting…so just start!

Onward,

JMB

P.S. Did you enjoy this post? Want more motivating tips, tricks, and advice on how to move forward on your goals and achieve your dreams? Join the Leader List today!