A young lady from one of the online communities reached out to me and told me that for the last three years, she has been feeling stuck. She went further to say that after taking a critical look at her life over the last three years, she thinks it’s not just a feeling but that she is indeed stuck. She mentioned she is stuck career-wise, network-wise, and financially.

I had an intense discussion with her, and among the many things we spoke about, the activities I challenged her to do stood out. She came back a few weeks ago and said that of all the things we discussed and she acted upon, something in particular changed everything for her.

What is that, you may be asking.

Well, I challenged her to get a pen and a journal and do the following:

• Write everything you think you know and are currently doing as far as your career, networking, and financial life is concerned.
• Write the things you think you don’t know. Feel free to do research about this.
• Identify one thing to take action on weekly. No matter how small, take one concrete action weekly on what you need to know and acquire the knowledge/skill.

Remember the popular saying the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and in most cases, that step is gaining awareness. It’s astonishing how many of us float through life without truly assessing where we stand. – Dr. Joybert Javnyuy

Why is this powerful?

Because when you see your life mapped out in ink, patterns emerge. Maybe you notice that you have been running circles around the same job role for years, or perhaps you see that your network hasn’t grown since university. This isn’t about being hard on yourself; it’s about facing reality head-on. And yes, it can be daunting, but it’s also the first step toward making tangible changes. I am speaking from experience.

One thing I love about the second action I asked to take is because it is about expanding your horizons and understanding that growth lies in learning. There is a level of growth you will never experience until you expand your horizons and learning abilities. – Dr. Joybert Javnyuy

You may be asking, why did I ask her to do only one thing per week. Here is why;

I call it the beauty of the “One Thing Strategy.” This is powerful because it is sustainable. You’re not overhauling your life overnight; you’re making incremental changes that add up. And with each small victory, confidence grows. Suddenly, you’re not just writing about your life; you’re actively shaping it.

As a coach, I like to encourage people to write. Those who have been my clients will tell you. Why is this important?

Let me gist you.

The act of writing does more than record thoughts; it clarifies them. Through journaling, vague ideas become tangible goals, and intangible feelings find their names. This is what happened to the lady above.

Journaling (writing) sparks creativity. By reflecting on her experiences and lessons learned, our friend stumbled upon ideas and solutions she hadn’t considered before. Writing became a brainstorming session with herself, leading to innovative approaches to her career, networking efforts, and financial management.

Feel free to try the above and let me know the outcome.

Blessings

Dr. Joybert Javnyuy