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The Turning Point


You’ve been putting in the time, the effort. You know what you want, what it looks like, what it feels like, and have been taking steps to get there. 


At first, you might not notice many changes at all. It may feel as though you’re putting in all this effort for nothing. You may wonder if things will ever change.


Then, one day, you notice something. Something that’s different. 

Something that’s easier, or more natural, or more pleasant. A signpost that shows you that things may be starting to change.


So you begin to look for other signs of change, all the while continuing to put in the time, effort, and good intentions toward your goal. As time passes, you begin to notice more and more changes, letting you know that you are on the right track.


And then something else changes. The rate of change begins to increase. The little, subtle changes that you had to look for are now turning into obvious, undeniable changes. It’s as if all of the work you put in in the beginning is really starting to pay off in a big way.


This is The Turning Point. The point at which the rate of change begins to increase and you begin to gain some serious momentum toward your goals.


Once The Turning Point is reached, change can happen faster and faster as you make rapid progress toward your goals. You need only continue on the path that you are on, staying diligent and wise, to keep the momentum flowing. 


A graph that shows a line that gradually steepens at first, followed by an increase in steepness. On the X-axis, there are 4 phases: 1. Invisible efforts. This is where the line is barely moving above the X-axis. 2. First signs. Here the line is above the X-axis, but not by much. 3. Clear signs. Here the line is appreciably above the X-axis and is gaining steepness in its curve 4. Rapid change. Here the line is gaining in steepness rapidly. Between phases 3 and 4 is an arrow that indicates The Turning Point, where the rate of change increases.
The stages of change leading to The Turning Point


The Early Stages


Perhaps you’re reading this and thinking, That’s not my story. Things have been anything but smooth and steady for me.


Let’s take a zoomed-in view of the early stages of change.


A zoomed-in version of the same graph above, which shows only the first 2 stages: "invisible efforts," and "first signs." But instead of being a smooth line, this line is wavy, with ups and downs. However, the overall trend of the line is upward.
The early stages of change, zoomed in

What you’ll notice is that what may look smooth in the original Zoomed Out view actually includes ups and downs. 


Now, some people experience these ups and downs in a very obvious way, while others experience very subtle ups and downs that are washed out by the overall upward trajectory.


Whichever has been the case for you thus far, with continued efforts, intentions, and wise decisions, know that the overall upward trajectory that you can see in the above image can happen for you.


Facilitating The Turning Point


Can we facilitate the turning point in occurring sooner, faster? Absolutely. 


While the stages outlined above are commonplace, how long we stay at each stage is highly variable. Some people move through the initial stages in a slow and steady fashion, while others move through the first stages surprisingly rapidly, and quickly begin to notice rapid progress toward their clearly defined goals. Either way, when the turning point is reached, change can occur at an ever-increasing rate. 



We need only 3 things to grease the wheels for the turning point to occur:


  1. Clear goals. In order to make rapid progress toward our goals, it helps to be clear about what our goals are. Here are some questions to ponder and even write down the answers to:

    1. What do I really want? Don’t be limited by what you think is realistic here. Just let your mind go to whatever it is that you really want, really.

    2. What does it look like?

    3. What does it feel like?

    4. How will I know when I am making progress?


  2. Wise action steps. Once we have clearly defined our goals, the next step is to determine some steps we can take toward those goals. The simplest way of doing this is by doing what we want to do in manageable pieces.

    1. Want to be able to walk longer? Walk the amount that you can right now

    2. Want to be able to lift more? Lift the amount that you can right now

    3. Want to be able to play the guitar with incredible dexterity and ease? Play however you can right now


The wise aspect comes into play with regard to finding and staying in The Goldilocks Zone (doing the just right amount)


  1. An open & curious mind. Remember that the early stages are characterized by no obvious changes or slight, subtle changes. Our job in these early stages, aside from staying diligent and wise with our action steps, is to look for signs of change. We can even pre-plan for these by asking ourselves:

    1. What will early changes look like? 

    2. What will early changes feel like?


Usually, early changes are simply a small or more subtle version of our goals. 



Wherever you are


So whether you are in the invisible effort stage, noticing undeniable changes, or already experiencing the increasing rapidity of change, you can take comfort in knowing that the efforts that you are putting in right now matter.


And as you clarify your goals, take wise action steps, and keep an open & curious mind, you might even be surprised at how quickly The Turning Point shows up. So don’t be opposed to surprising yourself.

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