7 Steps for Staying on Track in your Growth Journey

Have you ever heard people say “Honor the Struggle”? Over the last few years, I have heard it many times and I have been thinking about it quite a lot lately as I continue on my journey of entrepreneurship. 

Honoring the struggle encapsulates a couple of things. 1. When we start a new goal, change job, try something we've never done before, not only are there a lot of unknowns, but we'll likely have to learn a few things to become great at what we're trying to do. Some of it may be easy to learn, some will require a bit more focus and attention, but as we deepen our learning, some of it will require us to really put our thinking cap on as the topics get more complex. And we will invariably struggle. Along with that struggle comes point no. 2: the need to give ourselves some grace. That is one of the critical components to learning. When we haven't done or learned anything new in a while and we need to get back in the habit, or we might be dealing with overwhelm, which makes it more difficult to learn and remember the things we learned, either of which requires us to be patient and kind with ourselves.

Embarking on a new learning or discovery journey is not always easy. Much of that depends on 1. what your goal is, 2. how big of a stretch it is and 3. what your why is. The bigger the goal and the more it will require you to get out of your comfort zone and the more struggle you are likely to face. The being said, why you want to achieve that goal can be a soothing salve for the difficulties ahead. The bigger your reason for achieving your goal, the more you will be willing and able to endure to get to the finish line and the more likely you are to succeed!

How do you honor the struggle? Do you say you’ll do something and then not follow-through, then berate yourself for the hiccup? (How is that working for ya?) Do you want to be and do more, knowing that will require you to grow into a different person and yet you seem stuck in your old ways, even when you’re talking about changing? OR do you understand that the learning process takes time and perseverance and you give yourself the time and the room to make mistakes, learn and make progress? I've done all of those and here are a few things I have discovered while on my journey:

Determine your why
Deciding why or even who you are making changes for is a very powerful motivator. So you want to lose 40 lbs. Why? There is a big difference between saying you are doing it so you'll look good in a bikini this summer and doing it so you can have the energy to play with your kids without being winded. Deciding that you are doing to do something for yourself can be powerful enough. Other times, we may need to add a bigger reason than just ourselves to keep us moving in the right direction

Decide on your pain threshold
How uncomfortable are you willing to get to finally make the changes you know you need to make. Some people are unhappy in a given situation, but that still doesn't mean they'll do the work. I'm sure you've come across some of them. They're the ones that seem to be very "happy" griping about stuff, but never actually do anything to change the situation. They are like the dog laying on the nail moaning and groaning because it’s easier to keep laying there (even though he’s in pain), than moving to be free of the pain. So, you need to decide when enough is enough? Where is that line in the sand that you won't cross?

Make a decision
Look, making changes is not easy especially not when what you’re trying to do takes you well out of your comfort zone. You have to be constantly vigilant. If you’re not used to making changes, you might want to start with low hanging fruit. Are there any changes that would be easy to make, require some discipline and that you have been meaning to make for along time, but just haven’t actually made the decision to do it? Every time you want to implement something new, all you have to do is to make the decision. It really is that simple. When you decide, something magical happens. You take some of the pain away; the pain of being on the fence and beating yourself you for not doing what you know you should be doing. Once you make the decision and you do not give yourself an out, sticking with it become easier, even if with this decision comes the potential for uncertainty, discomfort, fear of either succeeding or failing or (self) criticism.

Trust the process
If you’re anything like me, when thinking changing something that doesn’t serve you, you’re going to want results immediately. For example, those 40 lbs you want to lose…? You didn’t gain them in a few days, so you can’t expect to see the pounds melt off like you’re removing layers of clothes. When we start on a journey and we're super motivated, we put big plans and actions in place; sort of like a life overhaul. I believe that is a recipe for failure. It is much more practical to take baby steps that will give you some wins and help you to build your confidence in your ability to succeed. I used the example of weight loss because it's often something that people have tried more than once and failed. It could be quitting smoking, stopping drinking or whatever your Moby Dick is. When that happens, your confidence erodes; "I've tried this before and it didn't work, why will this time be different?"  Learning to trust ourselves, trusting whatever process we have put in place, being patient, not expecting unrealistic results and taking smaller steps is a recipe for success.

Be consistent
One thing is sure. You will be challenged. Allow it to happen. Learn your lessons. Tweak your plan. Keep what works and discard what doesn't. There is always a nugget there that will make your next move easier. Stay humble and open to the challenges. Show up consistently and consistently rise above the norm. We all can do something one or twice, but when we show up time and time again, that's when the magic happens. One of the ways I found works for me is by putting routines in place. There is beauty in routines. When we stick to them, they become habits. When they become habits, we don't have to think about them anymore. They become part of who we are and how we operate. And it's important to remember, all you need to do is simply better than the day before and you can do that one day and one decision at a time, in a consistent way. 

Falling off the wagon
We all do. It’s not about perfection. It’s about the journey and what you discover about yourself along the way, realizing that you are stronger than you think you are, as you take on these challenges. The Universe has a way of conspiring in your favor and bringing us exactly what we need, when we need it. So, what happens when you do fall off the wagon? You GET BACK ON… No muss no fuss. 1. Look at your behavior. 2. Try to understand what caused you to stray. 3. Have a plan in place for the next time a similar situation arises by figuring out what you will do differently. Over time, you’ll be able to avoid pitfalls and triggers because you will be more in tune with the new you.

Measure progress
That’s the key final step.Tracking or journaling is a great way to set yourself up for success. Peter Drucker is known for saying "you can't manage what you can't measure”, meaning how can you improve something when you don't know where you are? When we take an honest look at how we're progressing, how we are doing vs. your goal, how much weight have we've lost/gained based on what we set out to, how our sleep is improving, how well we are controlling our temper, only then can we continually optimize our approach. Who do you want to grow into? What qualities do you want to develop? Whatever your objective is, write down your success criteria, your end goal and then measure how you’re doing against it. If your goal is vague and uninspiring, you’ll be shooting in the dark and it makes it harder to see whether or not you’re making any progress.

So, how are you staying on track and honoring the struggle? What do you have in place that helps you to do that and keep on track with your growth? Do you feel like you are moving forward and focusing on your progress? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please leave me a comment. I look forward to hearing from you!