I’ll admit: At first glance this morning, my to-do list overwhelmed me.
Before I even headed to the office, I wondered how on earth I would make the headway I needed to make. So instead of listening to my head and diving in soon after I woke up, I decided to follow my intuition and start with a hike instead. As I shared on Instagram earlier today (along with a photo of a stunningly beautiful sky), if your to-do list seems miles long, one option is to take a hike that’s even longer! 🙂
I walked and walked and walked. When my legs started to grow weary, I thought about why I started – which was, namely, to clear my head. With each step, I gained a bit more clarity and a bit more belief that I could tackle all the tasks awaiting me back at the office.
Remembering my purpose for this hike fueled my energy, focus, and ability to complete it.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I made the decision that, after five beautiful and successful years, this would be the final Spark. Since writing that post, and in these final weeks of preparing for the event, I’ve found myself recalling why I started Spark in the first place. Just like reminding myself why I started this morning’s hike proved helpful, reflecting on why I began Spark has fueled my motivation to make this event the best ever.
I’ve jotted down several reasons, but I’ll share three of them with you here in case they help you move forward with a bold goal or large project:
The world – at least my corner of it – needed it.
Every day, I encounter people who are questioning: Who am I? What am I here to do? Do others feel like this? Who is my ‘tribe’? With so many talented people in the world, can I really make a difference? I’m just one person – what can I do? What if I can’t? What if I can?
I looooove coaching, but I know not everyone feels they can make the commitment (time, financial, and otherwise) to coaching at the time we speak about it. I also know the need for clarity, confidence, and sense of purpose is at an all-time high. So if I couldn’t help everyone through coaching, I wanted to at least help them ignite the spark so they could then fan the flames of purposeful growth in the best possible way.
Filling an existing need proved a HUGE reason for starting Spark, and has been a prominent reason why it’s continued for five years!
I wanted to prove to myself that I could actually do it.
I’m not sure if it’s nature, nurture, or a creation of my own doing, but I seem to always need something big to be working toward. If I don’t have a Big Dream or Bold Goal on which I’m progressing, I begin to feel quite antsy.
Hosting a big, full-day, public training and coaching event felt (and is) huge. So back in 2012, it filled my “Bold Goal” need.
But during and after the event, something amazing happened. I saw people making deep connections with their own purpose and with one another. I witnessed sharing on a level I had never experienced before. I watched as people laughed, cried, dreamed, believed, supported, and connected – the likes of which I’d never seen.
So my first Spark was, in part, to see if I could pull it off. But every Spark thereafter has taken on a life of its own and been fueled by the amazing people who attend.
My mom and her message.
I had thought about hosting an event like Spark for years. YEARS. But I always had a reason (read: excuse) to put it off.
Then, in January of 2012, my mom passed away rather unexpectedly. And in the months that followed, as I reflected on her life – right up to the moment of her death, in fact – I realized something amazing:
She knew what mattered most to her, and she honored it.
She recognized she couldn’t do everything, but she could do something, and she did A LOT. She changed lives around the world by sharing her talents, gifts, and exuberant personality.
She lived in full color.
Her sewing room alone was proof of that! As was so much more, which I’ve written about publicly a few times before.
As I navigated my grief and wondered how I could honor my mom, Spark kept coming to mind. From that point on, I knew what I needed to do. And when obstacles appeared (and trust me, with a live public event, there are too many obstacles to count!), I remembered why I started.
That remembering fuels me today.
This morning when I finished my hike, showered, and headed to the office, I had a newfound sense of energy. I knew I could handle what the day held for me. I remembered why I started, and it kept – and keeps – me going.
So if you find yourself faced with a challenge – whether it’s an unwieldy to-do list or a seemingly solution-less problem or a task that feels beyond your ability to handle – take a step back.
(Or maybe several steps forward, in the form of a walk.)
Breathe deeply a few times.
And remember why you started.
Let that fuel your next best action, and every action going forward, too.
Want to join me for the final Spark? Click here to enroll – Earlybird Rates end this week!Â