The tiny defining moments you do not want to miss

(3-minute read time)

Barf Club.  It’s the loving, although rather gross name, my colleagues and I have for our goals.  We know it’s a right-sized goal when we feel excited and slightly terrified at the same time.  Excited that it’s possible, terrified at the idea that ‘lil ol’ me could pull it off! 

I’ve been there before.  The day I mailed the college application.  The day I accepted the job. The day I received the keys to my first office with a real door.  The day I walked out of the bank after opening a business account. All felt both exciting and terrifying.    

These were defining moments.  These were moments where the story was yet to be written.  These were moments where the decisions I made influenced the trajectory of the story.  

It’s easy to see defining moments when they are big, bold, obvious.  Life-changing events cause us to pause, take notice and anticipate how the change will impact our future.  But often, we miss smaller, yet extremely impactful, defining moments. We don’t often wake up in the morning and consider that whatever we will do right now, in this day – matters, really, truly matters.    

Here’s the thing.  Those big, bold, obvious, exciting, yet somehow slightly nauseating opportunities only come from the smaller defining moments.  Let’s look at a promotion opportunity at work as an example.    

The moment you think of the promotion as even being possible for you?  Defining Moment.  

The moment you take action to prepare/develop yourself for the promotion? Defining Moment.  

The moment you make the decision to apply? Defining Moment.

The moment you follow through?  Defining Moment.

Unfortunately, our choices in the defining moments of life can also work against us and move us away from our desired results.  This is failing ahead of time. This is playing it safe, living by default and recycling the same life.  

Ultimately it’s self-rejection and it’s made up of Defining Moments that look like this: 

• Changing your mind 
• Staying confused
• Not doing what you planned
• Not following through on commitments
• Not taking action
• Giving up
• Lowering your standards
• Making excuses
• Justifying inaction

We don’t consciously acknowledge these as Defining Moments or as self-rejection.  We make them sound much more justified and dignified. But, not seeing these moments for what they are, is only cheating ourselves more!   We cheat ourselves out of the defining moment AND out of the awareness that we are rejecting ourselves, rejecting the dream that who we want to become is actually possible.      

You’re here for a purpose.  A purpose that can only uniquely be filled by you.  Look for the moments where you can make choices FOR that purpose, not against it.  There’s more of those moments happening than you may think. If you look, I bet you could find some today.  Need a hand? I can definitely help, just click here to schedule a free, 30-minute discovery session.