Don’t let these things hold you back from realizing your dreams…
The fear of failure
From a young age, we seem to demonstrate a fear of failure or embarrassment, which growing up might have stopped us from asking for that date or joining the sports club, but as we get older this innate fear can stop us from more serious desires such as perusing our dream career or having the courage to do what makes us happy. But if you don’t try you will never know. Always think, what’s the worst that can happen? Sit down, make a calculated risk and go for it! Don’t fear rejection, failure or making mistakes. Fear being stagnant and standing still instead! “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” – Jack Canfield
Listening to negative voices
From the little voice inside your head that tells you ‘you’re not good enough’, to listening to negative apprehension from concerned friends and family, these little voices can chip away at your self confidence and your attitude that you can do this. In the short term these negative voices might cause annoyance and irritation but in the long term they could fatally erode your confidence. If it’s you that is being the negative voice, eliminate the use of words such as ‘should’ ‘can’t’ or ‘I wish…’ from your vocabulary. For example, “I should have a monthly income from an employer but I want to be self employed” Or “I can’t possibly move abroad…” Or “I wish I had the time to peruse my hobby and turn it into my career but…” Someone has to be honest with you and I am telling you now, these are just excuses for inaction and not real legitimate hurdles! If it is friends, families and acquaintances that are advising you not to follow your dream and are unknowingly holding you back, then don’t share your thoughts with them. That simple. Yes it is great to have feedback, but only if it is going to develop and progress you, not erode your confidence. Ask the experts for advice and sensible suggestions, not concerned friends that don’t know all the facts.
Striving for perfection
I got news for you, big news…life is never going to be “perfect” no matter how hard you try, so stop stressing to make it 100 percent perfect when you’d be just as happy with 90 percent perfection, which is also easier to obtain and maintain. I am not saying you shouldn’t try, push or progress but don’t do it to the detriment of your success and sanity. “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good” is something my boss used to always tell me in my first job after university, where my desperation for perfection was actually creating a negative effect, as my anxiety to be perfect had the reversed desired outcome. Always striving for perfection will cripple your ability to reach your goals and be happy doing it.
Your past haunting you
Everyone has a past which means everyone has baggage, fears and preconceptions. Making mistakes and learning from experiences is vital for a fulfilling life but don’t let the past haunt you. Just because it happened in the past, doesn’t mean it will necessarily happen again. For example, If you have been burnt with the failure of a start up business in the past, it doesn’t mean it will happen again, so don’t let it be a ghost of your future success. Or perhaps you have experienced a negative emotional relationship in a past? Just because someone else was a dirt bag, doesn’t mean your future partner will be too. Life is for making mistakes and having fun whilst learning. Be brave. Follow your dreams. Featured photo credit: http://picjumbo.com/ via picjumbo.com
