Have you ever noticed that it’s hard to do something new, even when you know it’s the right thing to do?
It’s like when you’re paddling through a big rapid and need to punch through a hole. You know that planting your paddle in the foam pile and taking a stroke will pull you through, but yet, you freeze, stop paddling, lose momentum and flip.
Or, like when you’re peeling out of an eddy, and know that keeping your boat on edge and looking where you want to go will keep you stable, but you stare at your bow and forget to edge.
In a conversation with one of my coaching clients this week, she was telling me that she really wants to travel and paddle more, but she can’t bring herself to take the actions to get herself there.
Your brain trying to keep you safe
Your brain likes safety because it equates safety with survival. Unfortunately your brain also equates safety with past experiences. It’s always searching to compare what’s happening now with what happened in the past. Your brain will label something that you’ve done in the past as ‘safe’ simply because it’s familiar, not because it will actually keep you safe.
In essence your brain loves the familiar. But, just because your brain loves the familiar, doesn’t mean your soul does! When you feel that desire to adventure, try something new or run that rapid you’ve been looking at, your brain will resist because you’re walking or paddling into unfamiliar territory.
It takes effort to choose out of the familiar, but you can do it. Take it one step at a time. Hard moves in easy water. Understand that your brain is trying to keep you safe, and even thank it. Then take that first step and celebrate.
My client recently decided to go visit a friend she met through a Mind Body Paddle program, and I could feel and see a brightness and excitement in her. She took the step to reach out and plan a weekend adventure. She’s in the process of retraining her brain around travel and adventure.
Get your adventure on!
This weekend, as your embarking on your own adventure, remember to acknowledge your brain for wanting to keep you safe, and then choose to take a tiny first step – practice a move that will help you prep for that rapid, visualize, call an old friend, do the workout, plan the trip – whatever action you want to start.
Remember that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. It gets a lot easier to take the second, third, fourth step… Let’s get to it!
The power of coaching
If you’re ready to retrain your brain and start choosing and creating more of what you want in life, I can help with private coaching. I’ll be your accountability partner and your cheering squad. Now is a great time to book into coaching! I’m offering a bonus 2 months when you book into 90 day, 6 months or 12 months of coaching before October 31st. CLICK HERE to learn more, and EMAIL ME to get started.
