Ever ask yourself this question?
What’s holding me back?
Maybe you have mental objections for why you can’t do something. Or maybe you value the opinion of others who’ve riddled-off countless reasons why you’re bound to fail at some endeavor.
It could also be your self-image. Maybe you don’t think you’re worthy of something deep down inside. Or, it could also be that you harbor negative beliefs or bad habits that seem to get in the way of your dreams.
I get it. It happens to the best of us. We often see the roadblocks in life and in business rather than the opportunities.
However, when you stop to think deeply about this topic, you’ll learn that it’s okay to be unreasonable in life. It’s okay to have big goals and dreams for your future.
The problem is that we tend to place limitations or a ceiling on what we can and can’t achieve. But the truth is that human potential is limitless. And whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve.
Become Unreasonable
The problem we face in society is this whole notion of being reasonable.
Be safe, they tell us.
Be careful.
Don’t take risks.
Watch out.
And when we do fail, they come around with the dubious, I told you so.
It’s no wonder why things hold us back in life. We care so much about the opinion of others, and we’re so afraid to fail, that we don’t even try in the first place.
I’m here to tell you that you should forget all of that noise. Become unreasonable. Stop doubting yourself and your abilities. The truth is that you are capable of so much more than what you’re doing right now.
Yes. I’m telling you that. And you’re reading this for a reason. You and I are kindred spirits. And I’m telling you that it’s okay to go out there and try. Give it your all. And if you fail, so what?
Simply get up and try again. And again. And again. For as long as it takes. Understand that success will not come easy. And even the most famous and successful people have failed the most times.
When you come to the end of your life, do you think you’re going to care about the things you didn’t buy? Are you going to say, I wish I worked more, or bought that house or car?
Nope. No way. You’re going to regret the risks you didn’t take. You’ll look back and say you wish you would have, could have and that you should have.
Don’t let that happen.
Take that risk.
And don’t let anything hold you back in life.
Temporarily Embrace Pain
What often holds us back isn’t necessarily pain. It’s more so the fear of temporary pain. Think about it this way. Even though everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, they still smoke. So what gives?
The reason why is that we avoid pain in the short term. Not in the long term. Our minds are designed that way. So it’s not some big secret. What you need to understand is how you can avoid doing that.
You will always be held back by the notion that you’re avoiding pain in the short term and embracing pleasure. That’s why you smoke. It’s because of the momentary pleasure it causes. Not the long-term pain associated with it.
If we instinctively avoided pain in the long term we would all be lean, mean, money-making machines. Am I right? So, now that you understand this concept, you have to get uncomfortable.
That’s the big obstacle. Discomfort. Pain. But that obstacle must be embraced. You must welcome the pain. Beckon it, if you will. Invite it to become part of you for a short period.
Just Go For It
Pain. Misery. Discomfort. Obstacles everywhere. These are just some ways to describe an environment that holds us back. It’s tough to push through that. I get it.
But you also have to understand this. You will never achieve the goals you want in life if you just do what’s easy. If you want your life to be hard, continue to do the things that are easy.
Instead, however, if you want your life to eventually be easy, do the things that are hard. Do the things that are holding you back. Embrace the pain. And let that fuel you rather than hold you back.
So how do you really do this? I know it’s easier said than done. But there are some tactics you can employ to get the proverbial job done. It won’t be easy. But, then again, building a good habit never really is, right?
1. Understand That The Time Will Never Be Just Right
We often wait for the perfect time to do something. Rather than jump on it now, we postpone. We say, I’ll do it Monday. Or, I’ll do it next week. And, even worse, I’ll do it on January 1st.
That dreaded New Year’s Syndrome is the worst. But the point is this. The time will never be just right. Monday isn’t the right time to start that diet you’ve been putting off. NOW is the right time.
If you keep waiting for next week, next month or next year, you’ll never make headway. Now is the time to do it. Literally, the time is right now. Not tomorrow. Now.
Don’t wait for the stars to align or for some sign from the heavens. Take action right now. I promise you that it will be much more liberating to actually start on that thing right now rather than later.
2. Don’t Expect Things To Happen Overnight
Look. I get it. You want results. We all do. But you have to have a long-term mindset. One thing that often holds us back is that when we try to do something and we don’t get results right away, we’re disappointed.
Instead, you need to have the long-game in mind. Think like Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos. Have your 5, 10 and 20-year plans. Get strategic and keep chipping away at the proverbial stone.
Over time, you will make serious progress. A small, one percent improvement made daily, amounts to over 37% in a year. It might feel like you’re not making any headway. But as long as you stick to it, you can create explosive results. Just don’t expect it overnight.
3. Learn To Listen To And Follow Your Gut Instinct
Here’s the problem. As human beings, we have both a conscious and unconscious mind. The conscious mind is great for awareness our environment and free will.
However, the conscious mind only processes data from the environment at 40 bit per second. On the other hand, the unconscious mind processes data 1 million times faster at 40 million bits per second.
Talk about night and day, right? The unconscious mind is very powerful. Yet, it’s hard to tap into it because the conscious mind is so busy getting in the way. And that’s precisely the thing that tends to hold us back.
Look, have you ever had an intuition or a gut feeling and it turned out to be spot on? That’s because your unconscious processes information so much faster and it simply just knows. Not your conscious mind.
So when you try to use your head instead of your heart, you tend to psyche yourself out of doing things. Don’t listen to that so-called voice of reason. It will talk you out of doing the things that will give you the greatest progress in life.
4. Learn To Embody Complete Self Control And Self-Discipline
What often holds most of us back is a total and complete lack of self-discipline. No, not just a mild lack of it. I’m talking about going off on tangents and having a total lack of self-control.
Okay. Maybe I’m being a bit harsh. But I say this with the best intentions in mind. Because, I’ve been there and done that. I’ve started out strong in the beginning. But, somewhere along the way, I’d let my undisciplined-self get in the way.
If you lack discipline, you likely don’t want to even start. Why? Because, you know where it’ll lead. You know you’ll just end up going back to your old ways so why begin in the first place?
Don’t feel bad about it. But if you can recognize this as an issue, then there are things you can do. Gain self-control and achieve balance in your life if you’re serious about your goals.
5. Become Fully Committed To The Outcome
Part of being unreasonable is to be fully committed to something. Not half-heartedly. Fully. I’m talking about going all in. When your mentality shifts to total commitment, nothing can hold you back.
Just think about it yourself. In the past, when you were fully committed to a certain outcome, how did you behave? Did you allow obstacles to stand in your way? Or did you bulldoze those obstacles?
Clearly, you know the answer, right? When you’re all in, nothing can stop you. You have such a clear vision of the future that you don’t allow the memories of the past to stop you.
So, ask yourself this question. How can I get fully committed? How can I go all in? You need to burn the ships and don’t give yourself the option to retreat or have a safety net.
When You Pay, You Pay Attention
One last thing I want to leave you with is this.
When you pay, you pay attention.
Most people are held back because they don’t invest enough of themselves in the outcome. It’s not just that they get distracted. They’re literally not invested wholeheartedly.
So invest in yourself. Find a coach. Join a mastermind. And get unreasonable about the outcome. Remember, if you want your life to be easy, do the hard things now.
Otherwise, if you keep doing what’s easy now, your difficulties will continue to mount as the years drag on.
What will you choose to do?