Have you ever felt stuck? You probably know that sense of helpless futility that takes over your life.  You want your life to change, but you feel powerless to do anything about it yourself.  You may even find yourself making plans to improve your life, but never quite getting around to taking any action because it seems so intimidating to take that first step.

Though taking action can be frightening, it can also empower you!  When used effectively, it can provide the fuel to keep you moving forward toward a more fulfilling life. When you do this, you realize that there was never anything to fear in the first place, and you never need to be stuck again!

Here are three simple steps to help you to get started:

1. First, understand that your life is the way it is right now because of your hesitation to take action!  It is crucial to realize the importance of moving forward no matter how anxious it makes you feel at first. Now, decide on one action you will take to start the ball rolling.  Think about your life right now, and ask yourself which situations you want to change first.  You might choose your career, health, relationships, financial situation, or anything else that makes you feel powerless and stuck. Then think about one simple action you can take to inspire some positive change.  It doesn’t have to be a huge action, just SOMETHING to start building momentum.
2. Once you’ve decided on your one action, you’ll have to push yourself to take it… no matter what!  This may seem difficult or even frightening, but remember that most of the things you fear are not going to happen.  In fact, you may not even have a clear reason for feeling scared – you’re just afraid of the “unknown”.  Give yourself a pep talk or push yourself in any way so that you move forward at least a little bit.  After you take that first step, let go of any expectations of the things that will happen because of it, and allow yourself to simply feel great because you did something about it!
3. Repeat with the same step, and/or others.  Once you’ve taken one step forward, you’ll need to keep pushing yourself to take others.  Think about this:  even if you take a hundred small steps in a month, you’ll be putting forth positive effort to make changes in your life, that cannot help but bring you closer to the goal that you desire!

The good news is that taking action quickly begins to build momentum.  Just as continued non-action creates a cycle of negativity and stagnation over time, being proactive will create a positive cycle that continues to grow!  It gets easier the more you do it, and eventually seems almost effortless – and you continue to empower and strengthen yourself with every step you take.

Vision boards can help to focus your intentions and even spur you on to take that first step. You can learn more about vision boards at the VisionLounge.