When all else fails, rely on the wisdom of show tunes.

Does anyone else have an obsession with making lists? No? Just me that’s an uber nerd? Regardless, making lists help me plan out my day, execute big projects and give me reminders that I’d otherwise forget. (And then two months later, freak out once I remember).

I blame the education system for this (not that there’s actually anyone to blame). When I was in school, I was organized and very Type-A brain type. So, I created a habit of making daily and weekly task lists. And it worked enough to get me through high school and college.

At this current time, it serves as a form of grounding and control when I have a lot on my plate.

As I’ve been creating more for you guys, I’ve used to-do lists and outlines to help me get everything done. And it helps, to a point. But one thing about being a heart-centered business owner is that one day, you have to throw aside the more masculine action-taking.

I built lists until my brain fizzled. Suddenly making any list felt dreadful, and breaking big plans down into steps just made me more anxious. It was sometime last week that I was feeling this.

Suddenly my plan for how I made moves was crumbling. And when I feel anxious, I stop.

At least, that’s how I dealt with it in the past.

This time, I decided to take a different method to get me moving again. Personally, being stagnant is something that agitates like nothing else. I felt like I was stuck in a pit with no ladder. That combined with the energetic notion that I’m building something that I truly want, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I’ve had a hard time being gentle and giving myself credit when I should. It’s something I’m working on.

I had to figure this out before I went further down a self-sabotage spiral. I had to get myself out of the pit. And I did.

Since I wrote this blog post, I must’ve figured out the secret to my overwhelm, right? Well, not really. There were four things I had to learn so I could get back into my flow state and create again.

The first thing was that control is an illusion. There are very few things we can control in life. And what’s the biggest thing I could control? Myself. So I decided that this wasn’t a time to belittle myself.

The second thing was that I made a commitment to myself. No matter what, I would take action. It wouldn’t matter how much doubt or unsure I felt about what I was doing; it was going public. And you know what? Acknowledging that my work is imperfect and flawed but still worth something has made the creation process actually flow a lot easier.

It’s helped me learn the third part: as I’ve been learning and living out my life, I see that imperfect action is still sacred and beautiful. Imperfection is when authenticity can show up. And I want to be as authentic as possible with you all.

Finally, one thing I’ve been making a habit of asking myself is, “What is the next right thing for me to do?” It goes along with me consistently taking action. If you know the next step, you can keep moving. And yes, that is still progress. Any momentum forward is progress. Learn from me and celebrate every small win.

If you know anything about manifestation, you know that it doesn’t work well with step-by-step plans. What works better is simply taking the next action that will move you forward. I know that Creativity and success like action and fluidity. When we think we need to have the whole plan, we can get stuck in that planning phase. That’s not good. Take that flawed, imperfect action. And keep doing that until it becomes second nature.

Trust me when I say that anyone expecting perfection out of you needs a reality check.

(Also, if any of you are into show tunes, I highly recommend Frozen 2’s “The Next Right Thing.” It’s great for when you’re in the pit.)

Do I still make lists? Yes. It’s just a part of how I work. But now I understand that when I’m feeling stuck, that lists will only get me so far. It’s that imperfect action that creates successful lives.