When we think about boldness we often think about monumental milestones. Getting a promotion and facing new, unknown territory. Quitting a job. Moving to a new state or country. Signing up for your first marathon. Our brains spin boldness to the biggest life changing decisions. Boldness doesn’t have to be the size of a mountain. In fact, sometimes the most powerful changes come from a single, small, courageous step.

Boldness is not about making noise, it’s about making moves. It might be saying ‘no’ when your values are compromised. In meetings, it may be speaking up with fresh ideas when you’ve normally held your tongue. It may be diving into the pool after too many months away from a few laps. Boldness is asking for help when you’re stuck or overwhelmed. It may be signing up to volunteer for something you’ve never done before. It doesn’t have to be dramatic, to be impactful.

When you use your courage to take that one small bold step, you’re building your capacity and you’ve created momentum. That rock is no longer resting, it’s in motion. If you’re human and have ever ridden in a car, you understand momentum when you slam on the brakes and your body is thrust forward and hopefully gets caught by the seatbelt.

The positive power of momentum, once you’ve taken a bold step, is that it builds. It continues to move you forward. When you’ve taken action, your body releases neurochemicals like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and probably endorphins. Those produce a positive cocktail of motivation, love, trust, acknowledgment and happiness (amongst many other things.) Don’t know about you, but I’ll take one of those any day!

It’s easy to underestimate the positive power of one small action. But it can open doors, by speaking up you show your ability to step up into leadership roles. By trying something new you can build connections within your community. By taking a few minutes to notice the impact, you can deepen your awareness of self. And when you use your courage you strengthen your confidence and which can propel you on your path.

Boldness can be moving, switching jobs, restarting. Boldness can also be committing to five minutes of meditation a day. Boldness is a mindset and can be cultivated daily. It’s up to you on how you want to define it.

Questions for you:
What bold acts are you contemplating?
What’s one small thing you can do TODAY to create momentum?