From Stuck to Action: How to Kickstart Your Goals

There is something you want to do with your horse.

Maybe you want to finally nail that lead change, stop blowing by the second barrel, branch out into a new discipline, haul somewhere new, or finally go after that buckle you keep thinking about.

For so many riders, the biggest hurdle isn’t knowing what they want. It’s getting started.

Think about your own riding goals. Is there something you’ve been saying you’re going to do for months—or maybe even years—but you still haven’t started?

I don’t want this to be another year where there’s something you say you want to do… and then you don’t.

Why starting your riding goals can feel so hard

When we have a big, audacious goal, it’s completely normal for our brains to throw fear right in our faces:

What if I fail? What if I embarrass myself? What if I have no idea what I’m doing? What if this blows up in my face?

Our brains want to keep us safe, and we can be grateful for fear working so hard to do that. But being safe and alive isn’t necessarily the same thing as thriving.

If you never start, you can’t fail at the show because you never enter. You can’t embarrass yourself trying something new because you never try it.

But you also don’t get any closer to your riding goals.

The time is going to pass whether you work toward your riding goals or not.

Stop asking only, “What if I fail?”

Instead of only asking yourself What if I fail?, offer your brain another possibility:

What if I don’t do this?

What does your riding look like a year from now? What about five years from now? Where will your horse be in their training? What opportunities might you miss if you stay exactly where you are?

Fear loves to show you everything that could happen if you take action. Sometimes it helps to turn that around and ask what could happen if you never take action at all.

The goal I put off for years

When I came back to riding as an adult, I desperately wanted my own truck and trailer.

I wanted to haul to lessons, go to shows and clinics, meet up with friends, go trail riding, and have the freedom to actually do things with my horse instead of feeling stuck riding circles in the same field.

And for years, I didn’t do it.

A truck and trailer were an investment. It was something we hadn’t done before. Eventually, we finally took the leap.

And you guys? It was amazing.

The freedom and empowerment to fully enjoy my horse and go do fun things really was as good as I hoped it would be.

Sometimes the thing sitting on the other side of starting really is worth it.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

There’s one part of starting we can’t completely avoid: doing something new is uncomfortable, especially when there’s a chance we might suck at it for a while.

The goal isn’t to eliminate that discomfort before you begin. It’s learning that you can feel uncomfortable and still move forward.

That’s a skill you can practice.

Every time you look fear in the eye and take the next step anyway, you’re teaching yourself that discomfort doesn’t have to make your decisions for you.

Because five years from now, you don’t want to still be wondering, What if I had done it? What if I had started?

Do it for your future self

One of the things I’ve started doing is literally thanking different versions of myself.

If I did something yesterday that makes today easier, I’ll think, Thank you, past Nicole.

When I’m doing something I don’t necessarily feel like doing, I remind myself, Future Nicole is going to thank me for this.

It sounds small, but it completely changes how you look at the boring work that builds big goals.

You might not want to ride when it’s freezing. You might not feel like working out, doing the groundwork, or putting in the effort today.

But what will your future self thank you for?

Get 1% closer to your goal

I’m all about 1% improvements.

You don’t need to accomplish your giant horse dream today. Instead, ask yourself:

What action can I take today that gets me 1% closer?

Maybe your goal is to win a year-end high point or show at Congress. Your first step isn’t walking into that show pen.

It might be scheduling a lesson.

Calling your trainer and saying, “Hey, I want to do this. Can we make a plan?”

Entering your first smaller show.

Practicing one skill you know you’ll need.

Big goals become much less intimidating when you stop staring at the entire mountain and focus on the next step in front of you.

One step at a time. One day at a time. One percent at a time.

Sometimes fear is showing you what you need to learn

If you’re afraid to start, pay attention to the limiting beliefs underneath that fear.

When I got my big truck and gooseneck trailer, one of mine was:

I don’t know if I can drive this.

And honestly, I was scared. There was a lot of responsibility involved, and I didn’t want to crash or hurt myself or my horses.

So instead of treating that fear as proof that I shouldn’t do it, I turned it into a training plan. I read about hauling, watched videos, went on practice drives without the horses, practiced backing, and drove in different conditions.

Eventually, driving the trailer became no big deal.

Sometimes a limiting belief is showing you exactly where you need to build a new skill.

What would the successful version of you do?

Think about the version of you who has already achieved the goal you’re working toward.

How does that rider behave? How do they train their horse? Do they show up consistently? Do they compete? Do they school? Do their daily actions actually back up what they say they want?

This isn’t just about believing something hard enough.

It’s about creating alignment between your goals and your actions.

So ask yourself:

What can I do today that is aligned with the rider I want to become?

Then go do that.

Your future self is waiting

Imagine your future self came back to visit you one year from now and told you:

Your horse is so much better. You’re more confident. You’re having more fun riding. You’re finally dialed in together. That breakthrough you’ve been waiting for? It’s coming.

Then they gave you one instruction:

“You just have to keep going. Don’t give up.”

Would you put in the rides? Go to the shows? Work through the uncomfortable parts? Finally start?

I like to think you would.

There are wonderful things waiting for you, but you’ve got to get out there and go after them.

Ready to start becoming the competitor you want to be?

If your horse goals are there but fear, overthinking, or self-doubt keep getting between you and actually going after them, 5 Days to Confident Competitor is your next step.

You don’t have to overhaul your entire mental game overnight. Start small. Start where you are.

Over five days, you’ll intentionally train the mental side of your riding so you can start showing up with more confidence when it matters.

👉 Join 5 Days to Confident Competitor

Because your future self?

They’re going to thank you for starting.

Happy Trails,
Nicole Burnett
Mental Coach & Founder, Resilient Reiner

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