You can still achieve that goal. Your dream can still be realised if you don’t give up just yet. Most people give up on their dreams too easily or too early because they think it’s not realistic anymore or they become complacent, settling into a normal routines and give up on the idea that they can really make an impact and change their lives. Don’t settle. A lot of your goals in life can still be achieved if you get out of your comfort zone and push yourself a little bit further.
These are a few things that could be holding you back from being your very best in life.
1. I can never be good enough. By saying this, you’re effectively striving for perfection, which does not exist. You’ll never be good enough as long as you don’t give yourself a chance to try in the first place. Don’t aim for perfection. Don’t strive for perfection. Aim to be prolific. So just do it. Make all the mistakes you can. Pick yourself and grow. By all means, keep moving. Don’t give up just yet.
2. I will never as good as him/her. Whatever you intend to do or are doing, you will look at others who are much further down the road from you and expect your results to be similar to theirs, today. Since you cannot see their struggle, the mistakes and the hundreds of little improvements they made every single day, you assume these never existed. Get closer to one of the people you look up to and ask them what it took to get to where they are now. You will be surprised at what you find.
By comparison you will feel inadequate, incapable and discouraged. Shift your focus instead to where you are today compared to yesterday to get a more accurate picture of the progress you’re making today instead of comparing yourself those at the top.
3. I just don’t have the time. Everyone knows someone who just seems to get a lot more done than other people. You may be asking yourself: How do these folks do it? They must have no life. Actually, they have a great life. They’ve figured out what is important to them, and they’re making it happen. Figure out what’s important to you. Strip away all the stuff that isn’t. Then make it happen. We’re all given the same amount of time. The only difference is how we use it.
4. I need permission/approval. It could take you a while to get something significant done if you are always looking for some kind of approval from others close to you in life. You are looking for that approval to confirm that you’re on the right path. You may never get it. Actually, you don’t need it.
You don’t want to disappoint. And so you end up stuck and paralysed at the same place for a very long time. You don’t need approval to start your dream career, You don’t permission to start that project. Just go ahead and give it a try. Start doing, stop seeking approval.
5. I am waiting for the right time. The right time is now. You can never be prepared enough. You keep putting something off because it’s not the “right” time yet. You need to make a few more improvements, get more experience, learn a few more skills. You wait for the economy to improve. Guess what, the right time may never come. Only by starting will you discover what else needs to be done or improved, never before.
6. I will probably fail, why bother! Nah. It won’t do you any good if you don’t try, for failure only comes when you stop trying. And failure is your best ally when it comes to your endeavours. It is through failure where you’d learn the most. So don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t let the idea of failure hold you back.
Don’t let your fears hold you back. Whatever you’ve been planning, whatever you’ve imagined, whatever you’ve dreamed of, get started on it today. If you want to start a business, take the first step. If you want to change careers, take the first step.
7. I am not talented enough. “If I had any talent, this would be much easier. I’m not cut out for this.” When you start your project, you discover it’s a steep uphill struggle to get where you want. You make it mean you’re lacking in some way. Don’t buy into this mindset. Anything you do will get easier the more you do it. Persistence and not talent is the secret to success, so stick to it, keep working at it and eventually you’ll find yourself at the top where you belong.
Image courtesy rachel^ (Flickr)