Life is not beating you down like some hopeless dingy in a tropical storm. Now is the time to really own your success and do something about it. This is not about pipe dreams to be a rapper at the age of 62. We are talking about true passions and the success you’ve always sought. If you are wondering why you can’t seem to get ahead, you just might be in your own way.
Procrastination
This is arguably the most important factor between you and your success. How often do you push things off until tomorrow? Have you caught yourself saying what you WILL do and are GOING to do more often than actually getting started. When I first decided I was going to be a writer, I kept pushing articles off until Saturdays. Then Saturday would come and go and I’d have a truck load of excuses why I should do it Sunday instead. The longer you procrastinate on your dreams, the longer it will take to get there. You can’t accomplish what you never start.
A year from now you may wish you had started today. ~Karen Lamb
Short Cuts instead of Hard Work
Short cuts only work when you are trying to get to the airport on time. It’s possible that you aren’t experiencing success because you are busy trying to find a faster way to get there. There’s nothing wrong with being creative, but when you are trying to bypass hard work with ‘get rich quick’ schemes you are focusing your energy in the wrong direction.
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. – Beverly Sills
Self Doubt
Who told you that you can’t accomplish something? Find that person and shove your success right in their face – with the utmost respect of course. Your inner voice and your higher spiritual power are the only two opinions that matter. But what happens when the person telling you that you can’t do it is internal? If you doubt yourself, you’ll lose motivation to do your best work. Remember that you are your FIRST and BIGGEST fan. Seek out friends who TRULY support your dream and practice some meditation or prayer. You’ve got to build up your inner voice so that you can cheer yourself on to goals.
It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. ~Author Unknown
Walking in Circles
There is your dream. You see it and it’s ready for the taking. Now how are you going to get there? I can sit on the couch every day and say I want to be a writer, but if I never actually write anything what good is all that hoping and wishing? You’ll never be successful if you don’t lay out some concrete steps to get to your goal. Do some research and find out what has to be done to start that business or be successful in that new career. It’s like creating a backwards plan. You first decide the end and then draw yourself a map right up to where you are now. Make your goals SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. We all have goals but the difference between those that succeed and those that don’t is a clear, actionable plan.
If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. ~Lawrence J. Peter
Comparison
I sometimes fall into the trap of comparison especially when I read articles that I feel are “better” than mine. Through prayer and meditation I’ve learned that each of us has our own lane. We all have our own space to fill. I can’t be upset that I’m not a certain piece of the puzzle, because at the end of the day, if I don’t contribute my own special puzzle piece the picture will never be complete. When we compare ourselves to others and conclude we are the lesser of the two it has devastating impacts on our motivation. Instead of comparing and considering yourself less, try to determine what you can learn from that person. Use that as fuel for you to seek your own best standard. Your contribution is unique for a purpose
“You can have anything you want – if you want it badly enough. You can be anything you want to be, do anything you set out to accomplish if you hold to that desire with singleness of purpose.” – Abraham Lincoln.
I encourage you to chase your goals with a fierce passion. Will you accomplish every single goal? It’s quite possible but not a guarantee. By breaking some of the mindsets above and getting out of your own way, you can live with “I did its” instead of “what ifs.”
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. ~T.S. Eliot
Check out Dee Rene‘s own blog at LaughCryCuss.com
