Source: Faith.Home.Love.

A comment reader Jen left about holding patterns (Jen’s comment) made me pause. I wonder if it had the same impact on you?

When I look back on my life what I see is a series of enormous leaps followed by long phases of what I can only describe as holding patterns. It is almost as if after landing from the gigantic leap of faith I’ve taken, I’m crouched on the ground warily waiting for something to land on me, grab me or present some other danger to me. I’m not sure if I’m fearing punishment for my risk, or if the surroundings post-leap are so alien that I’m unable to immediately respond.

Change a job– freeze in place (for 12 years).

End a relationship (romantic or otherwise)– freeze in place (so very many years).

Reach out for advice– freeze in place (1 year and counting).

Start a new relationship? Well, that’s a relatively new concept for me, so I guess we’ll see.

We seem to have proven (on this blog, at least) that if you have all the choices in the world, you make none (or make one and constantly change your mind). Perhaps it is that seemingly endless new set of possibilities presented me post-leap that stymies me?

I’m not sure the answer is to increase the frequency of leaps until I’m nearly a constant blur of motion because then I would also be committing to nothing, but I can’t believe that this recurring holding pattern choice does me any good either.

So, short of another drastic change, how does one break this inertia? How do you keep your forward momentum?