change

Seasonally reflecting

For all the reasons this statement rings true for you: the transition into summer is one to hit pause on. Let’s now take a pause.

To me, this transition to summer feels like a call to look inward as we step out to enjoy and savor the season. Summer has this way of altering perspective naturally, as the speed of life shifts a bit.

A question relevant to this blog, and one to reflect on:

How can your journaling practice benefit from this change of pace? If you desire to shift focus in any way or to deepen your practice, now is a great moment to call attention to this and to record it in your journal.

Embrace what this seasonal shift represents to you- modifications in routine, a respite from the rush, changes in the cadence of your work, lounging poolside, or anything else relevant to your life in this season. This shift in pace offers an opportunity to step back and reflect on where you are, your current priorities (and how your actions reflect these priorities), and any adjustments you would like to make as you move into the future.

Seasonally speaking, summer represents a halfway point in the year, which naturally invites us to check in with ourselves on how our year is going. Summer also represents opportunity, for many of us, simply to step outside a bit more and to reconnect with nature and harvest the abundance of the moment. Whether we’ve entered vacation mode, engaging in beloved summertime traditions, or are simply trying to maximize long summer days and late sunsets, opportunities abound to notice what is happening within ourselves as we step outdoors. Welcome the contemplation and introspection that so often accompanies being with nature. While this is my personal perspective, it will undoubtedly also be communicated in the summer journaling workshops and group activities we will be hosting (mention of this topic now is to make me accountable regarding my intention to write more on this topic this summer!).

This seasonal shift encourages us to pause, reconnect with ourselves, and cultivate a deeper understanding of who we are and what truly matters to us. We can embrace this opportunity for a perspective shift. Taking these moments to pause can yield our own personalized guide for the season.

Breaking through excuses that keep us from taking action

One thing I have learned from my years as a psychologist (and as a human) is that best of intentions do not always translate into action. In fact, this was an unexpected finding from my dissertation research. I had studied the factors that were associated with following through with a health-related goal, and participants’ stated intention to complete that goal was not one of them.

So how do we actually make things happen?

This is one of my favorite topics to explore. I’ve written a book on this topic that addresses how to make a project or big idea happen and break through barriers. The idea for the book arose from years of experiences and observations as a practicing psychologist and behavioral scientist.

Many things can hold us back from accomplishing our goals. Gaining insight into what is holding each of us back is key to breaking through these barriers. Barriers essentially serve as excuses to keep us from taking action. In essence, though oversimplified, barriers are external or internal. Here’s a primer to begin to recognize our own barriers.

The dog ate my homework

Perhaps the easiest barriers to identify are those that we can blame not on ourselves, the external barriers: Our jobs or hectic lifestyles do not afford us the luxury of time to work on our goals. Someone or something stood in our way. We don’t have the resources, or we are waiting on someone else to get back to us.

A classic excuse for external barriers standing in our way is the excuse ‘the dog ate my homework.’ In fact, one purchaser of The Big Idea Journal workbook recently told me that she has not done what she had hoped to with this book yet because just after the book arrived, her dog had, well, eaten it. True story. No doubt this was a barrier (though would not have been had she used the audiobook version!).

I’m standing in my own way

The barriers that reside within us that get in our way can be powerful and often are harder to identify. Whether these internal barriers arise from our own fears and insecurities, our habitual patterns of giving up or utilizing ineffective strategies, our challenges with staying focused, or our lack of knowledge about how to accomplish our goals, we often self-sabotage without even realizing it.

All of these barriers, whether internal or external, can paralyze us into inaction. It can be both convenient and compelling to use these as excuses as to why we can’t do something. That said, we can break through these excuses. Here are some essential strategies for breaking through:

Get clear on our vision and purpose:

This step is critical, and is a sound investment of time. It may seem unnecessary to clarify your goals and why you are pursing them when you are feeling motivated. But once you get going (or certainly even before you get going), you encounter barriers. Understanding your ‘why’ can help sustain your commitment to your journey. There are may valuable questions that you can ask yourself to help achieve clarity. I often run workshops on this topic, in person locally as well as online.

Build awareness of your own barriers:

Once we recognize what holds us back, we are in a much better place to tackle our barriers. Building awareness may be challenging. Building awareness may seem like a burden, and it may feel uncomfortable. But by paying attention to these barriers, you can better identify them in the moment- which is exactly when you can intentionally redirect your course.

I recommend asking yourself pointed questions and opening yourself up to exploring these barriers. For example, try asking: “what is holding you back right now?” Then journal about it.

A major focus of one chapter of The Big Idea Journal workbook explores barriers and the learning that can result.

Make yourself accountable:

Another useful way to break through excuses is to check in on your goals and your progress, whether with yourself (such as using a guided journal) or with someone else (such as a co-worker, friend, mentor, or coach).

One recent coaching client reflected on the value of having this support:

“Having the deadline of talking to a real live person who I had to report back to on what I had accomplished was a real motivator in getting things on my to-do list done.”

As a follow up, this client had broken through barriers and taken action.

If you’d like guidance on breaking through your excuses, we invite you to check out our growing library of resources, including Big Idea coaching.

I wrote this blog post help you along your path to identifying and breaking through your own excuses. I would love to hear how this resonates with you and how this may have helped YOU break through!

- Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Founder, Write. Reflect. Grow.

Mondays just represent a chance to start anew (8).jpg

What’s the Big Idea?

I am excited to share a tool that has big potential. I’m sharing what has become a Big Idea to me.

I would like to introduce to you The Big Idea Journal: A Tool for Facilitating Change and Bringing your Idea to Life. I welcome you letting this journal be your guide when you notice your own seeds of ideas, regardless of what they are. The journal was developed based on the premise that you can take an idea, whether for a passion, a program, a business, or a project and make it more than just a great idea. With The Big Idea Journal as your guide, you help you make your idea a reality.

An overview of how it works:

You create your own parameters and The Big Idea Journal can help you define them.

You decide upon your own goals and identify needs and The Big Idea Journal can help you articulate them.

You take action to make things happen and The Big Idea Journal can help you organize your actions and establish your priorities.

You encounter barriers and The Big Idea Journal can help you understand how to overcome them.

You see outcomes and The Big Idea Journal can help you reflect on what you have achieved.

You hold the power in your own hands (if you happen to be holding The Big Idea Journal). See for yourself. To purchase The Big Idea Journal for yourself (or anyone you know with an idea), you can purchase directly from the publisher, purchase on Amazon, attend a live event or contact me directly.

Best,

Marni Amsellem, Ph.D.

Author, The Big Idea Journal