Have you ever been swimming in a fresh water lake? It is often bone-chilling cold. Think for a moment about how you would decide to enter the lake. Most people do one of 2 things…
A) Jump In – At first it is shocking. But once you jump in and get over the initial shock, you acclimate to the temperature and before you know it… you are enjoying a swim and want to swim all day.
or
B) Dip a Toe – These Toe Dipper people test the waters, decide it is too cold and retreat back to the blanket on the beach.
Many people are Toe Dippers in life. A Toe Dipper is someone who does EVERYTHING but change. They never change because they only dip a toe in, decide it is too cold, hard, or scary and never fully commit to the change. They give themselves reasons to back out and justify in their mind so well why they retreated back to the beach. But all the while, their heart wishes they were in the lake.
My blog and website gets a lot of Toe Dipping visitors. They think, research, dream, journal, and complain about the life they want but never pull the trigger. Toe Dippers surf around the internet, read a ton of articles and self-help books, peruse my coaching facts page, think about how nice it would be to SOMEDAY quit the job they hate, leave the relationship that drains them, get their office organized or seek expert help.
Sometimes when a BIG change is needed, the best way is make it is to just JUMP in. It is either SINK or SWIM – there is no turning back. Odds are in favor of that you will learn to swim, acclimate and make the best of the situation.
Jumping in, at first, will shock the hell out of you, make your squirm in your skin, and scream like a little school girl!!! But before you know it, the change feels good, refreshing and comfortable.
If you just dip a toe in, you often get scared off and retreat.
My Coaching Advice to Toe Dippers:
- Go within your heart and ask yourself what you really, really, really want.
- Write it down. Now ask yourself why you don’t have it.
- Notice the excuses you come up with.
- Write those down. Notice now silly and unreasonable some of those excuses are. Ask your self if that is really true. For a great process on how to change your limiting beliefs, check out Byron Katie’s The Work Turnaround Process.
- Now tell yourself you are going to make the change anyway because you know in your heart it is what you want.
- Also ask yourself how you will feel 10 years from now if you don’t make the change and your life is still the same. If the answer is “pretty crappy or regretful” then go directly to #7 and follow the instructions.
- Then JUMP into the lake or contact me to push you into the lake.
No more excuses!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Hello Allison, How true this is. I know there were times in my life when I just took a chance on the changes I wanted to make and they have all turned out for the better. You are very right. It’s easier to just jump right in instead of pondering over things, because most of us just walk away from the needed changes in our lives if we sit there and ponder. Have a nice day!