Originally Posted 7/8/22

I am a planner. I am a list maker. I have been this way for as long as I can remember. Hundreds of notebooks, binders, journals, and scrap pieces of paper have been filled with plans. I used to be that girl. I got an idea, and I would dive in deep with research and learning and plan out all of the steps to accomplish this idea, and

then… nothing. Another notebook was returned to the shelf, and a new idea or thought quickly replaced the former.

Let me tell you about some of the ideas or plans I dove so deep into that never happened or never moved forward;

Tiny House Living: Oh my goodness, I still wish this was a possibility. I love the IDEA of having all my needs and wants in a house built on a trailer, driving across the country or the world, working on the road, and living our best lives. However, my husband and I don’t have jobs allowing us to be THAT mobile.

Off-Grid Living: I am not a doomsday junky, but I strongly believe that we need to learn how to grow our food and be self-sufficient. I mean, if the grid goes down- no electricity or wifi. Do you know how to build a fire? Hunt and harvest your food? Well, most of us don’t. This is an idea that has never left me. I would be all in if we could find a way.

Etsy Stationary and Planner Sticker Business: Yea, it's a great and creative job, but I never pulled the trigger.

Flower Farmer: I live on two acres, and a couple of years ago, I committed to creating a sustainable flower farm and learned how to make arrangements and sell them or give them away. I could still do this; however, after 7 years of living here and having completely lost the battle with the gophers- I just don’t have the energy to be creative in this way.

Any of these ideas would be awesome to experience if I ever just take the leap and go for it. Do you experience the same thing? Are you a planner; plan, plan, and plan some more- then stick the plan on the shelf. I hear you. However, the planning benefit - THEN leaping, is greater than you can imagine.

If you ask yourself, “Well, great, Jen, but how do I go from planning my next great adventure to experiencing it?” I have the answer. You just DO it. Does that sound too simple? Well, maybe it is. But the truth here is that you have to believe in yourself and believe you have what it takes to make a go of it. There are so many more benefits to taking that leap of faith than you or I could imagine. I read this fantastic article from The Happiness Planner website: “7 Things That Will Likely Happen When You Take a Leap of Faith In Yourself.” The author, Mo Seetubtim, gives us some awesome and inspiring benefits to the leap we may never have considered. Check them out:

1. You will discover who you truly are: I am not a people person. I really, really am not. I am, what I call, a functional introvert. I can fake it all day, but I will need some recovery time in the comfort and safety of my home. However, taking the leap to start my Notary business has shown me that I am good at one-on-one. I excel at relationship building and maintaining. I would have never said that about myself before this adventure.

2. You will learn how to make yourself feel whole: Seetubtim writes that discovering who you are and what you need and want is the key to finding a fulfilling life.

3. You will always feel excited and new: I think this point is often lost when discussing taking a leap of faith. Once you do this, a leap, that is, and then you do it again, and then again, when it's time to adjust your trajectory, the new adventure should always be exciting.

4. You will have no fear: If it isn’t clear to you yet, the biggest mountain between you and this future you have planned or the career you are dreaming of, the biggest roadblock is fear. Fear of the unknown. This is expected and understood. Our brains don’t want to try something new. Most of us are not hardwired to jump out of that plane, climb that mountain, or put ourselves into unknown situations. That's why it's called a Leap of Faith. Right, you are going forward on the foundation of you. It's scary, but the more you do it, the more you train that fearful brain that this is fun and exciting, and I want to do it again. Fear is the beginning of success.

5. You will be more intuitive: Our brains are hardwired to protect us. It's when we leave that naysayer brain in the back seat and let our heart fly the plane. The more often you do this, trust your intuition, not your instincts. Your instincts and your brain will eventually climb on board.

6. You will feel a complete sense of freedom: One of the coolest things about following your intuition is you will begin to feel free. That overcautious brain can keep us all caged up, says Seetubtim. There is an amazing side effect of getting good at taking a leap and having faith in ourselves. It doesn’t matter if that leap worked or not. The ability to leap in the first place- that that is what gives us a sense of freedom.

7. You will achieve great things: It's just math, right? The more you take these faith-based chances, the more opportunity you have to achieve your goals. And if I achieved everything I shared with you on my list, I would be so excited about my achievements. And I am excited about my achievements as part of this leap of faith.

Look, I know it can be terrifying. No doubt. But do you know what happens when you take the first step on that iffy-looking bridge? You take that step and have not plummeted to your death, right? The second step- same thing. When the uncertainty becomes certain, it can trigger something in you. It's no longer faith. It is knowing and trusting. The more you take that leap, the more that leap isn’t based on faith. It's based on knowing. Maybe not knowing the outcome but knowing it will be worth every moment.

What if my Leap Fails? The truth is, it might sometimes, but we don’t achieve any success in life without failure. And the end of this leap isn’t nearly as important as the leap itself. So I encourage you, and I am encouraging myself, to pull out those notebooks you have stashed away with dreams and ideas, start taking those leaps of faith in you, and watch what happens.

I am so happy that you are here today and reading this post. I would love to hear from you about your dreams, plans, and leaps of faith.

Till Next Time:

Jennifer Cooper- JKC Mobile Notary