Last week I wrote about keeping your eyes on the reward and not the obstacles.
The idea behind that post was to not worry about the obstacles but just about reaching the goal.
Today, I am going to totally contradict what I wrote about last week but I strongly believe we all need to do both.
When we go for a drive in our car at night we can’t look beyond what our headlights will allow us to see. We can only focus on what is right in front of us.
We know what our destination is but our headlights simply can’t show us the entire path to our goal.
There may be some obstacles on the way but we can only deal and react to what is right in front of us, what our headlights allow us to see.
The same is true in trying to courageously reach our goals or work through our fears.
We know what the goal is but we need to only work on the next step. What is the next step right in front of you to reach your goal?
We can’t worry about steps 2 through whatever until we accomplish step 1.
As a reminder, here are some of the responses from my recent reader survey of what people would like to accomplish if they had the courage to do so:
- Become debt free
- Lose weight
- I’m afraid of flying
- Take a mission trip to Africa
- Several around job transitions
- Many responses fear of what others think or lack of self-worth
Let’s take a look at just a couple of these to see what the first step might be.
In the case of becoming debt free step #1 might be just to simply find out how deep in debt you are. Having been in financial trouble at one time myself I avoided finding out how bad it was. I was scared to know. Step 1 might be to simply have the courage to find out where you are.
Losing weight is a similar scenario. People who want to lose weight often don’t know where they are and are afraid to find out.
The Biggest Loser used to be one of my very favorite tv shows. Often, during the initial weigh ins on the first episode, you would hear the contestants say something like, “Wow! I knew it was bad but I didn’t know it was that bad.”
Have the courage to find out where you are so you can start your journey. Don’t look beyond your headlights to things you can’t even see.
These are just suggestions of what step 1 might be for these two scenarios.
Once you complete that step then look at what the next step might be. Focus on what is in your beams and not beyond the lights.
Completing this first step is a victory. Celebrate the small victories along the way.
For five years I have been writing a book. FIVE YEARS! Many people have written multiple books over a time span like that but we won’t go there because that’s playing the comparison game and we always lose that game.
By never putting a time frame on when I want it done I never have to finish it. It can just hang out there like a dangling participle waiting for someone to come along and put an end to the sentence.
My next step is to determine a date in which I will have a completed book in my hand.
I will let you know a completed book date soon!
It’s such an interesting thing to speak and blog about fear and courage and to have both of those things play themselves out in my every day life.
Just as I’m sure with many of you I try to look beyond the lights and I get no where or I get sidetracked.
What is it that you courageously want to accomplish in the next year?
What is the next step you can take this week to move closer to that goal?
Do you have the courage to take just one step?
Psalm 37:23
Have a STRONG and COURAGEOUS day!
Dave, it is worth noting that as we age, our “lights” sometimes just don’t shine as far out as we would like…..but as you have so nicely illustrated, it really should not matter. Everyday problems and concerns take our utmost courage to deal with one step at a time. Be it health, wealth or family, we should understand the destination is already there, so enjoy the journey and resolve to take the time to live!
Craig, you are so right. I don’t know about you but, to go along with your analogy, it seems that as we age we withdraw into our comfort zone more and more. I believe we need to continue to be bold for all the reasons you mention! Thanks, Craig!
Dave