#44: Steps.

Success doesn’t just happen, you must climb the staircase step by step.

I recently learned that there are two very different types of people in this world. Those who can see exactly where they want to go, but fail to see the steps that they need to take to bring their vision to life. I tend to think of these people as dreamers, but the doing happens to be their downfall. These people can effectively see the end of the staircase but not the path or steps it will take to reach for their vision or dreams. These people tend to overanalyze and hold themselves back from taking the first step because the path between where they are and where they ultimately want to be is anything but clear. To them I say: You do not need to see the whole staircase, just take the next step.

And then there are those who are fantastic at seeing the step directly in front of them, but fail to see the big picture and cannot see where the staircase is ultimately leading them. I tend to think of these people as doers, but the dreaming part of their mind is often closed off. These people tend to wander blindly; without a larger long term goal in mind, without a larger vision to hold on to, they can easily veer off course and often feel directionless. To them I say: Dare to dream, then decide to do.

Viewed through this lens, each clearly has a blindspot. But I believe we have the ability to flex between these two very different ways of being because I have lived my life as both. When I was working in the corporate world, I could always see the next rung on the never ending ladder. I ceaselessly climbed, but I was completely blind to where this corporate path was leading me. After leaving my corporate career behind to stay home, a lot of that blurriness was suddenly cast in a completely different light. For the first time I could see who I wanted to be, but I couldn’t figure out how to get there.

I spent years holding myself back from reaching for my dreams because they felt much too big and impossibly out of reach. I was terrified to reach for more in the midst of motherhood and avoided pushing through my fears for years. I learned, mostly through trial and error, that the bigger the dream the harder it is to effectively take the first step and leaping can therefore feel damn near impossible. Prior to launching my co-working space, I tried to walk away from the dream time and time again. I desperately wanted someone (read anyone) to launch it for me, to transform my dream into a reality without me ever having to take the first step or any thereafter.

Without the structure of the corporate world, I forgot how to put one foot in front of the other and I used motherhood as an excuse for holding myself back. When that dream grew too big (and too loud) to ignore, I decided to get out of my own way and slowly started paving a path forward. I still couldn’t quite figure out which steps I needed to take, so I took a lot of them, and after years of hard work and persistence I eventually brought that dream to life, only to watch it crumble a few years later.

I have since turned my focus toward helping other women chase their dreams and in the process I have repeatedly met both types of people; those who can clearly see the direction they want to head but refuse to take the next step and those who are fabulous at seeing the next step but fail to line their steps up in any meaningful way. I do not think there is anything wrong with either version, but it can be helpful to understand which type of person you happen to be and then use that information to fill in the necessary gaps.

I tend to consider myself a dreamer and pride myself on my ability to hold a crystal clear vision for my life, but now challenge myself (almost daily) to show up and take action in the direction of my dreams. If this sounds like you, I challenge you to do the same. If you happen to be better at doing, then I challenge you to take a moment and dream then align that vision with the steps you are already great at taking.

What is your next step?! Where is it taking you?!