Believe You Can

You can once you believe you can. It’s amazing how much we accomplish once we have it in our mind we can do it. Once the mind gets in line nothing seems impossible.

My professional writing career was launched back in 2004. At the same time, I homeschooled two elementary-age boys, kept a 1000 sq ft vegetable garden, organized weekly home school activities, and began the development of a 2-acre show flower garden – that’s not even including the daily, weekly, and monthly chores or church activities.

Why wouldn’t I want to add in a full-time writing career?

But the thing is, I got it done. 

I didn’t expect the kids to do it. Although I did encourage them to join me so they could learn, I knew they were unable to do it on their own – yet.

I didn’t expect my husband to do it. Although I welcomed his help or assistance, I knew he had plenty on his plate as it was.

I didn’t expect others to do it. I just did what I could do and expected to get things done.

And I got things done.

It was a few years later that I wrote 1,000,000 words in one year. At the same time, I was homeschooling three boys – two secondary and one elementary, writing weekly content for several clients, maintaining a 2-acre show garden, attempting to hybridize daylilies and iris, and building a podcast/livestream. (cause writing full-time while juggling all the rest must have gotten to be too easy). That year was also the year our dog was injured and paralyzed so she spent a full month having to be picked up in a sling to relearn how to walk, go to the bathroom, and function as a dog.

But the thing is, I wrote 1,000,000 words for my work (those didn’t include any for clients) and got the rest done as well.

I didn’t expect my kids to do it. Although they were old enough to pitch in, they had their tasks to complete including school, scouts, and church.

I didn’t expect my husband to do it. Although he still pitched in, he had even more on his plate than before.

I didn’t expect others to do what needed to be done. I just did it.

Expectation In Others

The other day, I thought about all the things on the chore chart and it bugged me how much of it hadn’t gotten done. “I have to do it all,” I complained to nobody because she was the only one listening. 

I expected my husband to help.

I expected my son to help.

I expected the people around me to do what they were supposed to do.

I seemed to be waiting on the expected results of others before I took a step to do what I knew I needed to do.

That’s when the lightbulb moment happened. I wasn’t getting things done because I wasn’t doing them, not because everyone else was falling behind.

No matter what I want to get done, I can get it done. First, I have to believe and then I have to take action. 

Two weeks ago, I began to do what I knew I needed to do even though I didn’t always want to do it. Sometimes, I would do it all at once. Other times, I would do a little bit of what needed to be done. Eventually, I got things checked off the chore chart.

I stopped waiting for others to do things. Release expectations to keep others from holding you back. I believed I could get it done. And once I believed I could, I began to find a way.

Believe You Can

1. What do you want to do? 

The thing can be big or small or somewhere in between. Write down what it is you want to do.

2. What will it take to get it done?

Every task requires resources – time, money, space, energy, a little of it all. Make a second list of all that will be required.

3. What makes up your want?

Every want is made up of smaller wants, needs, and desires. Think of your BIG want as the puzzle and the rest are your puzzle pieces. Make up all of the details that will have to come together to make up your BIG WANT. Bonus points if the piece can be completed in around ten minutes (or less).

4. What makes you believe you can?

Take time to meditate on the reasons you can get it done. Make a list of times you have in the past or other accomplishments you’ve had. Make notes of how your past accomplishments relate to your BIG WANT or how you can implement them in a way to make it happen.

5. What stands in your way?

Most of the time the only things standing in our way look back at us from the mirror each day. Sometimes, there will be other hurdles that hinder the process. Make a third list that includes anything that could get in the way. Bonus points if you can add reasons for why they get in the way.

6. What can you do today?

Ultimately, the only way to get it done is to do it. Make a note of one thing you will complete today to move you forward into your BIG WANT.

It would be easier if everyone would just do what they were supposed to do. It would be calming if the stars would align to your unique purpose. It would be better if things always went the way we wanted things to go.

But if you wait for the stars to align to get there, then all you will do is wait.

Believe you can and then you will.

Are you struggling to hold on to your “believe you can” moments? The 4 Questions WorkBook walks you through the process to define your uniqueness so that you can set your foundation of believe.