Break Free! Getting Out of Your Own Way

'Don't allow your own beliefs to hold you back--step past them by taking action.' Lightarted Sue 

Its Simple: Get Out of Your Own Way by Taking Action

What's the secret to dealing with what ails you? You've got to get up, get out, and keep going doing things that will both calm and energize you!

Breaking Free of Belief Barriers

We all hold beliefs that serve as barriers to our taking action on things we want to do.

Because we fail to question our limiting beliefs we fail to take steps to seek work, establish new relationships, go on adventures, or follow through on healthy choices.

Every now and then I stop to observe my own self-talk to discover why I fail to take action on something that will make my life better--then I run simple experiments that free me to change my thoughts and my 'natural' actions.  

Last year I wanted to get myself to exercise daily. But when I attempted to follow through on my good intentions I discovered an age-old work-related belief barrier preventing me from getting out at the end of the day: If I failed to exercise in the morning before work I didn't exercise that day. 

My belief barriers:

• I'm too tired to walk the dog at the end of the day. So if I fail to go out before work--that's it--the dog doesn't get a walk.
•  I'm too tired to workout at the gym after work. If I fail to go at the beginning of the day, I won't do it.

As I observed my actions over a period of time I discovered that each day I failed to walk the dog, or get to the gym before work, I headed home to sit down for the rest of the evening—and I proved my self-imposed belief barriers right every time! 

A year later I've broken free of those belief barriers and I regularly go out after work--despite being tired--to walk the trail with the dog and to workout at the gym. How did I do it? I stopped focusing on being tired, and  I took action that increased the probability I would just do it.

The first step is always the hardest--overcoming inertia--so the first step has to be so easy its difficult to say no to it.

For me, at the end of the day, I chose to load the dog up in the car and drive to the trail head. If I don't want to walk the trail after getting there I can go home. But who wants to disappoint a dog? Not me! So evening walks became a new option for me that soon proved to refresh me from the work day. 

Likewise, getting in the car and driving to the gym in the evening became the first step to opening up the possibility I will workout in the evening. If after checking in I don't want to workout, I can go home. 

I have to admit there are evenings I check in and don't do much of a workout. But by maintaining the practice of driving to the gym and checking in before deciding if I want to workout I have greatly increased the amount of exercise I do.

"If we are to break free and move forward in some aspect of our lives we must step past our belief barriers and take steps to invalidate the beliefs holding us back."

Break Free: Act without Thinking

To step past belief barriers preventing you from moving forward simply take action without thinking one step and one day at a time.

Start by making a short list of beliefs preventing you from taking actions that would improve your life. Then choose one belief barrier to step past by taking one small action.

Belief Barriers

• The job market has changed. I'd just embarrass myself by walking into an organization to drop off a resume or to talk to someone directly about a job.
• I'm too tired to go out after work. 
• I'm too busy to meet anyone.
• I should have started saving for retirement earlier. Now it's too late.

Possible 1st Step Actions to Move Past Your Belief Barriers

• Get a job by walking in and asking for one.
• Drop off 3 resumes to places you'd like to work.
• Ask 1 person for a job referral. 
• Ask one person to go out for a friendly night on the town.
• Spend one hour setting up a LinkedIn account.
• Drive to the gym after work instead of driving home.
• Take the dog for a walk when you get home from work.
• Make a contribution to an IRA.

Prove you can do things differently. The more you prove your belief barriers wrong through taking daily actions, the sooner you'll set yourself free to pursue the life you want. Go on--get out of your own way and enjoy engaging in life.

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For more than 30 years, Susan Meyerott has been helping people lighten up and step over invisible barriers to change one step at a time. She speaks to your heart, puts you at ease, and makes changing easier than ever before.


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