The Only Thing Holding You Back, Is You

It’s easy to fall back into old habits.

When I run into difficulties, or obstacles, there’s a big part of me that wants to say, “Well, looks like the end!”

I’m not even talking about major obstacles. It can be as simple as not growing as quickly as I thought I would, or wanted to. This is usually the result of me comparing myself to others. Also, setting expectations, which I have generally found to be a trap.

Sometimes, it’s not knowing what to write about. I feel like I need to have everything planned out and know what I’m going to say from start to finish. Even though, time and time again I have proven this to be false. I manage to convince myself that all the great writers, all the people I enjoy reading, they have it all figured out and it’s effortless for them. Somehow, I have learned to equate effort with some sort of failure on my part. As in: If I’m actually good at this, it should flow freely and easily.

Kinda messed up, huh?

I’m certain I’m not alone on this.

I know that some of you are just like me. You hit an obstacle and you shut down. You feel like things should come easily, and if they don’t, they aren’t worth doing.

The questions is: Do you let it stop you?

Are you letting it hold you back from accomplishing things you want to do? Is it holding you back from chasing your dreams? Have you stopped growing?

Are you growing stagnant?

I did.

I absolutely let all of that hold me back for too long. It was easier to give in to that than to push forward.

But, what did it get me?

Yes, it was easier from an effort standpoint. It was less risky (there’s less chance of failure if you don’t even really try).

Eventually, however, it became a different kind of burden. I realized how unhappy I was. Things became boring. I was watching life pass me by.

I started to imagine myself continuing on the same trajectory. Where would I be? I’d be exactly where I was, because I was going nowhere.

That’s a lousy feeling for somebody who potentially has another 40+ years on the planet.

Something had to give. Nobody was coming to save me. There was no amazing opportunity that was going to come to me out of the blue and say, “Hey, this is perfect for you, why don’t you come do it and get paid, and we’ll show you just what to do.” It was up to me to forge my own path.

It’s up to all of us to forge our own paths.

For me, my first step was opening a blank Google Doc, and writing 1,000 words. It didn’t have to be about any one particular thing. I didn’t put any expectations on myself. I accepted the fact that it might be awful, and that’s ok. I prepared myself to make mistakes, and to learn from them.

It was that shift in mindset that opened up the world for me. While I applied it to writing, I could have applied it to anything I wanted to do. It’s the kind of mindset that lets people achieve difficult things. It’s what lets people failure, pick themselves back up, and try again, and again, and again.

It’s how we actually grow. Yes, there will be growing pains, and you simply have to accept that. The other option is stagnation, and waiting around for the end. Between those two, I’ll take the challenge and the growth.

What I found is, I actually love the challenge. I appreciate the obstacles, because when I come out the other side, I’m stronger than I was before. I know more than I did when I started. You build more muscle hiking a mountain than you do strolling in a field. Our minds and our spirits are the same.

What is truly amazing, is that we are all capable of this! You can make the same mindset shift that I made. Yes, it will take effort, but the more you do it, the easier it will be. Eventually, it will simply become the way you think about challenges life throws your way. Rather than letting them stop you, you will let them make you stronger.

This is the attitude you will need to grow, and to fulfill your dreams and desires.

Don’t let your own mind hold you back from doing the things you want most in life.