One step forward, two steps back. What’s the difference?

A step forward, a step backwards. What’s the difference?

Are you moving forwards or backwards? Or neither?

Lately I’ve heard myself saying a lot, “I feel like I’m taking one step forward, two steps back.” You know that feeling where you know you’re making headway in life and kicking some goals but then inevitably something comes along that throws you back further than where you first started?

Who cares! It occurred to me recently that it doesn’t matter whether these steps are forwards or backwards. What matters is that I am taking steps, not staying stagnant. The steps forward encourage me to take more because I start to get a taste of the life I am trying to build; the steps backwards invariably teach me something. Perhaps it’s what not to do again; perhaps it’s to show me that it’s ok to make mistakes and that it’s not going to kill me.

I know I’m not the only one  who has been stuck in this game of ‘toe and fro’ and really, what’s the point of playing alone?

I want to share some of my tips for when you feel like you just can’t get ahead, can’t catch a break or simply feel like giving up altogether.

  1. Know that you aren’t alone and that it’s perfectly ok and normal to feel like that.
  2. Look at the steps that have moved you towards your goals and focus on ways of how you can repeat those steps. Before you know it, you’ll be propelling yourself so far forward you’ll wonder why you ever worried about the other steps.
  3. Think of a time where you felt you were taking two steps back. Now look at the circumstances or events that led you to that. Is there something you could do differently next time to change that into a step forward?
  4. Choose. Ultimately know that a step ‘forwards’ or ‘backwards’ is neither positive nor negative, but rather interchangeable and both steps are going to get you to where you need to be.
  5. Trust the process. Life really is a journey that is made up of experiences and lessons, both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and if you can’t accept that you are going to battle through absolutely everything and the road ahead is going to be a very long unpleasant one for you.

If you’re following me on Facebook here  you’ll know that Tuesdays are “TRY SOMETHING TUESDAYS” and yesterday I asked, ‘when is the last time you tried something for the first time?’

Well, when did YOU? We can never move forward, or backwards for that matter, if we never try anything new. Instead we stay motionless and wonder why our circumstances never change or why we constantly feel stuck.

Sure sometimes the decisions I make move me a little further away from my dreams and goals but you know what? The lessons I learn from that are actually moving me a hell of a lot closer to where I want to be because I learn what not to do again. This goes hand in hand with celebrating the “No’s” you get. Don’t cry over them, be thankful for them because each no is moving you that bit closer to a YES!

 

Have you just tried something for the very first time or are vouching to do so in the very near future? What is it?

 

 

One Response to One step forward, two steps back. What’s the difference?

Leave a reply

READY TO START YOUR JOURNEY HOME? LET'S GO...