by: Caroline Jalango
How many times have you come up with a brilliant idea only to find yourself paralyzed with inaction and wondering/regretting why you never pursued it?
How many times have you allowed those unfounded fears to stand in the way of your progress? How many times will you keep allowing inaction paralysis to rob you of the life you want?
Whether you want to start a business, write a book or are looking for a new job or new clients, if you want to get results…you must act when your emotions are still high and the idea you have is sizzling hot! This is usually the time when the idea is so powerful and clear in your mind. You feel confident and enthusiastic…from this vantage point “anything is possible.”
To turn intention into reality, you probably know that you not only have to “strike while the iron is hot” but also make your idea or goal hotter by striking immediately.
Since you realize this, as soon as the idea comes to your mind, you quickly begin to plan the actions you are going to take to ensure that you succeed. As you begin to get more specific on the details of the action plan…you suddenly begin to panic!
All sorts of fears and doubts begin to creep in. You begin to question yourself and your abilities. Questions like these begin to cross your mind…what will they think of my idea? What if they don’t like me? What if it doesn’t work? Am I setting myself up for rejection/failure? Will I be able to deliver? Can I really do this? Do I really know what I am getting myself into? Is my idea really worth the value I am placing on it? Does this sound familiar?
The moment you begin to panic is the moment that idea and inaction paralysis sets in! Your passion begins to fizzle and the importance and value of your idea begins to diminish in your eyes…if you don’t STOP and recognize that this is something you can overcome …you stand to lose it all.
Here are 3 quick ways to stop inaction paralysis and get moving on your goal.
1. Acknowledge the negative thoughts you are having.
This does not mean giving in to negative thoughts; it means accepting that you are having those thoughts and preparing to deal with them one by one. I suggest writing down a list of all the thoughts that are standing in the way of your idea or goal.
For instance, if you want to present a business proposal to a company…the negative thoughts you may have are; the company will not be interested, my proposal will be rejected, I may not be able to deliver the results I promise and etc. Write each thought down.
2. For each negative (why not) give a positive (why) response.
For all the negative thoughts on your “negative list” prepare a positive response for each one by highlighting why you want to carry on with your idea or goal. For example: If one of your negative thoughts was “The company will not be interested in my proposal;” your positive response to that will be” The company will be very interested because my proposal is in line with the company’s vision and the work that I intend to do for the company will improve profits greatly, create positive publicity and boost the company’s image internationally.
Whatever your reasons are, write down why you support carrying on with your idea or goal. This will help you get rid of what’s holding you back mentally and allow you to start seeing the possibility of what you can do.
3. Prove yourself right!
The only way to prove yourself, is to take an action step in the direction you want to go. You can prove yourself right by either action or inaction. It’s almost like a battle between good and evil. If you choose to give in to your fears, you will be proving to yourself that you can’t really make it due to inaction paralysis. However, if despite all the fears you face, you boldly and courageously choose to go forward with your plans to pursue your idea, goal or dream…chances are that, you will prove yourself a winner!
Whatever you do, get rid of inaction paralysis and make deliberate plans to place yourself on the road to succes