The Path Forward - Grasshopper

There is a path to follow to discover how we got to where we are.

If we want to adjust our path going forward, we have to reverse engineer it. What steps did we take to get here?

 

You won't discover the path until you own all the steps. That means if you have any version of "it wasn't my fault" running in the background, then you won't take the first step.

 

You may not have been totally responsible for each step but that's a useful framework to begin with. Take total responsibility. You can always back off later.

 

Owning each step is uncomfortable at first. You'll want to dispute each step with "facts" to the contrary. That's not helpful in this process.

 

Many professional writers use this method. They write down whatever comes into their mind and get into a flow. Then they edit after the fact, not during the writing. This approach doesn't interrupt their creativity.

 

There is a step or two we've taken that we'll want to edit immediately. That's not helpful. Doing so helps support the narrative that we're not responsible and we halt our retracing effort in its tracks.

 

Going back over our steps is not meant as an exercise in guilt. Its purpose is to shine a spotlight on the roadblocks that keep us from going forward.

 

Stepping back and then moving forward is a tried and true method of widening future possibilities.

 

Let's pretend that you discover that one of the recurring steps in your life is being stubborn. Beating yourself up for having been that way does no good. A moving forward strategy is to ask yourself the question: "Who would I be without stubbornness?"

 

That question opens us up to possibilities that were always there but we didn't see.

 

Want to see your way forward? Take a step or two back. Find out what you did, correct it and blow the lid off of possibilities.

 

All the best,
John