"The rules of reality can be bent. It just requires thinking in different terms."
~Timothy Ferriss

"Take time to deliberate but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in."
~Andrew Jackson

"I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving."
~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Have you ever imagined doing something wonderful or daring or important - and then you over-analyzed it to the point that you gave up before you even got started? I certainly have! It's like there's a part of me that wants to stomp on the accelerator and take me to places I've never been before. Then there's that other part that says "oh NO!" and slams on the brake! That other part wants to think it over, to keep me safe, to wallow in "analysis paralysis" and distractions. When I first thought about leaving the computer industry to become a coach, a part of me was so excited about the possibilities: helping people overcome obstacles and live life fully, having the freedom to set my own hours, learning about how the human mind operates instead of how a computer operates. How fascinating! Directly on the heels of those thoughts came, "You can't make a living at that!" "You're too old for that kind of change" and all sorts of crazy thoughts. There was my "security guard," on duty to keep me safe from myself!

In my work with people from around the world, I can tell you that this is a universal tendency. At one time this safety mechanism probably helped to save our ancestors from being eaten by the saber-toothed tiger. However, that same safety mechanism today just serves to hold us back from our dreams. So what can a modern-day person do with their old-fashioned fears? One answer, too often chosen, is to listen to your "security guard" and stay stuck. Another option is to say "just do it" and try to power through the fear. This works for a few, but not many. Or, as an alternative, you can try out my approach: You have to be moving to steer. I know it's not as as "just do it," but I found it served me well when I was becoming a coach, and in every important change since then.

Have you ever tried to turn the wheels of a stopped car? It's hard! Yet when the car is moving even just a little, it's easy to turn the wheel. What does this have to do with following your dreams? What often stops people is the thought that they have to know HOW to do it all right now. They know WHAT they want, but their minds are filled will questions about HOW to make that dream a reality. The trick is, you can't possibly know how to do it from the place you are today. It's like driving in the dark: you can only see a certain distance ahead using your headlights. Yet you can drive for hundreds of miles just by seeing ahead only a few feet at a time.

Pursuing your goals and dreams is a lot like that. Today, you can't imagine where the road will take you tomorrow, but you have to be moving to find out. Take the first action to start down the road, and from that action, you'll get feedback on where to steer next. Very early in my coaching career I imagined what my business would be like, yet I had no idea how to make that vision happen. So I took it one step at a time. I paid attention to the signs along the way, and I steered in the direction that seemed best to get me to the ultimate goal. Today I can't really tell you how I got here -which clever choices or brave actions made the difference. I just know that somehow I ended up right where I wanted to be. I have talked with people who accomplished amazing things in their lives about this concept. Each one said that when they started the journey, they had no idea of the person they would become as a result. They just continued to take action, and steered the best way they knew how at the time. You don't have to be moving fast, but you do have to be moving to steer.

What about you and your big dream? You'll never get there until you start moving. You can't possibly know from your current perspective what you'll need tomorrow for the journey. But I promise that as soon as you start moving, you'll be able to steer your way to that place. What is just one simple step to begin your journey today?