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The Art of Taking Small, Courageous Steps

Hey there, Bold Mover!

Ever feel like "boldness" requires leaping tall buildings in a single bound? I'm here to tell you that's some serious nonsense. True courage often whispers, not shouts. It's about those small, consistent acts that build momentum and get you where you need to be.

Why Small Steps?

Momentum, Darling, Momentum: That Boulder Ain't Gonna Flatter Itself.

You nailed it with the boulder bit. Inertia? Oh, it's a clingy beast. Trying to heave yourself at some monumental goal in one go? Sweetheart, you'll be sprawled on the ground, dignity bruised, and the boulder will still be laughing in your face.

But those teensy, persistent nudges? Each one, seemingly as impactful as a butterfly sneeze, starts to get that stubborn rock to wiggle. Then it groans. Then, voilà! It's actually moving. That's the delicious magic of compounding effort. Every baby step throws a little shade at inertia, building a force that's way more impressive than your initial, dramatic flail. And it's not just muscle, it's your mind, precious. Each minuscule win whispers, "Oh yeah, you are doing this," making the next baby step feel like a delightful little stroll. It's a fabulous, self-loving cycle of "I got this."

Less Intimidating: Because Paralysis is So Last Season's Shade.

Let's spill the tea: staring down a colossal task is a first-class ticket to Anxietyville. Cue the dramatic sighs, the sudden urge to alphabetize your spice rack, the fervent belief that you require three more months of "research." It's fear doing its dramatic monologue. The sheer audacity of the challenge makes you freeze like a deer in headlights, except the headlights are your own lofty expectations.

Small steps, though? They're the charming, utterly approachable besties of those terrifying leaps. They don't set off your internal alarm bells. Instead, they're like, "Hey, no biggie, just this one little thing." And that's the strategy, my dear. By lowering the drama, you're actually going to start. And once you've dipped a toe in, that initial resistance throws a tantrum and leaves. Suddenly, the path ahead isn't trying to give you a panic attack anymore. It's about outsmarting your brain, one ridiculously easy move at a time.

Sustainable: Because Burnout is Basic.

The siren song of the "instant fix" and the dazzling "transformation" is tempting, but let's be blunt: those giant leaps are fueled by the unsustainable fumes of sheer willpower and caffeine. They're the equivalent of sprinting in stilettos – briefly attention-grabbing, but ending in a spectacular face-plant and a closet full of regret.

Small steps? They're the sensible flats of the marathon runner. They let you weave progress into your fabulous life without causing a full-scale upheaval. They're about cultivating habits, and habits, my love, are the diamonds of long-term success. You can maintain a chic, consistent rhythm with small steps, making progress feel less like wrestling a bear and more like a delightful daily ritual. This sustainability is the secret sauce to actually reaching those dazzling goals without losing your sparkle or dissolving into a puddle of "I can't even." It's about playing the long, sophisticated game, and small steps are your most reliable power suit.

So, there you have it. Small steps aren't just a cute suggestion; they're a strategic power play for building unstoppable momentum, side-stepping fear's drama, and achieving results that actually last. Now, darling, with this elevated understanding, tell me – what tiny, yet undeniably powerful, step are you going to sashay into today?

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The Power of Small Steps: Real-World Edition

Networking: Instead of trying to work the room like a desperate social butterfly, aim for one conversation that doesn't make you want to fake a phone call.

The Overwhelm: Walking into a networking event can feel like being tossed into a shark tank filled with ambition and awkward small talk. The pressure to be "on" for everyone, accumulate enough business cards to wallpaper a small room, and schmooze like you're auditioning for a spy movie is enough to make even the most charismatic want to become invisible. This "impress everyone or be a nobody" mentality usually results in shallow interactions, names that vanish the second they're exchanged, and a profound desire for a nap.

The Small, Courageous Step: Instead, darling, focus on a single, real human. Spot someone who doesn't look like they're about to launch into a sales pitch. Approach them with genuine curiosity, actually listen when they speak, and ask questions that aren't just thinly veiled attempts to talk about yourself. The aim isn't to secure a deal in the next five minutes, but to forge a connection that doesn't feel like pulling teeth. This small act of bravery – initiating one conversation that doesn't make you cringe – is far more likely to lead to something worthwhile than flitting around like a hummingbird on Red Bull. It's about quality, not the sheer volume of lukewarm interactions, and the confidence boost from one authentic connection can make the rest of the event feel less like a social minefield.

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Fitness: Forget the "new year, new shredded you" fantasy. Start with a 15-minute stroll that doesn't require spandex.

The Intimidation Factor: The fitness world loves to bombard us with images of sculpted bodies and workouts that look like Olympic training. The thought of suddenly becoming a marathon runner, living in the gym, or subsisting on kale smoothies can feel like a cruel joke, especially if your current exercise routine involves reaching for the remote. This "go hard or go home" nonsense often leads to staying firmly planted on the sofa. We feel like we need to overhaul our entire existence, so we end up doing precisely nothing.

The Small, Courageous Step: A 15-minute walk is the epitome of "no sweat, literally." It's achievable in your jeans, requires zero special equipment (unless you count shoes), and can sneak into even the most packed schedule. This tiny act of rebellion against inertia – putting one foot in front of the other for a quarter of an hour – reminds your body what movement feels like and proves that you can prioritize yourself without a dramatic lifestyle overhaul. This small victory builds momentum that might just lead to longer walks, exploring activities you actually enjoy, and a gradual, sustainable integration of movement into your life. It's about building a foundation that doesn't involve tears and Lycra.

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Creative Projects: Ditch the "write a masterpiece by Tuesday" delusion. Just birth one measly paragraph.

The Blank Page Terror: The sheer audacity of a creative endeavor – a novel, a painting that doesn't look like a toddler's finger-painting, a business plan that doesn't induce immediate boredom – can be soul-crushing. The vastness of the project triggers the inner critic, the self-doubt, and the paralyzing fear of not being the next artistic genius. We stare at the blank canvas (literal or digital) and feel utterly clueless, wondering if we should just take up competitive napping instead. The pressure to create something groundbreaking right away is the ultimate creativity killer.

The Small, Courageous Step: Writing one paragraph is so tiny, it's almost insulting to procrastination. It lowers the stakes to the point of being ridiculous and allows you to finally start without the weight of expectation. This small act of defiance against the blank page – stringing a few coherent thoughts together – can actually spark something. That one paragraph might just whisper to another, and another, until you look back and realize you've actually created something. It's about gently coaxing your creativity out of its hiding place, one tiny, non-threatening sentence at a time.

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Learning a New Skill: Forget the weekend warrior fantasy. Commit to 10 minutes a day that won't make your brain explode.

The Burnout Trap: The urge to become an instant expert often leads to those intense, weekend-long learning marathons that leave you feeling like your brain has turned to mush. While it might seem like you're making rapid progress, this "cramming" approach is usually unsustainable and leads to mental fatigue, information overload, and a high probability of forgetting everything by Monday morning. It feels like a monumental chore, making it easy to abandon.

The Small, Courageous Step: Dedicating a mere 10 minutes a day to that new skill is a far more chic and effective strategy. This small act of commitment – consistently showing up for a tiny sliver of time – allows your brain to actually absorb and process the information without staging a revolt. It transforms learning into a manageable habit that can easily slide into your daily routine. Over time, those consistent little bursts of effort accumulate into serious expertise, far surpassing the fleeting gains of an information binge. It's about gently nurturing new neural pathways and allowing the knowledge to truly become a part of you.

The bottom line, Darling? Consistency and manageability are the power players, leaving intensity and grandiosity looking rather gauche. Small, courageous steps aren't about lowering your standards; they're about strategically outsmarting your own resistance and building a runway for serious success. They're the quiet acts of rebellion against stagnation that lead to truly fabulous transformations.

Now, spill the tea – what small, sassy step are you going to take for yourself today?

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Go Forth and Be Slightly Brave!

Remember, you don't need to be a superhero. You just need to be a you who's willing to take one small, courageous, BOLD step over and over.

Here's a step you can take right now: Purchase my Taking Small Courageous Steps Worksheet for only $5! You can use it again and again for any goal, situation, relationship or issue that feels too big or you don't know where to start. This worksheet is designed not just to tell you what to do, but to guide you through the how and the why behind taking small, bold steps. Click here!​

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The Unexpected Bold Courage in Letting Go

The chipped mug warmed my hands, the Earl Grey a weak attempt at comfort. Mimi*. Just her name hung in the air of my tiny RV kitchen like a storm cloud. Our friendship had been...drifting. For years? It was that slow, agonizing fade, the kind that doesn't announce itself with fireworks, just a gradual dimming of the lights. I can't remember last time I heard from her. Or when I had last reached out.

Everyone else seemed to have these grand friendship narratives: the dramatic fallouts, the tearful reconciliations, the unwavering ride-or-dies. Me? I was stuck in this lukewarm limbo, a perpetual "maybe." And the maybe was killing me in most of my friendships post-divorce.

I've read all the articles, of course. "Trust your gut," they chirped. "If they're not a hell yes, they're a no." Easy for them to say, perched on their pedestals of social certainty. My gut felt less like a wise oracle and more like a confused toddler, pointing in multiple directions at once these days after divorce.

That's when I remembered I already had the tools to take courageous steps. It wasn't about leaping off a cliff of decision, but about taking tiny, almost imperceptible steps towards clarity. It sounded...doable. Less terrifying, anyway.

So, I made a list. Not a pros-and-cons list for this exercise, but a list of tiny actions I was going to take toward figuring out if we were friends or not.

Instead of my usual passive-aggressive scrolling past Mimi's socials posts, I'd send a simple text: "Hey, how are you doing? I haven't heard from you in a bit." It's not a demand for an explanation, just a small, direct reach-out. Courageous, in my world, because it meant acknowledging the elephant in the room.

I'd scroll through our old messages. Not to wallow in nostalgia, but to remember what sparked this thing in the first place. Was it still valid? I made a tiny exploration of the good, without ignoring the present.

I planned a meet up with some other friends I wanted to reconnect with, and tonight am going out for Karaoke after years of not doing something I enjoyed. It's a reminder that I am a good friend, with or without Mimi. Courageous because it meant prioritizing and rekindling other relationships, even when I feel hurt.

I wrote down how I was feeling. Not in an accusatory way, but just stating my truth, to myself.

The check-in? Mimi responded with a two-word sentence.. "All's Good." That's it. It stung, but it was...information. The memory lane? Reading old messages highlighted how much had changed (or I changed.) How one-sided things had been. The friend date? I'm excited. I already feel connected, supported, and reminded that I am worthy of good friendships from the excitement in planning our night out together tonight.

The vulnerability download? That is the hardest. I wrote once in my journal, "I feel...adrift. Like I'm waving at everyone who's already sailed away because they no longer trust me, like me, or respect me. It hurts, and I don't know exactly why."

These small steps haven't magically solved everything. There hasn't been a grand epiphany, no booming voice from the heavens. But these steps did something crucial: they gave me information. They chipped away at the "maybe," revealing the contours of the real.

The real was...complicated. The real was that we'd drifted apart, not with a bang, but with a quiet, persistent fade. (Similar to my marriage experience.) The reality was that I deserved more than unanswered texts and unspoken questions. And the realest thing of all? I was strong enough to admit it, and to be okay, eventually, with not knowing why.

My decision wasn't a leap. It was a series of tiny steps, each one leading me closer to my own truth. And that, I realized, was the most courageous journey of all. It wasn't about the friendships I have lost, but about the strength I have found in myself in so many situations in the past few years.

You can go through the same steps using my worksheet: Purchase my Taking Small Courageous Steps Worksheet for only $5! You can use it again and again for any goal, situation, relationship or issue that feels too big or you don't know where to start. This worksheet is designed not just to tell you what to do, but to guide you through the how and the why behind taking small, bold steps. Click here!​

*name changed for privacy

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Bold Challenge Questions:

What's one tiny step I can take today towards a big goal?

What small act of courage have I overlooked in the past?

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Craving More Challenge?

Subscribe to my YouTube channel and dare to watch (new and old) "Boldly Driven Conversations with Bri" episode(s). This week's episode is about questioning labels and whether they hinder or help us. Check it out!

The Comfort & Cage of Labels: How to Drop Labels for Healing

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Summer Pool Time is on the Way!

Are you ready to stop playing small and actually do something good for yourself this sunny season? Ready to finally lighten your emotional baggage?

Dive into one of my Emotional Healing journals on Amazon and let's get to work on a brighter you this Summer!

Your favorite, most radiant self is waiting for you to discover them under the summer sky!

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Ready to ditch the struggle and unleash your inner badass?

If you're craving personalized support and ready to level up your life, let's chat.

Click here for 1:1 coaching info.

Click here to schedule a Bold Beginning Chat with Brianna: Bold Beginning Chat ​

Let's make some magic happen. ✨

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☀️Summer-Time Giveaway☀️

Hey there, sunshine seekers! Feeling a little adrift and ready to enjoy Summer as your most favorite self? Tired of going with the flow when you'd rather make waves? Got something bubbling beneath the surface, maybe even something I just talked about?

Let's carve out some clarity! Grab a FREE 45-minute "Spark Session" with me, and we'll dig out the brilliant you hiding under those layers of "should dos."

Want to share the sunshine? Simply forward this along to a friend who could use a boost, have them subscribe, and then reply to this email with their name and email, and you BOTH get a FREE "Spark Session."

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Be Boldly You!

I see you, Gorgeous.

-Bri💋

Brianna L. George

Boldly live out loud as your authentic self.💋

​BriannaLGeorge.com​

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