Certainty is about knowing with clarity and having no lingering doubts. Internal certainty is about convincing yourself first and then engaging some decision making, courage and a willingness to risk.
When you spend time improving your level of understanding of both your destination as well as taking the time to resolve doubts or barriers that stand in the way of you reaching your outcome – you will allow yourself to move forward faster – and with greater certainty. Things such as conflicting intentions and shortfalls of resources, time, action and personal presence are just a few of the things that can create doubts and barriers
to moving forward with greater certainty.
When we engage “go” with out using our multiple intelligences – we sometime go along fine – and then the doubts and fuzzy- clarity moments begin to happen. On the other hand, when we take some time and make a plan – and tap into our different internal resources it’s a lot easier to move forward with certainty because we have put some in some pre-thinking and we have tested out our intuition.
Here are 7 ways to move forward with greater certainty:
1. Change your hopes and dreams into Intentions
It’s a common phrase to hear ” you get what you intend not what you hope for” – and it is true. Intentions are active, positive and are grounded in the present. Hopes are tethered out there in the future somewhere. Bringing a more grounded approach based in action will help you to move forward faster.
2. Ask yourself certainty-raising questions
Questions such as “Is this path in alignment with my heart and soul?” and “Is this truly meaningful for me?” are great ways to increase your level of certainty as you move toward your outcomes. When we align our sense of purpose with our destination – it’s much, much easier to move forward with certainty. A lovely by-product of moving forward with complete soul alignment is you gain immense energy for your journey just knowing you can serve those who are really in need of your service. Even if it is you.
3. Learn the power of intuition
Intuition can assist you to move faster in a number a of ways. Intuition accesses all your awareness just waiting to be recalled for a specific purpose. You can use it as you feel your way forward. Intuition is where you find yourself merging with that greater awareness that lives out side of yourself. It’s you recognizing the true meaning of a non verbal communication or a glint of an eye. In terms of personal leadership it is a lot about taking responsibility and acting. There is nothing more dis-empowering than having an intuition and then not acting on it. So part of the practice of personal leadership is learning to act on your intuition consistently. That doesn’t mean always being right – it does mean however – you are always in action around your intuition. Your intuition is like a muscle – you have to use it – or it atrophies.
4. Clear all the barriers out of the way so you can more easily reach your intention
Barriers to your outcomes are the #1 thing I see preventing folks from reaching their desired destination – and only for the fact that they haven’t make up a game plan to get beyond their doubts. One of the more common ones? Conflicting intentions. Conflicting intentions are two energies that are in conflict with one another. Usually one is our desire – a conscious intention. The other may be less conscious – and pattern of behavior or thinking that is meant to serve our basic needs such as safety. When you take the time to meet the positive intentions of conflicting energies – you will feel a greater sense of certainty as a by-product.
5. Stay with your Yes’s and leave those maybe’s behind
We all have Yes’s in our lives. Those things we can unequivocally say yes to. Those things we really, really want. The things that bring us joy and happiness. The things that move our hearts and our bodies. They are unique to each person – but we have them. We also have maybe’s. Those things that could fall into either a yes, or into a no column if they just had a little bit something more. If you want to move forward faster with certainty – put those maybe’s aside. They are not ripe yet -and the time you spend holding a grow light over them – is holding you back. If they ripen up – they will grow into a yes on their own.
6. Listen to your own drum and not the hum of others
Sometimes the fear that keeps us in the slow lane has a lot to do with the garbage dumped on us from others. A good percentage of the things that can keep us static is to do with the fears of others – passed along to us. When we look for validation outside of ourselves we are in fact looking for love – out side of ourselves. Listening to our own knowing and love is a wonderful key to moving forward.
7.Look for the evidence you need
We all have ways we are convinced of something. Perhaps it’s something we need to see, hear or feel. Perhaps we need those things to occur once – or maybe we need things to occur many times. When you see the evidence that convinces you - to move forward. Act on it. So often though, we see the evidence we need – and yet – we wait. We hold back because we don’t want to fail. Looking for the evidence means finding your own certainty – faster. What would happen if you changed your mindset so that failing was learning. Might you want to fail faster? Get the evidence you need. Act and watch for your evidence. You are either going to identify some barriers to overcome – or you are going to increase your knowing. Both are going to get you closer to your certainty – faster.
It’s true, moving forward takes courage, integrity, decision making and sense of adventure. After all you are leaving the known and moving into the less known. Spending some time identifying the things you can do in the present can make the journey into the future a lot easier.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Getting your conflicting intentions in alignment is so important. But it is a common source of struggling. Do you have any good techniques on how to create that alignment?
Yes you are very correct Kevin – conflicting intentions (with good intentions in their own right) are a very common source of struggle and are definite barriers to being in flow.
I often tell folks one of the 1st things to do, is to do some self inquiry. By asking yourself, “What’s stopping me?” And questions as to what might be the barrier to you not having already reached your desired outcome – it’s a way to begin to bring awareness to what the other intentions are.
Once you have identified them – the next step is to see all the positives the intentions provide (In other words, why are they in place) and then see if there are alternate ways to get those same intentions met.
Often, you start to open up the options for those conflicting intentions to get their needs met another way – they no longer need to stand in your way of getting in your desires.
Basically – it is an internal negotiation. Sort of a conflict resolution for subconscious mind. Once ever part of you has their needs met – the way forward becomes a lot clearer.
There are other ways to smooth this internal conflict as well. By learning from the energy of the resistance with mind-body techniques – you can also – learn from the energy – and then be place of being more resourceful.