How to face the new challenges that come with new goals

Part two of "The Art of Taking Action" 

When I went after having an Art show for the first time, I introduced myself to promising galleries with what felt to me like a strong series of Art work... and guess what? Some said: we're all booked, some said, it sounds great, call later and they said it again 10 times and some never got back to me. I had five Art shows that same year so the story ends well, but clearly a lot of the process to get there felt extremely discouraging.

You may find that the first few steps of your new Action Plan lead you to unfamiliar, challenging, and nerve-wracking territory. That’s perfectly normal. In fact, it’s a good sign that you’re making progress (because what you want is just outside of your comfort zone!).
For example if you want to change careers, you might need training that includes your least favorite subject. If you want to get in shape and lose weight, you might need to adjust your diet and replace certain foods you crave with new ones that don’t seem quite as tasty just yet.
 The actions that lead to our desired outcome don’t always feel appealing or easy, mostly because they are unfamiliar and bring about a process rather than immediate gratification.

Step 1: Get clear 
Ask yourself: what is really in the way? Is it a busy schedule? The fear of failing? The fear of judgment? 
Or maybe the doors you’ve knocked on haven’t opened. You haven’t gotten favorable responses to your efforts (so far). External obstacles are annoying, but they can’t actually stop you. The real obstacles that can stop you almost always come from within.
And if the doors you’ve knocked on haven’t opened, it may be because they weren’t the right ones for you. But there will be others that are.
Once you know what is at the heart of your inaction, you can take yourself through this short exercise to move forward: 

• What would it feel like for you to get over that obstacle or that fear? 
• What would your life look like if you overcame this obstacle? 
• What would be possible?

Answer these questions and feel into what it will be like on the other side of taking the action. 
By trying a few movement classes for example, you might find one you LOVE that can bring your life to another level of joy and well-being altogether! It might not always be easy but it is so worth it!
“There is freedom waiting for you,
On the breezes of the sky,
And you ask "What if I fall?"
Oh but my darling,
What if you fly?”
Erin Hanson

Step 2. Be creative to empower yourself and embrace the process
Now it’s time to brainstorm: What will work best FOR YOU in order to take on these new actions? What can you come up with to overcome these obstacles? 
Maybe it‘s about creating a window of time devoted to your new goal, maybe changing your schedule around or your priorities! Maybe it’s about finding support: hiring an assistant, a coach or a nanny to make your new priority a reality. Or maybe it is getting fully clear that the process of getting closer to your goal itself is liberating, empowering, and opening new possibilities!
If you enjoy the process, you're most likely to like the finished product as well.
Ankit Mishra

The hardest part of taking action is inertia - the desire to keep doing what we’ve been doing. But, if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get the same results you’ve always gotten. 
As Einstein puts it boldly:
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
​
Change requires us to be brave and take uncomfortable actions. That is the only path to reaching new goals!
It is also how we grow into the confidence of being more capable, more flexible, and potentially unstoppable. Because that’s the other side of inertia. Once you have achieved velocity, you’ll keep going.
The undertaking of a new action brings new strength.
Richard L.Evans