A trapeze artist can only fly from one trapeze to another by first releasing the bar he is holding on to. This takes a lot of nerve, determination, and desire. It is certainly contrary to human nature to let go of something that is secure in exchange for the unfamiliar.

Life is like the trapeze. There are many circumstances where you have to let go of what is known in order to learn, grow, and find additional happiness. Changing jobs, changing careers, getting married, getting divorced, moving, and starting a family are just some examples. Having to let go is a simple concept that is not so easy to put into practice.

Each of us has a need for security. For the most part, we would prefer to keep the comfort of what we are used to rather than reach out to grab something new. Actually, the prospect of releasing our grip from that which we think is safe is downright frightening.

So how can you condition yourself to let go of what you are hanging on to in order to improve your life? Just like a person learning to use the trapeze, you need to start with something easy and then gradually increase the challenges as you build your confidence.

A good place to begin is by identifying all of those things you would like to do but have not yet attempted. List everything you think of without any limitations. Resist the temptation to evaluate your desires; even if you feel something is unrealistic or too difficult, list it anyway.

Creating your list accomplishes several things. Putting your aspirations in writing is the first step to bringing them into reality. As you write down your thoughts, they are absorbed into your mind as a real desire. Creating your list makes you fully aware of all of your dreams.

Once you have your ideas, you can then prioritize them in two different ways. One list should be arranged in order from least to most important. The other list should be ordered by level of difficulty, from easiest to hardest. This second list is the one you will use to practice letting go.

Start with the easiest item. Ignore all of the others for now. Give yourself a specific time limit to complete this task. Don’t be vague. Without a deadline, you won’t take action. If you put it off, you won’t accomplish anything and will find it impossible to make any progress.

Once the first task has been completed, move to the item that is next in terms of difficulty. Repeat the same process. Accomplishing the easiest items may not provide much satisfaction, but with each success, your confidence will grow.

You will quickly discover that letting go isn’t nearly as arduous as you imagined. Many people who go through this training process are surprised at how their imagined fears had little or no basis in reality.

After tackling the first few easy tasks, switch over to the list that has your aspirations arranged by importance. Don’t jump immediately to the most important item. Start with something a few levels below. Again, you will be continuing to boost your confidence.