Don’t Look Now, But You Are in Action

Would you rather listen? Press ▶️ below for the audio recording.

“I don’t even know where or how to begin.” If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that in my work as a patient advocate and aging strategist I imagine that I would be lolling in Tahiti right now, and not a care in the world.

We have all likely had thoughts along those “How, Where, Do I Begin?” -lines (I know I have), and we have allowed them to halt us. But you, my dear Community, are something else – something else entirely, in that YOU are seeking. I so admire that.

Don't look now, but you are in action! You are reading about, if not doing your own aging or planning. People reading or listening to me are In Discovery. (A Yippee is in order. Feel free).

There is Action... And whether you're reading or watching my video my hunch is you have your eyes open, wide open And there's a desired goal out there. For example, every year in April, the 16th to be exact, I begin talking about Advance Directives and especially  the Healthcare Power of Attorney document, what it is, and how you fashion one. Also how to think about and select your designated Person or even serve as one.

We learn about NHDD (National Healthcare Decisions Day), and I frequently have shared my story about the cascade of gifts that follow when you create your advance directives and get your legal ducks in a row. Each gift has been terrific in its own right and the peace of mind is priceless.

Maybe now in our case there is something to be done or handled. There is knowledge or but an inkling that something good lies at the end, something to be gained by taking a bit of action, and we have set an intention to pursue it.

That is a WOW, my friends. Not everyone has this. Think of all the folks out that who deal only with how life comes at them - who deal, sort, accept, exist, and yes, they complain about what happens TO them. Never will a bull be taken by the horns from that crowd, never a small and quiet step taken toward creating solution. They sit in “it” forever or wait for someone to bail them out.

Contemplation, thinking of How To Start, is good. It is, when you think about it, a solid step forward toward wherever it is we wish to go. Too much contemplation can become a sticking point and so we must be careful, however we’ve addressed that in my blog The Science Behind Being Stuck.

Whatever your “it” may be, if you're reading about it or thinking about it then you're learning and coming to understand the importance of whatever end game is desired and how you might achieve it. Wherever you are: don't look now, but you're in action. Keep going.

To that end, I keep in full sight from my desk a card I drew randomly while attending a retreat designed to help “free myself from being stuck.” It told me to keep going. OK. There is a reason I drew that card.

Perhaps you’ve felt reservations, sticking points. Perhaps you have some fear. It has been my experience that fear loses its power when we 1. talk about it, and 2. take action.

Once I was at a pivotal point in my personal development and reacting to fear because I’d made mistakes and endured a lot of pain as a result. I saw the work that may be before me and I was stuck. I was fear-full, I tell you. Then I heard someone say “It’s OK to be afraid, to have fear. You can still move through it (whatever your “it” is). You can move through, with fear.”

I had never considered that! I thought that I had to overcome the fear to even begin. Not so, it turns out. I learned that I could set my intentions and bring some fear with me on the journey. Alright, with that I was ready.

Coach and podcaster Scotty Russell writes in his blog about the first half of facing fears. He cites a few good reasons why fear may be present and I believe you will recognize these few.

1. The unknown

2. Commitment

3. Putting themselves out there

4. Failing

5. Actually succeeding

6. Not being perfect immediately

All those seem plausible. But let’s not get caught up in dissecting the Whys for this segment, let’s focus on creating forward momentum. Today we are going beyond the bogged down and we are stepping into the solution. Many of you are already there, engines idling and ready.

Some good advice we often are given is to take something that seems enormous, overwhelming, or complicated and to break it down into smaller steps. Baby steps, if we must. I subscribe to this because it also sets me up for more Wins, “collecting more W’s” I call it, and who does not enjoy meeting with some success? I sure do, and I like to celebrate.

Finding Momentum

Sophie Cliff is speaking to me and to many in her blog Finding Courage to Do the Things That Scare You. “Simply getting started is the most effective way to quiet(en) those worried voices in your head.” And you all have done that. We’ve established that our Community is a seeking bunch, filled with persons who wish to know, understand, and DO.

Sophie continues with “Once you’ve completed one task on your list, try to harness the momentum that comes with that achievement. Use the energy to spur you on to the next task and so on and so forth. Aim to stay in a place of action” (hey folks, this is momentum!). “This will minimize the amount of time you spend second guessing yourself and worrying about the outcomes.”

Ah, “a place of action” is where Nancy likes to live, and I think you do, too.

We like to learn. We like to improve. We pursue savvy. Strategy excites us, and getting a Win, that “W” of which I so often speak excites us as well. There is an intention, a decision, and then the initial act of pursuit. All that is a magnet for me.

From Moment to Momentum

My first thought about the word or concept of Momentum (because I love to play with words) is that Momentum has inside of it the word ‘Moment’.

Therefore, one might say momentum begins with a moment. That concept is simple enough, huh? Once we see the moment, we can act. This is where momentum is either born or lost.

With very little reflection you may find that a moment that is before you, now. Ask yourself: “What opportunities are in front of me right now that I haven’t acted on?”

Motivational speaker and author Dave Sanderson calls this the Momentum Mentality.

Asking ourselves what may be before us, what can we begin to (divide and – remember the breaking down of the tasks step?) conquer, right here-right now, is called developing a Momentum Mentality.

Dave says that when we start looking for moments, we’ll find them everywhere.

• A quick conversation that inspires a new idea. Like a riff on a recipe or the decision to do this or try that because your friend did, and with good outcome.

• A challenge that forces you to stretch. No, I’d never driven to Chattanooga before, and so I planned a route and built in some interesting fun along the way to a conference where I was to speak.

• A door that opens when you least expect it. I took a chance to ask a potential friend to breakfast and what followed was a friendship, fellowship, and a support person in my life.

The momentum mentality is a way of living where you stay ready for those moments - because you know they’re the entry point to something greater.

Perhaps your ‘greater’ is accomplishing a task, getting something off the list that has been nagging you or was a chore. Something scary or that help was needed with, sought and done. Whether your driving force is to collect a “W”, like me, living in readiness and intention is a powerful stance for life, eh?

And when those moments come, don’t hesitate. Act. Communicate. Rally your team, whatever. Keep moving until the momentum carries you to the result.

And this notion is big:

Momentum doesn’t care if you’re ready.
It cares if you’re willing.

We don’t need a perfect plan. Simply a moment, a spark, and the intention to begin.

Nancy Ruffner is a patient advocate who provides strategy for aging, healthcare navigation, and solo aging. Consulting with clients in a triage fashion, offering one-hour consultations to find a path, and a deeper understanding of “how stuff works” in eldercare, or how to specifically problem-solve. Schedule your 1-Hour session now, without obligation of commitment or continuing costs. nancyruffner.com