Too many spinning plates

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao-Tzu

"One essential goal-setting strategy is to be as specific as possible about your desires. Write out your goals and formulate a detailed plan about how you are going to achieve this goal. Baby steps are important, but keep them focused. Often we are pulled in many directions at once. It is important though, to devote time and effort to a single goal at a time to avoid distraction that can lead to putting forth less effort. Take time to put down some of your "spinning plates" and track your progress over time." www.sparkpeople.com

What do you think? For me this is so true. I have found that when there are several new learning experiences going on in my life at one time, that I CAN prioritize what I'm doing each day and which goal I want to focus on (or is banging on the door of life) first.

When asked recently in my mastermind group what my goals were, I listed a long string of things and I felt overwhelmed. I was getting coached on one goal in particular: giving a workshop (in fact, I've been talking about this one for years) and couldn't figure out where my reluctance to forge ahead with it was coming from. I knew I knew HOW to complete all the preparation steps and that I could deliver the event, but wasn't doing it.

I thought long and hard about it. I asked my inner wise self. I let my body give me clues. When thinking about this goal in particular, I felt a tightening in my gut--a shutting down. I've learned that unless I have an open. light, expansive feeling that it isn't the best fit for RIGHT NOW. Not that I might not revisit this at another time, but when I took this spinning plate down my life felt so much more in control. So I set it on the self for now. I found that what I really wanted was to work on improving my physical environment so my life felt more in balance.

Ask your wise inner self. I believe we all have have the wisdom of our wise wise knowing self, our highest self, available to us at all times. We've just forgotten how to ask, then "be still" and listen.

Here are some steps and an exercise to help clarify your goals. Get a journal, write what you think you want in your future. Close your eyes, in whatever atmosphere works best for you, and ask your inner wisdom (pretend it's your best friend) what do I need to know, what questions do I need to ask, what information do I need, to clarify these goals?

Focus on your third eye (the center of your forehead) if you can. If not, focus on where in your body you "sense" your highest self exists, shrink yourself mentally into that spot and just observe what you see or feel. Ask what you need to know to clarify your direction.

Sit in silence and listen for 5 min. If you're very in tune with yourself, that may be all you need, or all you can absorb the first time. Have a journal by you and free write whatever came up for you and more may keep coming up.

Don't try to figure this all out at first. Do this daily--OR--ask this question before bed to the Universe and be prepared to write as soon as you awake. After doing this daily for a week--what themes do you see?

Where ever you are-whatever experiences you are having now, are exactly where you're supposed to be right now for your lessons and journey. All roads take us to the same end, how we get there or how long it takes may vary.

So check out the spinning plates on your poles. Is there one calling out for more attention? How will you answer that call?