Avoid this Mistake I Made 10 Years Ago

I wish I would have implemented this strategy 10 years ago. But, 10 years ago, it felt like this movement of leaving this cubicle dwelling nation was nowhere to be seen. Back then, I knew I wanted to have time to hike, dance and cook. I knew that life was more than this little space where I answered calls from all over the country for 8 to 10 hours a day. Ten years ago I was introduced to something so foreign and unimaginable that I felt like there was no way that I could do it. I didn’t know anyone making a living on their own terms. So, I did what was expected of me and once I had kids I kept doing what was expected of me. However, doing this equaled, disaster, because as I “moved-up” in my career I was now a salaried worker, expected to get the job done, no matter what. Which meant, working 60 hours a week, while missing out on the things that mattered the most to me. I know that playing the “what if” game is pointless. You know as well as I do, that we all do the best we can in the moment we are in. But, I’m going to be a little indulgent anyways and ask, where would I be now if ten years ago, I took what I knew and started full force in my journey? I mean really. What if, I fully embraced the things that mattered most to me and I put my dreams ahead of other people’s expectations? What would have happened if I put in half the effort that I put in to make other people happy, into making myself happy? What if I didn’t downplay what I was really capable of? What if I didn’t stall my seemingly outlandish dreams, because I knew that I would be accepted and loved no matter what? Truly, I think I would have made a big difference in the world, by being authentic and creating a livelihood that was a true expression of me, a lot sooner. BUT, like I said, it doesn’t make much sense to look back and say, “what if?” The only place you can begin is right here and now and the best strategy that I know if is to start. No matter where you are in your journey, you must simply begin and don’t stop. You can begin by reading The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, to understand the invisible forces that hold you back. You can begin by eliminating all the “stuff” that doesn’t reflect who you are and your values. You can begin by simply being still and quiet and getting in touch with who you need to be. Whatever you choose, know that anything worth having will require a starting place of action. It does not and will not matter if it’s a clumsy, imperfect start. In fact, those tend to be the best starts of all. Don’t wait, because those “what-ifs” really are pointless. You only have today.