As I’ve continued to get to know and trust my intuition, I’ve come to realize: that when something feels off, that’s because it probably is.

It can be easy to deny and ignore our intuition when we’re working towards our goals and dreams, but trust me when I tell you: It’s SO important to trust yourself, trust your intuition, and trust the process you’re going through!

Lately I’ve talked a lot about finding your souls purpose.. and for me, I feel so grateful to say that I’ve truly found it. There’s nothing I love more than being a mindset coach and running my own online business. I love my clients, I love my freedom, I love my creativity, and everything about it feels so right to me.

But for so long, I wanted to be a therapist. And over the past year, as I’ve almost finished with my masters degree, I’ve come to the realization that it isn’t what I want anymore.

Although I love the world of counseling and psychology… that path no longer feels right to me.

A few months ago I found out that my grad program offers a shorter counseling program I could switch into. The only catch was that if I switched into the shorter program, I wouldn’t be able to get licensed as a therapist. And if I changed my mind, the process would be really complicated.

For months, I went back and forth. I could feel in the depths of my soul that I no longer wanted to be a therapist, but I felt so much anxiety, fear, and shame deciding to walk away from it. I had put so much time, effort, and money into that dream. I was terrified to walk away and admit to myself that it wasn’t what I wanted anymore.

I asked everyone I knew, “Do you think it’s a bad decision to leave?” “What do you think I should do?”

But I had to come to the realization for myself. I had to look within and trust myself. And I had to realize: That it’s ok to let go of old dreams in order to make way for new dreams.

I had to give myself permission to change course.

I had to let myself evolve, even when it felt scary and uncomfortable.

I had to listen to my intuition and trust my heart.

So a couple of months ago, I mustered up all the courage I could and I went into my advisors office and requested to switch programs. And you know what happened?

It felt LIBERATING! For so long, I had held onto this fear and anxiety and finally: I freed myself from it. And that same day, I found out I had won a VIP day with my favorite coach and mentor! It was such a confirmation that I was truly listening to my intuition.

I’m still going to be graduating with my masters degree in counseling (only 3 classes away!) but now I know I’m on the right path. I’m no longer working towards something that doesn’t feel right to me.

And I feel more excited and hopeful about the future than ever!! Sometimes we have to let go of old dreams in order to make room for new ones.

So if you’re also on a path of learning to trust yourself and take chances as you move towards your dreams, I wanted to share 5 tips that might be helpful to you.

1. Spend time looking within.

While working towards a new dream, it can be tempting to look at everyone around you to find the right answers. But I encourage you to spend more time looking within yourself instead of outside of yourself! This is YOUR path and your journey and the sooner you can let go of comparison, the better. Some ways I love to look within is by spending time journaling, meditating, and being mindful.

2. Remember that making mistakes help us to grow.

Sometimes when it comes to moving towards new dreams, there can be a tendency to hold back. I’ve definitely experienced this on my journey of growing my blog and business. Sometimes we hold back because we are afraid of failure, but here’s the thing: What if failure wasn’t a bad thing? What if failure meant you were learning? It’s better to try and fail than to not try at all!

3. Practicing loving compassion to yourself.

You’re doing the best you can and being mean to yourself isn’t going to be helpful. So many clients and women come to me struggling with their inner-critic. I’m talking about the mean-girl voice that lives inside your head. She can be pretty mean, right? It isn’t always easy, but it’s so important to be loving and kind to yourself. Try talking to yourself like you would to your best friend. You wouldn’t be mean to her, right? So why would you be mean to yourself?

4. Trust that each right step will appear as once you start taking action.

You don’t need to have it all figured out right now. I think there can be a tendency when you’re working towards a new dream to want to know every step right now. It gives us a sense of control, safety, and predictability to have everything mapped out beforehand. But in reality, the best way to learn is to just start taking action, even if you’re not sure what the path ahead looks like. Trust that you’re smart, strong, and fully capable of handling anything thrown your way! And trust that each right step will appear as you begin taking action.

5. Spend more time looking forward than looking back.

Working with our past can be helpful to learn from, but be aware of keeping your focus there too long. When we are constantly looking backwards, we might get caught up in regret, negative self-talk, or worry. Learn your lessons and then move on. Get clear on your goals and intentions moving forward, but be open to evolving and changing course as you go.

You’ve got this!!! With endless love and support, mindset coach,

Ashley

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