I’m thinking about roadblocks today. I am thinking about the roadblocks that people have in the way of getting the things they want.
I’ll be honest. I’m thinking of it today mostly because of the number of people I talk to who want to become professional coaches; people who want to join our Transformative Coaching Essentials program. I am talking about people who REALLY want to do it! People with the passion, the desire and the dream. People who see themselves becoming a life coach, a business coach, a professional certified coach, a great leader who uses coaching skills.
But don’t.
Why?
Roadblocks.
Are they physical roadblocks? They are not. It’s a metaphor, obviously.
Roadblocks are the stories we tell ourselves about why we can’t have the things we want. We say we don’t have enough money. We say we don’t have enough time. We say, “Now is not the time” and “Later” and “Next time.” We say, “I’m not ready yet.” We say, “I’m not organized enough, ‘together’ enough. I feel overwhelmed. I won’t be able to find clients. This won’t work.”
I truly think the secret to getting what you want in this life is recognizing your stories for what they are. Is it true you don’t have enough money? Maybe. Just because it is a story doesn’t make it not true. But what else is true? The deeper question might be, “what else am I afraid of?” For many people, it is easier to say, “I don’t have time” than to say, “I doubt myself” or “I am afraid.”
When I think about the metaphor of the physical roadblock, I think about structures that are temporary and can be moved. My invitation to you today is, consider the roadblocks you have to getting what you say you want. Just consider them. Don’t judge them. Don’t even try to move them. Just walk around them, touch them, see if they wiggle. See how solid they are. We do this by asking questions such as,
“If this was not the real reason I am saying no, what might the real reason be?” Or,
“If this was not my barrier, what would I do?” Or,
“What am I most afraid of?”
Ask questions. Investigate. Don’t just stop with the same story you have told yourself about all the other things you want.
Look deeper. Ask someone else to ask you questions about it.
See if the roadblocks move. Even if they wobble, you will see more possibilities. You will start to intervene in your standard reasons and little by little, things will change!
