Two powerful questions that will help you to move into action
If you are feeling that you are stuck and not moving forward, there is usually a reason for that.
It does not matter whether you finally move out of your current career, change the city you live in, or start writing your first book.
There is always a reason why you are NOT doing things.
Always.
Reasons that hold you back can be subtle, like fear of success, feeling not good enough, or lacking true clarity.
Other times, they are obvious, like that you don´t have enough savings to back you up, or don´t have the necessary qualifications for a change.
All those reasons are originated in the basic functionality of your brain.
This is how your brain works
Your brain is in charge of all actions and it is driven by two opposite forces: pain and pleasure.
So the brain operates based on two simple questions:
Will this cause me pain?
Will I gain pleasure from this?
If you don’t pay attention to these questions, those two forces run the show.
If you don´t make conscious decisions, your brain will automatically choose the option that is the safest for you. And guess what, this is remaining in status-quo, not making any changes.
So how can you use this mechanism to your advantage?
These two questions will move you into action
To move into action, you will have to support your brain.
If you want to change things, you will have to find a way to make this less scary, and more enjoyable for your brain.
These two questions will help you with that:
HOW CAN I REDUCE THE PAIN?
HOW CAN I ADD MORE PLEASURE?
For example, if you want to change your career, dealing with uncertainty and worrying about your (financial) future can give you a lot of pain.
So what could you do to reduce the pain?
Could you save some money to build a strong financial backup before you take the leap?
Could you make sure to have all the necessary training and experience you need for this change?
Is there additional research you can do that will prepare you better for your new career?
And how can you add pleasure?
Could you fully immerse yourself in the preparations for the new career? What would make all those preparations joyful and easy?
Could you connect with inspiring people who already did what you want to do to gain some extra motivation and faith?
Could you tap into your new career already? You could create a vision board or map out how your future work week will look like. You could order a new desk or create a playlist for your new office.
What drives you?
Observe what drives you more - reducing pain or adding pleasure.
Some people gain momentum if they manage to reduce the risk of that change, whereas others thrive when they are tapping into adding pleasure to the experience.
If you understand those two forces within you, you can start playing around with them.
Use them to your advantage so the change you are after feels not daunting anymore but safe, exciting, and enjoyable!
Let me know how this is going!
Lots of love,
Laura