“Leap and the net will appear.” is a Zen mantra and a reminder that the simple act of leaping can be the antidote to the hiding or delaying behavior many of us default to when we feel stuck and ignore our “calls of the heart”.  Every success story starts when our hero (You) listens to their gut and takes one courageous first step forward. Leaping in pursuit of a goal unleashes joy, expansive energy, and a sense of meaning. It reframes your mindset from: “I want to be someone who…” to “This is who I am!”

If you want to create momentum in your life, you must be willing to leap, trusting that everything you need is already inside you. Your brave leap also signals the universe that you are open to circumstance and opportunity. While you can certainly be inspired by someone else’s trajectory, don’t think that your beginning, middle, or end will be the same as theirs because your hero’s story has yet to be written. 

Five Ways to Reframe your mindset to make the leap:

Name Your Intentions

Admit aloud to another human your plan to leap and the intentional learning goal you have in mind. Speaking your truth and allowing another to witness it makes it real. When we invite others to support us in service of a dream, we begin to reframe our mindset from fear-based to the curious and expansive mindset of an explorer. 

Claim Your Learning

When you approach your leap with a curious mind and an intent to learn there can be no failure. You leap with the goal to claim learning, gaining new perspectives about what is working and what needs to be modified going forward. Think of each query, conversation, or experience as an opportunity to experiment and boldly step out of your comfort zone. 

• “Who do I know who can introduce me to people of influence?”
• “What industry gatherings might help me gain new perspectives? 
• “How can I use what I am learning to leverage my unique skills?
• “Is this idea/approach resonating with the people I hope to attract?” 
• “What is my target audience for my new product?” 

We resist initially putting our energy out there because it’s scary and makes us feel uncomfortable, especially when we feel unpracticed, vulnerable, and risk averse. Yet, there is tremendous growth and insight when we approach a leap to simply claim learning, both psychologically and tactically. We avoid costly mistakes, learn what works, and experience the joy of playing in a bigger arena.