I don't like being lied to. Every Monday motivation quote, every Wednesday wisdom post, every Thursday thought set me up to believe that once I got started, save for a few hurdles and devoting some steady energy, I'd see my success graph slowly but surely run to the right and steeply point upwards. Fibbers.
It's since come to my attention that this was total lies. It doesn't get easy so cleanly for everyone on their journey. Some people have more hurdles and set backs come their way than others and it can be really disheartening. I for one struggle to get back on the horse once I fall off it (think gym, diet, reading habit...entrepreneurship) - If I'm not consistently doing it, I'm not doing it period.
You're lucky if you can pin point one consistent thing that trips you up when you're plotting to take over the world (my first bet would be procrastinating - you're welcome) because once you identify it you can strategise and conquer it. If you're like the rest of us with a mental menagerie of stumbling blocks, stay tuned as I create a list that will hopefully help you identify the ones stopping you and make a plan to tackle them.
The main perpetrator is motivation, or a lack there of. Sometimes we just don't feel like it. Something, some goal we want can be playing on our mind all day, "I need to go to the gym tonight," but once we close our font door to the big bad world of an evening, it can be difficult bracing ourselves to face it again without a full eight hours under the duvet. So instead we snuggle up and promise ourselves "tomorrow." Sound like you? Yeah, I'm looking a bit sheepish as I write this too.
Another biggie is generating fulfilling content and ideas; my mind could have been buzzing all week but as soon as I crack my laptop on a Tuesday evening, everything goes blank. No matter how many topics I have to choose from, I sit at my screen uninspired, eventually letting my attention be gobbled up by a Netflix original. "Friday," I promise myself. But I never said which Friday...
Time. I just never seem to have enough time. Pah! Says the girl who has on more than one occasion devoured an entire mini series in one evening. If we dig a little we all know most of the time this is a feeble excuse we give ourselves to justify a lack of motivation or ideas. On the off chance we get to take this excuse at face value, you have to ask yourself, is the dream important enough to make time? If the answer is no, let it go, but if it's yes, you know what you have to do.
Now tell me this; are you the most informed on building your dream you could be? A lot of the time we rely too much on natural talent to get ahead. Sometimes this is enough, but often times it's not. Instead, couple that natural talent for music, for language, for building your business with equal amounts of effort. Take the time to expand your capabilities. The hurdles will get fewer and further apart the more you're able to apply some confident expertise to whatever you're interested in.
Confidence in yourself also matters. Low self belief in our capabilities to deliver our projects and get results only builds a higher wall between us and those goals. Even if the spark is small you have to nurture it. Playing it safe will only get you so far - sometimes you just have to hitch up your skirt, take a deep breath and march into the stupefying unknown. Don't let a fear of other people's opinions terrify you into inaction - a lot of those same people probably wouldn't think twice about your reaction before embarking on their own adventures so you shouldn't be letting their potential ill judgement stop you from making tracks. Just because they don't see the reasoning in your dream, doesn't mean it's not worth it. Stay true to yourself and you'll naturally surround yourself with the right support system.
That ladies and gentlemen, is curtain. This list will hopefully mark the beginning of a turning point in your journey as you identify and address what elements make up the wall you've built between you and your success.
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