2 Ways to Move Forward That Are Contrary to What You've Been Taught

A theme I heard this week in my coaching sessions was this sentence. “I bet you are going to tell me to do _______.”  

This assumption on what they thought they should do often had them stuck. We most likely have been taught to make a plan first, and then move forward. While I believe this to be sound advice, in some cases it just doesn’t work.

So, this leads to a couple of contrary beliefs I have that sometimes need to be employed about moving forward and getting something done.

First, setting goals in a timeline is what the general framework is for starting a project or a plan, but here’s a radical thought ...

Sometimes you don’t need a plan.

There have been many times when I get so caught up in trying to create a plan and the steps within it, that it stops me from moving forward. This leads to the next point ... 

What is your next best step, not “right” step,
but the next best step … for you?

What we’ve been taught is that there is a right way and a wrong way to do things. Because of this, in some cases, we often forget to check in with ourselves and determine what we feel is our best next step.

This knowledge comes from a different place inside you. It’s not your head thinking (cognitively trying to solve a problem using all you have learned) but instead, what I call your Knowing Center - what your gut or intuition is telling you to do in the moment.

Sometimes what our gut is telling us to do is impractical. However, simply taking the best next step for you can help you learn as you move forward. It can help you clarify what you want to do while you are doing it. This action leads to gathering information and can feed into your plan becoming clearer.

Your action then leads to a plan.

You may have heard the phrase “building the plane while flying it.”  This is the art of simultaneously taking action and creating the plan as you go.  Sometimes this is just what is needed. 

Getting stuck on what you need to do next can occur because our head interferes with our desire or our internal voice telling us to move forward in a certain direction. All you need to ask yourself is …

What is the best next step for me?