Baby Steps….

Years ago, I met a woman who confessed to me that she was feeling frustrated and struggling to lose weight, even though weight loss had once seemed effortless. We talked it through, and soon realized that in the past, she didn’t overthink things. She just ate right, went on daily walks with her husband and dog, and was happy.

Now, despite being someone who struggled with obesity as a child and overcoming it, in my 40s, I found myself after some life challenges struggling with my weight again, and was so upset with myself for the same reasons. But with some time and healing, I remembered this woman’s story, and it helped me immensely.

Baby steps…

Have you ever seen the movie “What about Bob”? It’s the story of a man named Bob with a multi-phobia disorder who meets a psychiatrist who gives him an idea that helped lead him down a path of healing. He told Bob to take baby steps.

When we take baby steps and avoid overthinking our challenges, approaching each challenge one step at a time, we start to find a sense of inner calm. This allows us to move beyond the challenge more easily. Often, we look back and realize that while we were focused on moving forward, we hadn’t really thought about the challenge itself. One day, we can reflect and say, “Wow, I accomplished my goal.”

Through this wisdom, I found the strength and know-how to overcome my struggle to lose the 40lbs I had been working on for over 3 years. I find now that I feel so much better when I don’t overthink things. I find that taking things in baby steps, one challenge at a time, one task at a time, even one day at a time, helps me accomplish more than overthinking does.

So, the next time you find yourself worrying about a big goal or challenge, why not allow yourself to see the outcome you want and trust the rest will take care of itself, a day at a time. It’s not about being lazy, or not doing anything to accomplish your goals. It’s about no longer blocking yourself with fear of the outcome not unfolding or how it will unfold.

Along the way, you will notice that the calmer you are, the more your inner wisdom will bring up what’s really scaring you and what you really want to see happen, even the best way forward. Trust that this inner wisdom or inner voice will guide you every step of the way, often in time frames and ways that are much different from what we expected.

So, the next time you find yourself stuck in fear over something you really want to happen, ask yourself…

• What do I have control over?
• What do I need to be patient with?
• What work needs to be done?
• What is really bothering me?
• What is the outcome I truly want?

See you next time….