How Ann Created Her Amazing Breakthrough

A few years ago I had a Canadian client named, Ann, who was pretty stuck. She was a painter.

Five years before our call, she’d had a stressful year with a close loved one dying. Since then she’d found it impossible to resume painting.

Her art room was just as she’d left it as if in a time capsule. Nothing had been touched.

This was her livelihood and her passion. It was enormously distressing to her that she couldn’t even enter the room.

For four years she’d seen a psychologist. Nothing happened.

I asked her what was in the way. She said it was a huge wall. 

“Tell me about that wall,” I asked. The wall was made of cement and was at least ten feet thick. It was almost 50 feet high and it’s length went both left and right farther than she could see.

It was too deep to tunnel under.

She felt hopeless. There seemed to be no answer. After all, she saw a psychologist who was supposed to be the best of the best.

No matter what they talked about, or unraveled, or processed, there was no forward movement.

She took quite some time to describe her pain, how impossible the obstacle was, and how badly she wanted to paint again.

When she seemed to have laid it all out, there was a pause.

I asked her, “What’s the smallest step you could possibly take to get over that wall?”

Strangely, she didn’t hesitate with her answer. It seemed to surprise her how quickly she answered.

She said, “I could lay out the tarp on the floor.”

“Cool,” I said. “When would be a good time for you to do that?” She said, “Oh, right after our call.”

“Great, then, I request that be your assignment, OK?” “Sure,” she agreed. 

The next week, we spoke again. 

I asked her how things went after our last call.

She said, “after our call I went in and laid the tarp down. After the tarp was down I immediately got my paints together and started painting. I’ve painted for 5 of the last 7 days.”

“It just happened automatically.” 

She was astonished. After a series of powerful questions, the had solved her problem.

The relief and enjoyment was oozing through the phone.

After two sessions, she was thrilled.

I’ve asked that question of hundreds of other clients since. Those who took action had similar breakthroughs. 

Some of them took no action and had no breakthrough.

It’s a simple question. One that I ask myself every day.

What’s the smallest step I can take today that will move me toward my goal?

The other day I was cleaning up some files on my computer and noticed a page where I had listed several goals a couple of months ago.

When I had written those goals, they seemed huge and like they may be more than I could handle.

As I looked at the list I realized I’d completed everything on the list. It was old news.

What if you had someone to walk along side you to help you create your breakthrough?

What if the first step was free? What excuse would you come up with that would keep you stuck?

What’s the smallest step you can take today that will move you toward your goal?

When you’re ready for your breakthrough, read this book.

John Mason