Doing the Work and Stepping Up for Yourself
How Gratitude Inspires Me to Commit to My Goals
- Jay Hoad
- June 26, 2022
- 9:17 am
“So, what’s it going to take? To let go of that trauma around what you keep saying your x-partner did to you? To finally quit that job you keep saying you really don’t like? To get fit like you keep saying you are going to?” 
To eat healthier because you wanted to become more active and try new adventures? To start recording that album, course, or content you keep saying you want to do one day?
Truth is, it’s all YOU. And only YOU! Imagine the incredible things you can do when you start doing the work and stepping up to get to point Z from point A. Perhaps, you want to start a business or sign up for an online class but you hesitated because you don’t know where or how to start. 
Having made a few leaps, I can say my goals aren’t impossible. I witness these massive shifts in people every day, and every time, it feels like we are breaking a GIGANTIC wooden log blocking an incredible river from flowing. Ahhhhh, it feels sooooo good!!!
While there is no one way toward self-improvement, everyone can experience the joy and learning process of expanding and growing ourselves to new stages.
Here are the things I find helpful in making THE leap, doing the heavy lifting, and living my most authentic life: 
1. Trust in the fact that your old way of being served you during that period of your life, protected and supported you exactly as you needed.
You are exactly where you are supposed to be. When self-doubts and questions overwhelm us, it’s good to remind ourselves that we are moving forward. Perhaps, your past may be riddled with questionable choices or harrowing experiences. Your old ways and experiences may not be the most favorable memories in your life, but they happened and served their purposes. I find that although some of these purposes have not been revealed or are still vague to me, my past experiences have shaped me, and my old ways have molded, protected, and supported me exactly as I needed.
Right where you are in this moment -even in all this complexity– is exactly where you are supposed to be. Hundreds of moments, decisions, and actions have led up to this.
Every high and low, good and bad, joy and sadness are part of the journey.
2.) Give gratitude that you used to choose to be this way or think this way. Maybe you were angry, projecting, fearful of moving forward or letting go? Own the truth, feel into all the ways this way of being no longer serves you as it once did.😀
Isn’t it delightful to know that we are constantly evolving and changing? Our past decisions and experiences don’t define us. Looking inward, I clarify my thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and conclusions. While there might have been not-so-favorable experiences and decisions I made in the past, I don’t ignore them or pretend I haven’t made them. I recognize my past experiences like an old acquaintance and say my thanks. Why? Because they have made me become who and what I am right now.
These past experiences, however uncomfortable, have taught me and led me to the path I am walking. Have you tried contemplating your past choices and how questionable some were? The good thing about pondering and self-reflection is that it gives you clarity on what you were used to being and its impact on your life. Maybe you were vengeful, scared, jaded, or project, but that is no longer your story. These past experiences are parts of you but don’t define you.
A few good ways to introspect include journaling, meditation, and doing a Tribal Moon Cacao Ceremony. Breathwork also allows you to have the mental clarity needed to evaluate your past experiences, own your truth, and feel into all the ways how the past no longer serves you as it once did.
3.) Get clear on speaking the truth about what you feared losing, e.g., "But if I start being nice to that person, they won't continue to think that what they did to me was wrong?" Or "If I quit my job, what will I do for money."
Verbalizing the things I feared losing just makes them more real and tangible. It was terrifying to confront my fears, but the liberation I felt once I got straight on what I want is very rewarding. Do you have something you’ve enjoyed so much that you are too scared to speak aloud? What are those things?
Speaking about these goals or the things you don’t want to lose gives you an idea of how much you want them and what you can do to achieve them.
4.) Let the fear inspire you to get your S%$T together, as THIS IS WHEN THE MAGIC HAPPENS!
Hold on to THAT fear and make that your inspiration. Knowing a target and its importance gives you drive and inspires you to do the work.
Whenever I doubt my ability to push through or ask where I am heading, I always go back to my goals and why I wanted to achieve them. It gives me clarity and allows me to be laser-focused on getting to it. Sometimes you feel defeated or unsure; what about revisiting your goals and thinking of their importance? 
5.) Get clear on exactly what it is
It knows what you truly want, singles out your goals, and filters the distractions. It gives you clarity on what to pursue and what to give up to achieve your goals. It also lets you know the steps you must take to realize these goals.
The bottom line
The MAGIC happens as you get unstuck to what’s stopping you from reaching your goals, knowing the importance of your goals and the feeling of losing them. You start to do the work and step yourself up. You show up for yourself because you know you owe yourself to get these goals. While you are putting in the work, don’t forget to celebrate milestones and victories, however small or big they are. This keeps you in check and reminds you are on track!
