Get Out of Your Own Way: How to Take Action Now

#299 - What if the only thing standing between you and your dreams was a small, manageable step? Today, I want to challenge the notion that big goals require grand actions. With a unique blend of personal anecdotes and actionable advice, this episode delves into the art of overcoming the barriers that keep us stuck—be it fear of failure or the quest for perfection. I share a self-reflective exercise designed to identify what's really stopping you and encourages you to face those mental hurdles head-on.

In this episode, I draw from my own experiences, including the inception of this very podcast, to show you how tiny actions can create powerful momentum. Learn the secret of breaking down overwhelming projects into bite-sized tasks, transforming chaotic aspirations into organized action. Whether it's cleaning a single drawer or dedicating ten minutes to a project, I guarantee you'll find the motivation to keep moving forward. Feel empowered to take that first crucial step toward your goals and experience the joy of intentional living in the midst of chaos.

Focus & Flow Application

Connect with Teresa on: Instagram or Podcast Website

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:09

Hey, my name is Teresa Hildebrand and this is Organized Chaos. We take a deep dive into living with intentionality, focusing on what's important in our lives so we can truly feel our best. It may feel chaotic at times, but with a little organization, the right mindset and a ton of self-love, we can still thrive. Join me as we talk to other busy moms and experts who will share tips and strategies to help you reach your goals. Hope you enjoy this episode of Organized Chaos. Now on to the show. Hey friends, welcome back to another episode of Organized Chaos. So today we're going to be talking about how to take action. So have you ever had an idea or a goal, maybe even something that you're super excited about, but you're just not taking action on it? So you start to overthink it, you put it off and then you start to wonder why you can't get yourself to move forward. So the thing is is that we all get stuck sometimes, but what I've learned is that the difference between staying stuck and making progress is just that first step. So today I'm going to walk you through how to get out of your own way and start taking action, even if it's small, because that's the key Small steps lead to big progress. So by the end of this episode, my hope is that you feel ready to take action on something anything at all. All right, let's dive in. So first we want to identify what's holding you back, because, I mean, to be honest, it's not usually about not having enough time or not being ready. Most of the time it's something much deeper, and that's what I do for my clients we dive deep into some of the situations that they're going through so that we can really pinpoint what's holding them back. But this is a really great exercise for you to do on your own, so that you can start taking those small steps, for you to do on your own, so that you can start taking those small steps.

Speaker 1 2:08

So maybe for you it's a fear of failure, or feeling like it has to be perfect before you can even start, or maybe it's just feeling overwhelmed by all the steps involved that frees you up and then you don't take any steps at all. So here's a little self check-in that you can do by asking yourself these questions. So here's a little self check in that you can do by asking yourself these questions. Number one what am I really afraid of here? Number two what's the worst that could happen if I just tried. And number three what's one small thing I can control right now? So you'd be surprised how powerful it is to face those thoughts head on, instead of letting them sit there in the background messing with your confidence. And I get it. Failure is scary, but here's what I've learned Every time I've quote unquote failed. It's taught me something, it's moved me closer to the next step. It's never been wasted, and I want you to think about that for yourself as well. What if failing is just part of the process of getting where you want to go? All right, now let's talk about starting small and building some of that momentum. So, now that you've gotten a little bit of clarity from those questions that you asked yourself, the next step is to just start.

Speaker 1 3:25

Here's a trick Don't think big, think small, like ridiculously small. So let's say, you want to declutter your home. Don't think about reorganizing the whole house. You just start with one drawer in your kitchen. Or if you have, like, a big project that you've been putting off for a long time, don't think about completing the whole thing. Just commit to working on it for 10 minutes a day. So why does this work? Right, because taking action creates momentum and momentum creates motivation, not the other way around. So you don't need to wait until you feel ready or inspired. You just need to start with something tiny. A little momentum can build from there. So let me give you an example.

Speaker 1 4:15

When I started this podcast, I was completely overwhelmed by everything that went into it the planning, the recording, the editing. I didn't even know where to start. So I started a course, and that was also overwhelming because it had 10, 12 modules that I had to go through. But this is what I did. I told myself just start with that one module, just do 10 minutes, just do 15 minutes. And those tiny actions led to another and another. And here we are at 300 episodes later. So here's a reminder for you Don't wait for perfect conditions. Just start small and see where it leads. The first small step. So what's next? It's setting yourself up for success.

Speaker 1 5:24

This part is all about creating kind of your environment that makes it easier for you to take action, because sometimes we just make things harder for ourselves. So here are a few tips. First, remove distractions. Put your phone in another room, close all the 20 tabs you have open in your browser, whatever it takes and then get the tools ready. Whether it's setting up your workspace or laying out your workout clothes or prepping your materials, just having everything ready to go can make all the difference. And this is my favorite block out time on your calendar. Treat it like an appointment that you can miss.

Speaker 1 6:01

Another big piece of this is accountability. Tell someone that you're working on this, write it down so it feels real, and don't forget to celebrate your progress along the way, even if it's just a small step. Every little step counts. Now let's talk about something that trips so many of us up Perfectionism. So here's the thing you don't need to have it all figured out, you don't need to get it right on the first try. You just need to take action and keep moving forward, because guess what Done is better than perfect, and every imperfect action you take is still moving you closer to your goals. So, instead of focusing on all the reasons why it might not work, focus on this. What if it does? That's it. What if this one small imperfect action is exactly what you need to get to where you want to be? Let that sink in for a second and then go, take that step.

Speaker 1 7:02

All right, friends, let's do a little quick recap of today's episode. So we talked about how to take action even when you feel stuck. So first identify what's really holding you back. Then start small and build momentum. Then you want to set yourself up for success by creating an environment that supports your actions, want to set yourself up for success by creating an environment that supports your actions and finally embrace imperfection, because progress is better than perfection. Okay, I know that was short, but I hope that was helpful and I hope that this gave you some inspiration to stop overthinking and just get started. The only way you can get out of your own way is to actually take that first step. And hey, if you do take action on something after listening to this, let me know. All right, thanks so much for tuning in and I'll see you on the next episode and until then, keep those small steps going and trust that you're on the right path. All right, I hope you have an amazing day and I'll see you next week.