By Marnie Pehrson Kuhns

About twenty-six years ago, I jotted down a list of goals. One of them was to have one of my books sold in a specific bookstore chain. At the time, I hadn’t even published my first book. I tucked that slip of paper away in a file drawer and completely forgot about it. Fast forward about ten years, I stumbled across that old list.

My eyes widened as I read it—because by then, not just one, but at least four of my books were being sold through that exact bookstore chain.

The seed I had planted by writing that goal had quietly taken root and grown. What amazed me most was that the goal had come to life even though I hadn’t been consciously thinking about it.

That’s the Law of Gestation in action. Ideas are like seeds. We plant them when we get clear on what we want and write it down. We really lock that seed in when we emotionally connect with it—when we imagine how it will feel once it becomes real.

Just like seeds in nature, our goals need time. They need to swell, absorb nutrients, sprout, grow, and eventually bear fruit. No one plants a seed and expects to harvest it the same day. It takes time. It takes patience.

Think of a baby growing in her mother’s womb. There’s a process, a timeline. A mother doesn’t wish for her baby to be born at 16 or 26 weeks—she wants a full-term, healthy baby with the best chances of thriving.

We should treat our ideas with that same kind of patience and trust. The hard part with goals is that there’s no seed packet telling us how long the gestation period is. But that doesn’t mean the process isn’t working. If the goal is planted properly—with clarity, emotion, and faith—it will bear fruit, in its time.

Yes, sometimes we can do things that help speed up the process, but we don’t want to rush something that’s meant to be fully formed. If something you really want doesn’t work out, it’s often because something better—something more whole and aligned—is just around the corner.

And trust me, as someone who’s settled for less than a fully formed result before, you don’t want to do that. When things don’t work out, be thankful. Keep looking ahead with expectant gratitude, knowing that the right thing—at the right time—is on its way.

_________________

•   To discover how to start choosing more effectively now, read The Jackrabbit Factor (FREE!)  
•   If you want more step-by-step guidance on creating the life you really want, join me in the Mindset Mastery program.
•   If you want my help overcoming that giant obstacle right in front of you, learn more and sign up for Genius Bootcamp.