I wish I had this list a few years back when I was busy teaching myself how to become an EXPERT at getting in my own way – true story!
The thing is, when you’re right in the thick of life, it’s so hard to actually spot what is holding you back and where you can just make some small shifts to start moving forward again. I didn’t even realise I was stuck! I was just getting mega frustrated that I wasn’t in the life I really wanted despite trying all of the things!
I have carefully curated my own and my clients experience, to share the things you need to stop right now, if you want to make more progress.
Let me be clear – progress means different things to different people – you might be working on making huge life leaps or taking gentle steps – both are progress and there is absolutely no perfect way to get there.
But, I know that there are some common bumps in the road so I want to short cut some of those things for you – let’s get going and stopping what’s getting in your way:
Stop….
… listening to others if it’s preventing you moving forward
Look, I know that all those people have opinions that you might usually value, however when other people are saying things to you that is knocking you off course, you might want to consider limiting the amount you take in! It is so easy to judge, heck we all do it! Other people view your life through their own eyes, their own beliefs, and ideas. But when other’s opinions about what you should be doing, is wobbling your confidence, and weakening your resolve, it might be time to find a
new crowd of supporters.
… faffing to avoid tackling the thing!
Faffing, digressing, being distracted by bright shiny and sparkly ideas? If you’re trying to go in multiple directions without being totally committed to one single path, you’re probably wasting time, energy and effort that would be better used to GET RESULTS!
I know what it’s like, you have a million ideas, and you might even be finding it difficult to things where to start – its overwhelming. Faffing can be stopped by getting super clear on what your best next step is and taking that one step forward.
Lose the feeling of it having to be perfect, just take imperfect action.
…allowing overwhelm to take root
Overwhelm is a real feeling – I’ve felt it soooo many times! Typical overwhelm show up when you feel like there is too much to do, you have a whole load of stuff in your head and because you don’t know where to start, you don’t start at all. And the cycle starts again!
…giving your fears room to grow
I know, you might be scared to commit in case it doesn’t work, you might feel that you need to learn more to be equipped with greater knowledge, you might know that you’ve attempted this before and you went back to your old ways or didn’t see it through. Fear shows up in soooo many different ways and a lot of people let it stop them. Yep, I did (are you seeing the themes here?!)
Fears will always pop up – even the greatest gurus will have those fear layers, so it’s not about ignoring it; its about acknowledging it and taking steps forward anyway.
Letting fear stop me was one of my biggest life mistakes and I do not want this for you.
…letting yourself make excuses
OK, maybe you think I am being a bit harsh here, but the truth is that we find it super easy to hide behind excuses! I work with a lot of busy people and one of the biggest ‘excuses’ I hear, is that “I don’t have enough time”. In fact, at the time of writing this, I did an internet search for “find more time” and 12,500,000 results came up! Clearly a lot of people on the search for a miracle.
I know that in some cases, this is a genuine reason and not an excuse, but the fact is that if you want it bad enough, you will find the time. Even if its not a perfect, or long term solution. I worked full time, commuted 25 hours a week and still ‘found the time’ to train for a marathon. It wasn’t easy and I had to make changes in other areas of my life, but it was important, so I did it.
So, if whatever you’re attempting is important, give it the priority status it deserves and make it happen.
And finally, start trusting your intuition. If something feels wrong, or out of kilter, it probably is. I’m not saying ignore the logic, I’m just inviting you to discover how to listen to your heart and soul.
Which of these most resonates with you? I would love to know