9 Thoughts That Hold You Back

9 Thoughts That Hold You Back

1. I don’t have time

You have time for lots of things. Can you do some of those things more quickly? Can you delay or eliminate them if they are not important for your long-term fulfillment?

Even with a little bit of time here and there, you can make great progress. Fifteen minutes a day is a whole lot better than zero. Can you find fifteen minutes somewhere in your day, time to dedicate toward reaching a dream? Can you find thirty?

2. I’m too busy

You will always be busy. You’ll always have bills to pay, chores to do, errands to run, and people to satisfy. You have to find a way to work around all of that. Prioritize. Get a partner. Just say no. Do whatever you have to do. Life is not going to stop and let you work on your dreams.

3. I’m tired

When was the last time you didn’t feel tired or hungry or stressed or moody? If you’re waiting around for abundant energy and sheer bliss, you’ll never get anywhere. You’ll never get started.

Fatigue is real, but frequently we use it as an excuse to avoid action. Think about doing a task that you don’t want to face, and your brain will trick you into believing that you’re too tired to function. 

Forget about how feel; it’s irrelevant. You’re going to feel a whole lot better once you get moving.

4. I don’t really know what I want to do

That’s a common problem, and the solution is simple. Do something. Do anything. No action is a waste of time. 

Try something. You’ll know fairly quickly whether it’s right for you. If you discover that you should be doing something else, then switch gears and do that. No matter what you do, you’ll learn skills that will make you a stronger person, you will learn a lot about yourself.

5. I don’t know where to start

Start anywhere. It doesn’t matter where you start. The path will become clearer once you get moving. You won’t know which turn to take a mile down the road until you actually get there. Start moving. You’ll figure out where to go.

6. I don’t have what I need

Sure you do! If you have a dream, a will, a brain, and a body, you have enough to get started. You can pick up the rest as you go along - people, resources, funding, opportunities. But unless you’re already moving forward, no one is going to believe in you enough to want to help out.

7. I’m not sure that I’m good enough

Here’s a sobering fact. In the beginning of your journey, you probably won’t be good enough to do what you want to do. But don’t worry about it. You’ll get better as you work on it. 

If after a bunch of work you’re still not good enough, you can hire specialized help in the areas where you have weaknesses, or you can switch to a different goal entirely, something that you are able to do better. 

You’re not going to gain mad skills by sitting on your couch and dreaming about the promised land. You have to get up and do things, try things. One you start pushing your way past obstacles, you’ll gain skills that you didn’t even know you needed.

8. What if it doesn’t work out?

Then, it doesn’t work out, and you’ll try something else. But win or lose, you’re going to gain valuable skills and insights along the way. Those skills will help you to succeed at whatever comes next.

9. It’s too late

It’s never too late to do something meaningful, something that you have dreamt about and longed to do, something that will make you truly and deeply happy. Today may not be as good a day as yesterday, but it is infinitely better than tomorrow. Don’t wait another day to get started.