Get the Show On The Road!

It’s an exciting week in my household. My daughter is celebrating her 15th birthday and will be taking her driving permit test this week. In our state, a 15-year-old can take a written test to earn a driving permit. Then the teenager is eligible to take driving lessons from a private company or from parents. After 1 year, the teenager can take a road driving test to be allowed to drive by herself.

As a parent, this is a completely new season for me. Thankfully my husband has taken the reigns on the driving process since his nerves are better than mine. 😯

I totally emphasize with my daughter, though, because there is so much to learn with driving a car. Not to mention following personal rules of no phone, no music, no distractions. As experienced drivers, we have automatic habits that we have learned to use over the years.

For new drivers, they have to start slow to learn how a car works, how to manage the car, use safety features in the car, and be focused on other drivers, directions, and speed limits. That’s a lot to learn how to navigate!

Honestly, this is the same for making changes in our life. Not everything will happen at once. We have to learn the process and move slowly towards change.

Have you ever said, “Get the show on the road”? This phrase means making an effort to get a plan underway, and it comes from the early 20th century traveling circus.

You can’t learn to drive a car if it stays parked in the garage – you have to get the car moving. You have to get the show on the road.

You can’t make changes in your life and achieve goals if you don’t get started. BUT, starting is sometimes the hardest step. I totally get it. We can have a great plan and lots of support but if we don’t know HOW to start or what to start with first, we can stay stuck.

Through the years, I’ve learned that the biggest mistake made with achieving goals is not breaking them down into small steps. The size of the goal is not a problem, it’s how you strategize to reach that goal. For example, losing weight, running a half-marathon, becoming a more patient parent, or driving cross-country, are all great goals. However, they require to be broken down into small, manageable steps in order to see any success.

By focusing on 3 small steps each week to work towards your goal, you will begin to see massive momentum. Be sure to keep the 3 small steps manageable with your schedule and season of life. You want to set yourself up for success instead of having an all-or-nothing mindset.

Once you have determined your weekly small steps, write them down. Keeping a record will help hold you accountable for getting those small steps done. Be sure to record your progress each week.

Another important factor for achieving goals is to plan and implement rewards for each step achieved. Let’s face it – we all need some external motivating reward to help us overcome obstacles and challenges. With weekly steps accomplished, give yourself a small reward. If you achieve all your weekly steps for the entire month, then definitely give yourself a bigger reward.

At the end of every month, look at your progress and do a recap and reset. Recap by reviewing your progress on the small steps and reflecting on what worked and what didn’t work. Then, reset by making any necessary adjustments for next month. Remember small steps add up quickly!

Action Plan Review:

1. Determine your goal and then break down that goal into 3 small steps for each week.

2. Record your 3 weekly action steps and your results in your calendar or goal sheet.

3. Set your weekly and monthly rewards for achieving your small steps.

4. Recap and Reset for the next month.

Setting goals and taking action is such an important part of our life journey. God never wants us to stay stuck in a negative place. A huge game-changer is sharing your struggle with the right people and finding supportive accountability partners to encourage you to keep moving forward.