Don’t talk yourself out of your future!

Today is the day! This is your year! How many times do you say this to yourself or read some version of it on social media and then get amped for the next 5 minutes? You remember anything is possible and the world is your oyster. But what happens between that initial moment of re-revelation (because you had this same epiphany last month) and the moment of action? It’s actually pretty simple. Before you get to the point of action you are consciously and subconsciously reminded of the reasons why “it” won’t work or why “it” has to wait. With one sentence you had a bright and jubilant future. Full of traveling, exploring, setting your own hours, a lavish lifestyle, and generous income. But before you could take the stylus out of your smartphone or put pen to paper, you have already decided “it” won’t work.

This has been the process from my experience. Maybe you can relate.

Step 1: Remember Beyonce and I have the same 24 hours in a day! I can do anything!

Step 2: Let me do some research so I can get started.

Step 3: This doesn’t sound too hard. I think I can pull this off.

Step 4: I didn’t think about that. I wonder what else I haven’t thought through.

Step 5: I have some other things going on. I will get back to this later. You know, when I have more time to concentrate.

Step 6: Who knew a whole year would go by and I’m still at the starting point and way more discouraged than I was last year.

Step 7: But this is my year!

Step 8: Start at Step 1

Solution: Do what you can now. Stop over-complicating the situation. Incorporate micro-accomplishments into your life and really celebrate yourself for achieving them. I know some will say it is self-indulgent, but you have to be mindful of your responsibility to train your mind. You are your biggest critic, which means you have to constantly beat away the thoughts of discouragement and the self-criticism. Take pride in every little step you are taking to reach your goal.

Write it out: Don’t expect yourself to do and remember everything. Write everything down. The ideas you have, your vision for implementing the ideas, and especially the steps it will take to make those ideas tangible. 

You are human. Errors will occur. Expect them to occur. Expect it to be difficult.

I wouldn’t call myself a skeptical, but that is probably exactly what I am .

If you want to be a groundbreaking scientist, or a bomb hairstylist, or go back and finish that degree, know that it is possible. But it is up to you to ensure this article doesn’t give you that same jubilant vision of your future and then you never work towards it. Know it will take as long as it takes, but it will absolutely take forever if you don’t get started.

It is perfectly fine to change your mind or change directions, but what you can’t do is stop. Push forward! It is going to be difficult to start, continue, and finish.

Personal story: Writing is my gift. Something I know I can do well, but me knowing it doesn’t make you know it and doesn’t put any cash in my pocket. I have to prove myself daily. Not to you, but to me. I have to prove to myself the potential I have is worth something, that it means something. Once I prove it to myself, you will believe me. It is the law of attraction.

The mantra has to be “do it anyway”. Yes, you do have the same 24 hours as Beyonce but if you aren’t doing anything different with those hours than you did yesterday, nothing about you has changed. You have only discovered what you already knew, which was a jubilant waste of your time and energy that could have been used to incite action.

You are constantly reminded today is a new day but that doesn’t mean you will be any different unless do something different.

And remember just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you can’t be happy doing it.