Stop saying “It’s a Sign”
It’s a sneaky little dream killer
Have you ever lay in bed, excited and energized, by an idea so good that you couldn’t wait to get started on it the next day? You fantasized about all of the opportunities this vision could lead to, and it was both frightening and exciting! You finally fall asleep with thoughts of future success in your head.
Ready to tackle the day, you wake up and check your email. Oh, look! You got some great news about your current job or project. Things are moving so effortlessly in that area of your life that you start thinking, Hmm…maybe this is a sign that I should stick with what I’m good at doing? Sure, you were thrilled about the idea that came to you last night as if a magical inception faerie had plopped it right into your brain, but this is what you’re successful at. Maybe you shouldn’t mess up this good thing that’s already working for you.
It’s most definitely a sign.
Bull.
Brains are sneaky. They want you to stay in a place of comfort and crave routine. It’s not because you’re lazy. It’s science. In this article from Psychology Today, Bryan E. Robinson Ph.D. describes how this avoidance is because of uncertainty intolerance. Of course, your brain will find any excuse to avoid starting something new, and that email from work was the perfect bait. “Stay in your lane.”, it says. Don’t do the thing that you could fail at. I sabotaged myself all the time with this nonsense. That is until this one phrase floated by like a life raft.
The thought was:
What if it didn’t mean anything?
What if it wasn’t a sign? Was the project destined for success regardless of your new goal? What if that work project ends up failing anyway? Look, I’m a bit of a romantic and feel like fate plays a role in our lives to a point, but what if that thought doesn’t serve you? Maybe the faerie pooping a magical idea inside your head was actually the takeaway? It sounds so simple, but when your default gives meaning and purpose to random events to justify avoiding something new, it can be life-changing.
You can also think of it this way. You can be successful in many things. Just because you’re doing well at work doesn’t preclude you from being spectacular on a side venture- one that could eventually move you away from the 9 to 5. You wouldn’t know until you tried, though. Would you?
So, even though it doesn’t mean anything, this article is the sign you needed. Go. Do the thing before your brain talks you out of it.
