How to Take the Leap of Your Life

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In having thousands of conversations with people around their goals, desires, and dreams, I’ve found a common theme: most people know what they have to do, but fear keeps them stuck. Specifically, they know their time at their current job is beyond the expiration date, they understand the city they live in no longer works, and they have the desire to start and launch their own business.

They’re not lacking insights, they’re lacking courage; because, as time passes, it continues to feed fear in the most creative of ways – waiting for the “right” time, attending another certification program, or getting permission from someone they love.

The great tragedy of waiting is one we’ve all experienced: the day we feel ready will never come, and we may never get it back. In this post, I’ll share the 3 ways to make the bold decision you’ve been waiting to take — and step into the leap of your life with trust, faith, and going all in.

Before we do, let’s examine the worst that could happen.

“The day we feel ready will never come.”

Really, What’s the Worst That Could Happen?

One of the biggest obstacles in the way of you taking your leap is an obsession with worst-case scenarios. You know what I’m talking about: quitting your job to launch the business only to fail. Moving cross country only to run out of cash. Clicking “record” on your podcast and having no one listen.

But rarely do worst-case scenarios even pan out — because when you give yourself permission to leap, you always win. Even if you don’t immediately succeed, you win with knowing you took a chance. You bet on yourself. This alone creates clarity and momentum.

“When you give yourself permission to leap, you always win.”

When this happens, you’ll create opportunities no matter what happens. So the first step for you is simple: release worst-case scenarios and instead of thinking of what could happen, focus on the upside: you’re doing it, and because of this, you’re already winning.

Now, let’s look into the 3 ways you can make the bold decision you’ve been putting off today and never look back.

Step 1: Reverse Visualization

You’ve heard of visualizing your goals for success, right? This isn’t the same, yet it can be even more powerful: use reverse visualization to amplify the cost of not chasing your dreams.

Let me explain further: take your dream and visualize yourself waking up 1, 3, 5 0r 10 years down the line; except, instead of bringing it to life, I want you to focus on what your life looks and feels like if you don’t do it. Specifically, focus on the sinking feeling of regret you’re experiencing on a day-to-day basis.

I’ve found reverse visualization to dramatically increase urgency and release the short-term doubts and excuses that keep most people stuck from ever starting. Most importantly, it gets you clear and focused on what needs to be done today.

Step 2: Unapologetically Declaring

Once you’ve harnessed the power of reverse visualization, it’s time to unapologetically declare your bold leap. Because too often, I notice people keep their dreams a secret. No one knows about them — but, most importantly, you don’t hold yourself accountable to them.

Because they don’t feel real to you, your lack of declaring your dreams becomes a convenient way to play small and spend more time waiting. Instead, choose to step into your bold leap and declare it to yourself, the people around you, and even on social media channels. Get vulnerable and put yourself out there.

Otherwise, your enthusiasm will fade and soon it’ll all become a distant memory.

Step 3: One Small Change Today and Tomorrow

Now that you’ve declared, it’s time to make a change. Too often, however, people complicate this part and get overwhelmed. Instead, I want you to keep it simple by choosing one small change today, and another tomorrow. I know this doesn’t sound exciting, but it works:

By taking small action steps, you build momentum and start to believe it’s possible for you. This creates a feedback loop of winning and forces you to focus on what’s working (instead of what’s not.)

The key here is to keep your change so simple that you make it nearly impossible to not follow through. As long as it’s connected to your leap, you’re doing the right thing.

No More Waiting; It’s Your Time

So, what are you waiting for? Remember: every day that passes and you don’t act is another day you lose momentum and belief in your dreams.

You deserve to live a life on your terms, doing what lights you up. But, too often, we give in to fear and watch our dreams slowly fade away until one day they’re gone.

Then, you wake up years down the line and wonder where the time went and how it never happened for you.

If you’re ready to learn more about how to take the bold leap, my upcoming book The Leap of Your Life: How to Redefine Risk, Quit Waiting For ‘Someday,’ and Live Boldly will take you through the entire process.