by Randi Levin

How many times in 2017 have you said, “I can’t do that?”

Was it true?

The excuses that lead us are often the very same sage advice that keeps us stuck like glue to our thoughts, to what we know, to sameness and status quo. If you want to jump start change in your life, especially as you profess New Year’s resolutions and promises, then the very best thing you can do is to let go of your usual pattern of thinking in favor of the unthinkable!

The unthinkable is not your ticket to illegal and immoral living; rather it is your pass toward forward action. It is your permission slip to try new things, to allow serendipity and possibility into your life, and to begin the job of expanding rather than collapsing your world. Fear is the #1 reason why we don’t do what we most want to. So it stands to reason that in order to think less and do more, we need to challenge ourselves to embrace our fears and do the “unthinkable” anyway!

How can you make 2018 the year of doing? Try this now.

Write down all of your 2017 excuses.

All the reasons why you stopped yourself just short of doing the thing you most wanted, all the excuses that appeared when action did not. Maybe it was your aging parents, your husband’s advice, or your kids in college that got in the way…write that all down. Now, go through your list and figure out which of the excuses and reasons you jotted down were actually responsible for you not taking action on your goals and dreams.

Some items, like illness or deaths may have been actual reasons and roadblocks, yet others may in hindsight appear to be simply a convenient explanation for not refreshing your life, for letting fear decide. Circle the excuses.

Now rewrite them as if they did not exist.

Example: If your original list said “I don’t have the skills to do this.” Your new list will state, “I have what it takes or I am taking an online course to get certified on this topic.” The reason for these lists is simple. They allow you to look past overthinking your goal so that you can live the process toward it. What can you do if what you are doing would otherwise be unthinkable? See the shift?

Make your unthinkable resolutions for 2018 thinkable.

Remember that you are the one setting these goals and promises. So guess what? You can also alter them! You get to recalibrate your own success and that is what thinking in the unthinkable allows for. You get to throw away the way you did things before and readjust. You get to alter the goals, change the parameters, and step into each and every component of your own success toward that goal or resolution. So if you cannot fail…what can you succeed at?

Stay in the Reward Zone

Now that you have reset your boundaries around your goals and promises you need to stay in the reward zone. That means that every time you move past a fear, dive into the unknown, take even a small step forward, you need to acknowledge and measure that success. Keep a journal divided by 2018 goals. Every time you step into the unthinkable away from a fear or an excuse that has stopped you before, make note of it in your journal. Every week review your successes. What have you done? What is working? Where are you getting stuck and need to alter the parameters just a bit? Now do just that. You are the keeper of your own unthinkable!

Mastering the unthinkable is about understanding your own value and knowing that you are worth the investment of time and energy to get past that place of uncertainty in your life. If not now…when? Make 2018 your year of reaching a bit further and seeing beyond the way you have always done things before. There is a whole big world out there. Make it work for you!

Sometimes simply eliminating overthinking is at the core of eliminating fear. Your individual unthinkable thoughts bring you closer to that discovery zone.

Cheers to change and to your magnificent success! Keep it safe and fun and interesting!

Randi Levin CPC, founder & CEO, Randi Levin Coaching—is a transitional life strategist, author, speaker, and reinvention expert. Her core belief is that as women, we have the choice and the power to carve out and curate our own legacy based on embracing our ongoing evolution. Women in their 20’s make sweeping life-long decisions that no longer align with a 40, 50, 65 or 80-year-old version of themselves. Utilizing a “what’s next mindset,” Randi applies her Signature GPS Coaching System incorporating growth, purpose, and success steps to support her clients in pivoting and refreshing their lives empowering them to be the best reflection of who they are today. She is a contributor and featured expert for Huffington Post, Thrive Global, DivorceForce, and a variety of national publications and podcasts. Her workshops have been featured in The Wall Street Journal and she is a contributing author in the anthology series Get RESULTS!   www.RandiLevinCoaching.com |Randi@RandiLevinCoaching.com |Cell: 201-803-1333