Do you ever feel like you are in the wrong spot to even start?

You are waiting until it feels right, looks right, or heaven forbid, others say it is right.

Your dream is there, and the desire is there, but it just isn’t the right time.

Thing is, it is never the right time.

Hard to hear I am sure, but true.

So what do you do?  

Stay where you are?

You know I am going to say no, don’t you? (insert wink face)

But, we do need to start with an awareness that it is ok to be here.

It is ok where you are.

Just don’t stay there.

But you have to start there.

One of the things that will rob your confidence is if you are always looking to be somewhere else.

Comparison not only robs your joy, it robs your confidence too.

Know where you are at, and know how you got here.  That awareness will give you the clarity that will help you know how you want to move forward.  

I say it so often, but, truly it begins with clarity.

Have you ever wondered what would be next for you?  Wondered what it will look like?

I can remember sitting on the couch as not only a single Mom, but also as a new empty nester.

Yup, I admit, I was there for a few days.

That was ok.  It was new and I needed time to process.

Thing is, I couldn’t stay there.

So, after a few days of wondering what in the world was next and feeling a bit lost … well, I got up.

I am not even going to pretend with you that it was easy, or smooth.  I missed them being around all the time.

I missed the noise and activity.

So I gathered some clarity, processed how I got to where I was, and then dreamed about where I would want to go.

Then I started moving.  

In baby steps.  One step at a time.  

I dreamed and I moved.

Baby steps.

Here are a few things I learned as I took my baby steps.  Maybe more like shuffled through them.

1.  Take the time to gain awareness of how your past has impacted your present, and celebrate where you are.  I may have been missing the kids (well adult kids), but they were gone because they were learning and growing.  I was so proud of what they were doing and I had to remember what  got all 3 of us there.  If you are unsure of what next and dreading it, first look at what got you to exactly where you are.
2. Identify what is most important to you.  Discover your core values, strengths, and passions.  What is it that lights you up when you talk about it, or do it?  Find ways to do more of that.  For me, I needed to discover more about me as I was moving past focusing on them.  For you, it might be changing up how you spend your time and what you focus on.  It may even be a new job … or retirement!
3. Dream … and then dream bigger!   We dream so “small”, because we can’t imagine actually doing it.  But dreaming brings out our imagination and helps us connect to the changes we want to make. It will take you out of where you are, and give you a bigger picture to aim for.  You see, when we focus on the present, we just respond to the present, but, when we dream big we look forward, and our mindset changes.
4. Take some baby steps!  In 2020, when we entered a new decade, I thought I would look back and take note of some of the things I accomplished.  I blew myself away!  I had purchased my own house, re-entered the work force, both kids graduated high school, my daughter graduated university, I married, my daughter married, I became a stepmom (best ever!), became a grandma, and started my own business! All by taking one baby step at a time.  If you had of asked me in 2010 if I would accomplish all that, I would have shook my head.

So it is ok where you are.

The beginning of knowing where you want to go, who you want to be, and what you want to accomplish … begins with clarity of knowing where you are. 

It is ok to be here.

You are meant to be here, you just aren’t meant to stay here.

And here is the perfect starting point for there!