Oh, my...where can I begin with this?! As humans, we go through the process of wanting more, needing more, longing for more because we believe what's right in front of us is not enough. We dream, we plan, we envision the "better life" without actually doing anything about it.
We become those people that others don't want to be around because all we do is talk about "how horrible our life is" and that if we only had this one thing, everything would be different.
I agree that we all have things we want to work on and goals that we must set for ourselves to not be complacent with where we are in life. However, I have been a victim of the circularity of wanting more but doing absolutely nothing about. Is talking about it every day, every week, or every month going to get us there?
NOT AT ALL. You have to move forward to reach those goals you want.
1. The "i'll Do It Tomorrow" will Never Come
"Yesterday's the past, tomorrow's the future, but today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." -Bil Keane
A present! We all love presents and gifts yet we seem to not notice the gift that is given to us each day. How many of us fall victim to this thinking process of "I'll start tomorrow" and that tomorrow never comes?
Tomorrow is not a guarantee so what makes us think we have time later to get it done? Is it the notion of change that prevents us from being active in our lives? Change is a difficult task for not just some but most individuals.
We get stuck in our day-to-day lives of waking up, going to work/school, coming home, eating dinner, and falling asleep, only to start that rigid routine over again the next day. We always tell ourselves, "this is the last time...tomorrow will bring a change." Then tomorrow comes and we find yet another excuse push the start date.
It's like our bodies have been programmed as we program our electronic devices and we cannot get out of the vicious cycle. With the mindset of tomorrow, we accept the excuse of stopping our chance to grow and accomplish our goals.
2. You Have To Work For It
"You can't steer a ship or a bicycle to go anywhere until they're moving." -Unknown
Have you heard the saying the rolling stone collects no moss? In essence, it's stating that once you're in motion, you're in motion. It's stated that objects in motion tend to stay in motion.
We have to keep moving towards our goals to get what we want out of life. Many talking about being faithful in whatever it is they believe but the universe is only going to give you what you put out. It's the law of attraction.
Are you putting out vibes of hard work, determination, and dedication? If not, what are you telling the universe? Are you hoping that it will fall in your lap? That you will be pumping gas and meet the love of your life? That while walking into work, you will get bombarded with c-level executives begging to give you a promotion making six figures?
With the mindset of faith without work, we are saying to the universe that it's okay for life to happen to us and not we're going to make life happen.
3. Take Responsibility of your Life
"We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future." -George Bernard Shaw
All too often we engage in the blame-shifter mind set. You know, the mindset that have you feeling, "if they didn't say that" or "if this would not have happened if" then my life would be better.
We get so wrapped up in life happening to us and it being out of our control but we all play a role in things that occur in our lives. Accountability isn't something that most of us are taught and therefore is a hard concept to grasp. It take practice but if we truly think about how we played a role in what unfolded in our life, then we can start taking responsibility for what happens to us.
Yes, it's not fair that your significant other cheated on your or that your supervisor/teacher/boss continuously gives you extra work but what role did you play in that to make them feel comfortable to treat you in such a manner?
Do you not speak up when your significant other stand you up for a date that has been previously planned or when your supervisor gives you extra work and you already know you have too much on your plate but don't mention it?
With the mindset of taking responsibility of your life, you can actively take a part in changing what needs to be fixed.
4. It will Never be the right time
"With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Living in the now is the only way to truly be mindful about what's happening in our life. We often say or have others say to to us, now is not a good time. Maybe if you wait a couple of years then it will be better.
Well, to those naysayers I say, I determine my life, my life doesn't determine me. I experienced something very similar while on the path to attaining my Master's degree. I was a full-time employee with a full-time course load that was not seeming to coexist for my greater good.
I heard "maybe you should wait a year to finish" and "maybe now's not the time for you to gaining this degree." If not now, then when? I refused to let life happen to me and consider myself a victim.
Melyssa Griffin wrote a great article on how to silence your inner critic which is what you will need to move forward with making it happen for yourself. I made life happen by taking responsibility of my life and making it work.
I shifted my work schedule and took interns in the evenings and on the weekends to ensure success of my dreams. With the mindset of it might not be the right time, you are telling yourself that it's okay to wait and there's always tomorrow.
5. one step closer to your goals
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."
-Lao Tzu
When you take today as a gift, actively work towards making it better, begin to be responsible for what happens, and know that NOW will never be the right time, this puts you one step closer to your dreams, to your goals, to your achievements and to the life you want.
Walking a thousands miles is a long journey but taking one step at a time will make the journey all worth it once your there.
There is no time like the present. Think about what it is that you truly want out of life. When you are aware of what it is, set it in motion. List the steps and begin to do something everyday. With each step, you are closer to your dreams than ever before.
WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK FROM GETTING STARTED? HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS DISCUSSED IN THIS POST? SUGGESTIONS TO ADD TO THE POST? LET ME KNOW BELOW.
