Every single one of us, no matter who you are or where
you're from, has had an ambition. You've had an ambition or a desire to do
something, but you fell short for some reason. A few weeks ago I talked about a
few factors that help motivate you. Today, I'll be talking about the factors
that will inhibit your success. These are patterns and traps we all fall into,
and can certainly be avoided with some simple, factual realization.
1) Inconsistency
One day you'll wake up at 5AM,
ready to get to work and accomplish everything on your to-do list and then
some. The very next day you sleep in
late, and get nothing started until mid-afternoon. Your problem isn't being
unmotivated. The real issue is your lack of consistency and commitment.
There's a common
saying that motivation doesn't last. Neither does bathing, which it why it's
recommended daily. Do something every single morning to get you in the right
mindset. For me, I set my weekday alarm clock to play a motivational speech.
Instead of just pressing the snooze button several times, I'll sit in my bed
and listen to the speech, which gets me motivated for the rest of the
day.
A lot of us will
watch or read something motivating very occasionally. Maybe once a month you'll
come across a motivational video on YouTube, it listen to a speaker/podcast, or
come across a page such as this one. The real issue of that we only actively
seek motivation when we're down or depressed or when it happens to find us.
You'll only stay motivated when you're surrounded by motivating media, so make
sure to use something every day to make sure you're motivated and focused from
the moment you wake up to when you go to bed at night.
2) Negative Peer Pressure
I use the word
"negative" here, because some peer pressure is positive. We're
exposed to both forms on a daily basis, and need to recognize the difference
between the two. Positive peer pressure occurs when people around you influence
you in a way that's beneficial to your goals in life. This could be having a group of friends who go to the gym every
morning, a study group, or any sort of high-performance group.
Negative peer
pressure is the one that inhibits your success, and it's not just limited to
what they teach you in middle school health class. This also refers to anyone
who holds you back from achieving your life goals. It could be as simple as a
good friend who talks down or against your daily activities used to pursue your goals.
The
best thing you can do for yourself, is know the difference between positive and
negative peer pressure when it occurs. Avoiding and distancing yourself from
the negativity will increase your potential and stop bringing you down. You are
the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most, so surround yourself
with those who will bring you up, not tear you down.
3) Fear of Failure
This
happens to every one of us at every stage in life. We want something great, but
are too afraid to try and fail. If you try for something, one of two things
will happen. You'll either fail or succeed, but either way you're growing
stronger, and learning a lot in the process. If you fail to even try and work
towards something, then there is a 100% chance you won't succeed. It's a
guarantee.
The
thing you should really be afraid of is not trying. Failure is but a milestone
in the journey towards success, but the failure to even put in the effort is
the worst thing you can do for yourself. Put in the effort, learn from your
mistakes, and you'll find that the more you fail, the stronger you become.
Then, after life breaks you down, there's nowhere left to go but up!
I
hope this article really opened up the concept of motivation, and it's
inhibiting factors. I hope you are able to apply it to your life, and see how
it may be preventing you from reaching your full potential.
Everyone
has the potential to be successful, but very few are willing to do what it
takes.
No comments:
Post a Comment