(click here to read a summary of this post)

 

We all get stuck.

It’s the reality of being in the process of achieving something worthy.

After years of coaching and countless interviews with highly successful and ambitious individuals, I narrowed down to 3 reasons why people get stuck in the process of achieving their goals.

3 Reasons Why People Get Stuck

Reason #1: Your Goals Are Too Big

It’s almost a cliche now that people should ‘think big’ and set ‘big hairy audacious goals’. And you should.

But hardly anyone talks about the second step – and that is to break down your goals into bite-sized, short-term action steps so that you can jump straight into the melee.

Michael Neill, the life coach says that the moment you turn your ‘goals’ into ‘projects’ – you actually start working on them.

Wow, big idea eh?

Reason #2: You’re Too Anxious About Getting It Right

It’s the perfectionist’s curse: you can’t get it done unless you get it right – and you can’t get it right until you first get it done.

A chicken and egg conundrum that leaves perfectionistic people burnt out and unlikely to succeed.

Until you have improved your relationship with ‘making mistakes’ and ‘failure’, lasting success will always be constantly out of reach.

Reason #3: You’re Secretly Afraid of Uncertainty

While #1 and #2 are completely valid, I believe #3 is the real killer.

The killer that keeps us all in mediocrity, chilling in our comfort zones when we know we can be bigger.

There is one guaranteed factor that scares everybody into giving up before they even start: UNCERTAINTY.

The fact of the matter is, to get from point A to point B, assuming point B is a place you’ve never been before…

…it means you’ll have to do something completely foreign to you.

If you look at all the heroes in the movies – the ones who go on great adventures and transform themselves – all of them have embraced the ‘unknown’ and put themselves at risk by stepping into the unknown.

And to achieve your goals, you have to be the hero of your own movie.

Even for me, uncertainty is terrifying.

It’s like walking in a dark, winding tunnel, without really knowing when it ends… or IF there is even an end…

But a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me of a very simple principle to consistently push past the fear of uncertainty. It goes:

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward’.

Lean Into It

If you’re paralysed by fear of uncertainty, the biggest thing you can do is to lean into it.

Even if you don’t know the first step to take – lean into it!

That means, from wherever you are, despite the fear, slowly acclimatise yourself to the environment you are fearful of.

If it’s public speaking, then attend talks and make friends with speakers.

If it’s fear of swimming, visit pools more often and hang around the shallow end in your private corner.

If it’s starting a business, then read real-life stories about entrepreneurs who have made it and start taking notes whenever you can.

Leaning into uncertainty is great because it’s extremely low risk and focused on the process, not the result.

Fall in love with the process of growth, and you’ll achieve your goals before you realise it!

Summary

3 Reasons Why People Get Stuck

Reason #1: Your Goals Are Too Big

Reason #2: You’re Too Anxious About Getting It Right

Reason #3: You’re Secretly Afraid Of Uncertainty

If you’re paralysed by fear of uncertainty, the biggest thing you can do is to lean into it. That means, slowly acclimatizing yourself to the environment you are fearful of.

(click here to read a summary of this post)

 

We all get stuck.

It’s the reality of being in the process of achieving something worthy.

After years of coaching and countless interviews with highly successful and ambitious individuals, I narrowed down to 3 reasons why people get stuck in the process of achieving their goals.

3 Reasons Why People Get Stuck

Reason #1: Your Goals Are Too Big

It’s almost a cliche now that people should ‘think big’ and set ‘big hairy audacious goals’. And you should.

But hardly anyone talks about the second step – and that is to break down your goals into bite-sized, short-term action steps so that you can jump straight into the melee.

Michael Neill, the life coach says that the moment you turn your ‘goals’ into ‘projects’ – you actually start working on them.

Wow, big idea eh?

Reason #2: You’re Too Anxious About Getting It Right

It’s the perfectionist’s curse: you can’t get it done unless you get it right – and you can’t get it right until you first get it done.

A chicken and egg conundrum that leaves perfectionistic people burnt out and unlikely to succeed.

Until you have improved your relationship with ‘making mistakes’ and ‘failure’, lasting success will always be constantly out of reach.

Reason #3: You’re Secretly Afraid of Uncertainty

While #1 and #2 are completely valid, I believe #3 is the real killer.

The killer that keeps us all in mediocrity, chilling in our comfort zones when we know we can be bigger.

There is one guaranteed factor that scares everybody into giving up before they even start: UNCERTAINTY.

The fact of the matter is, to get from point A to point B, assuming point B is a place you’ve never been before…

…it means you’ll have to do something completely foreign to you.

If you look at all the heroes in the movies – the ones who go on great adventures and transform themselves – all of them have embraced the ‘unknown’ and put themselves at risk by stepping into the unknown.

And to achieve your goals, you have to be the hero of your own movie.

Even for me, uncertainty is terrifying.

It’s like walking in a dark, winding tunnel, without really knowing when it ends… or IF there is even an end…

But a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. reminds me of a very simple principle to consistently push past the fear of uncertainty. It goes:

“If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward’.

Lean Into It

If you’re paralysed by fear of uncertainty, the biggest thing you can do is to lean into it.

Even if you don’t know the first step to take – lean into it!

That means, from wherever you are, despite the fear, slowly acclimatise yourself to the environment you are fearful of.

If it’s public speaking, then attend talks and make friends with speakers.

If it’s fear of swimming, visit pools more often and hang around the shallow end in your private corner.

If it’s starting a business, then read real-life stories about entrepreneurs who have made it and start taking notes whenever you can.

Leaning into uncertainty is great because it’s extremely low risk and focused on the process, not the result.

Fall in love with the process of growth, and you’ll achieve your goals before you realise it!

Summary

3 Reasons Why People Get Stuck

Reason #1: Your Goals Are Too Big

Reason #2: You’re Too Anxious About Getting It Right

Reason #3: You’re Secretly Afraid Of Uncertainty

If you’re paralysed by fear of uncertainty, the biggest thing you can do is to lean into it. That means, slowly acclimatizing yourself to the environment you are fearful of.