3 Ways to Break Free of Resistance

We’ve all had those great moments of inspiration, where an amazing idea is sparked within us and we’re totally energized to make it happen. Your focus is clear and your creative juices are flowing. With your confidence and joy at an all-time high, you feel invincible. That was certainly the case for me when I wrote my award-winning book, The 7 Pitfalls of Single Parenting. I was so on fire I wrote most of the first draft in less than a month!

But, at some point resistance starts to set in. Your soul calls you forward to take a big leap, and delivers you a brilliant idea. But eventually your ego starts to kick in. One of the main jobs of the ego is to keep you safe. It puts on the brakes and says, “Hey, wait a minute! I think we ought to think about this more closely so you don’t get hurt or make a mistake.” The process of publishing my book took the better part of 18 months, even though I had a great running start at it.

Learning how to work with and break free from resistance is critical if you want to live an extraordinary life and accomplish your dreams. It’s like trying to drive with one foot on the gas, and the other foot on the brake. Resistance can make us procrastinate, or get wishy-washy in our thoughts and actions. Here are 3 strategies that will help you kick resistance to the curb so you can move ahead with more ease, speed and confidence…
1. Dig Under the Resistance

In my experience, resistance usually comes with important information for you. Resistance doesn’t just come out of nowhere and with no reason. If you notice any signs of resistance, like procrastination or dawdling, stop. Check in to see if there is some reason you may not be fully aware of that is kick-starting the resistance process. Maybe you don’t have all the information you need, or you need to reconnect with the importance of the project you have in front of you.

Action: Instead of stopping in your tracks with resistance, ask yourself “What is underneath this resistance that I might need to pay attention to right now?” Clear that issue up first and you’ll notice your resistance start to melt.

2. Call Upon Your Brilliant Self

Resistance comes up usually when we’re in the process of stepping out of our comfort zone in some way. Whether it’s having a difficult conversation with a loved one, or launching a new business, we need to expand our view of ourselves in order to accomplish our dreams. The resistance comes from the scared ego that is more content to play it safe and small. Rather than letting your Inner Resister run the show, call upon your Brilliant Self to guide you instead.

Action: A great question to help you break free of resistance is, “If I was my most brilliant and confident self, what choice would I make right now?” Let your inner wisdom answer that question and then act from that place.

3. Take Action with the Next Baby Step

The internal battle with resistance and fear can never be resolved by “thinking about it” or bartering with ourselves. Getting into a mental loop of debating and negotiating doesn’t get the foot off the brake, which is what you want. The best way to move through resistance is through physical action of some kind.

Action: Ask yourself, “What is the very next step I can take now to move this project/decision forward?” Take action right away to get back in the flow and leave the resistance behind.