Let’s be honest for a second here.
How many times have you ever started a project, a diet plan, fitness plan, savings plan, mortgage plan and didn’t go far? Any particular reasons why it didn’t happen or work out?
More often than not,we find all the reasons not to hit the road. It is amazing how far and wide we’d research on the cons of a new idea we are on about. To the extent of inviting friends over for dinner or drinks so you can hang out this new idea and publicly stone it to death. We ‘google’ reviews of the car, phone,investment type and I bet you,most of the reviews we will rememeber are the negative bashing ones that make us change our minds.
Ever floated an idea and the first thing you hear is.. ‘No! That’s not a good idea.I have a friend who..’ or ‘I know a guy who..’ and that conversation leaves you filled with doubts tumbling in your head, making and breaking alliances like socks in a dryer without cling free. By the way ever noticed how we never know this nameless ’Guy’ or ‘friend’ personally?
I have been making several changes throughout 2010 and boy,did I hear LAME reasons and ‘HATERations’ why not to everytime I attempted them. I emphasize lame because they were as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something.
One time I was about to cross thousands of miles for love I hadn’t experienced in years and was quite the nervous calf. 2days before I left, I get a text message at 2 am from a close friend and it reads, ‘Don’t go to ‘Utopia’. I had a nightmare that you will get pregnant. And my dreams are never wrong’.. Short of the story, I did travel though I am yet to find out if humans have a different gestation period other than the regular 9months.
So what am I on about?
Many dreams or goals that fail or succeed depend entirely on us. We sabotage our dreams even before anyone out there lays their hands on it. We claim it’s too cold,too hot to exercise. The market is too unstable to invest. We are too young or too old to do something. What would people think? We don’t have time to do that. So and so said it’s not a good idea and they are the ‘expert’. Watch your words because they become your actions, your habit, your character..
I acknowledge that is not easy to go through with a plan,project without the support of family,friends even haters. You will soon find that they will run with it if they see you stand up for your dream. Do it for yourself, not anyone else.
Believe in YOUR dreams because dreams do come true. Stand up for YOUR dreams. Protect YOUR dreams like you would something that you love. Remember to be realistic, little by little and you will get there.
Take the path less traveled. Go where there is no path and leave a trail. Have a fighting spirit. Dust yourself and try again when you fall. Remember to laugh it off too. Avoid self sabotage.
After all sooner or later you get to the bridge and there you will either cross it or burn it.
No more “HATERation”. No more failure to launch.Taking the path less travelled this year for sure.
You have all the support you need inside of you.
Great post.
I read a book by Dan and Chip Heath called “Switch: How to change stuff when change is hard”. Fabulous read and helped me understand why i live with a whole range of started but never finished projects and importantly, how to get over that point.
You are comprised of 2 key parts. The intellectual “Thinking self” also known as the rider, your emotional “Feeling self” known as the elephant and the path both ride. all three have to come together for you to get anything meaningful done.
Ands that my 2 cents.
I have come across many self motivation books and still didn’t get to accomplishing much. I could recognize what I already knew in what they trying to teach. Then it hit me no matter what you hear, read, it is still up to you.
You still have to get off the couch and do something with that knowledge.