What’s Blocking Your Dreams?

The real question that Scarcity is asking you…(is) not “Do you have enough?” Rather, Scarcity is chasing us to ask: “What is really important to you? Are you using the limited energy of your life to create your dreams?”

Maria Nemeth

I love that quote.  First of all, it puts Scarcity in a whole new light.  It’s not often that we see it as a help.

Secondly, because it focuses on the importance of our dreams.  In my work with clients, I have found over and over that when we don’t direct our energy toward our dreams, it’s because something’s getting in the way.

That “something” can be beliefs like… “I can’t do this. Who am I to do this? Who am I to be the expert? I can’t be an expert when I don’t have it all down yet.”

There’s a closed-ness when we have thoughts like that. It’s almost as if we’re putting ourselves over here and our dreams over there with all those doubts fears as obstacles in between. Those doubts and fears keep us from even being able to see ourselves accomplishing whatever our goals and dreams are.

Move Forward, Step by Step

Of course, there are certainly things you can do to work through or even simply remove the doubts and fears that stand between you and your goals. There are some tactical practices that can be very helpful, for instance the Pomodoro Method for time management.

There’s also the practice of breaking down larger goals into smaller steps so the big accomplishment feels much more manageable. When we break large objectives into smaller steps, it’s so much easier to take the first one.  The fear and doubt seem to fall by the wayside, or at least be small enough to step over.

The beautiful thing about this technique is that each step illuminates the next one.  Even if you don’t know how to get all the way to your dreams, the very next step is certainly available to you.  The step after that will be revealed.

Tweet: When we practice visualizing ourselves doing something big, it shows us where our blocks are.

It’s as if you’re starting off at home and you want to get someplace across town. It’s unlikely that there’s just one road you take from your front door that lands you at your destination. Instead, it’s a matter of going as far as you can down one street until you realize, “Oh, I’m too far West, I need to turn left to correct my path.”

And so you make your way to your destination, one simple, manageable step at a time.

Putting these Practices into a Business Context

In terms of business, this strategy is very practical. The big goal might be putting together a marketing strategy for an online program – and maybe it feels like a huge, scary task.

But all you have to do today is sit down and write about it. Do that first. In writing, you will get clarity about what’s important to include in the program, what your ideal clients are feeling in the moment and how you can best help them.

With that information, it’s easy to figure out what to write in your first email blast. So you write that email, send it, and someone writes back and then you realize, “Oh, the next thing they need to understand is this other piece…” And then you write your second email.

But truly, you wouldn’t have known what the second email should be just by sitting down at your desk. Everything is unfolding naturally, and self-doubt isn’t as achingly present as it may have been had you attempted to hammer out the entire thing all at once.

Picture Yourself Running the Show

A final important piece of the puzzle is being able to picture yourself as the person running the program.

If we can’t imagine ourselves as the person accomplishing this incredible goal, we start holding ourselves back – often unconsciously. When we practice visualizing ourselves doing something big, it shows us where our blocks are. All those little voices will come up and say, “Yeah, but what if this bad thing happens…”

In truth, those little voices are a blessing because they show us exactly where we’re blocked and where we need to focus on releasing stuck energy.

For tips on how to do this, download my free Powershift Starter Kit and start directing more energy toward your dreams.