Once You Set a True Goal to Accomplish Something, the Obstacles Will Begin to Appear.
Zig Ziglar famously said “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”
Zig was a master teacher and acclaimed motivational guru. He was one of the all-time greats in the quotes area too. But this particular quote, I strongly disagree with. I get the context he intends…stay focused on the goal, but I know that obstacles are real, and ignoring them is not much of a game plan for everyday folks like me.
I have to figure out my obstacles, so I can plan for, learn for, and account for, navigating them.
The biggest obstacle though, is one you cannot see. You can only FEEL it.
And that is your true belief that you can accomplish the goal.
Without True Belief, All Other Obstacles Can Become Terminators.
As in, they will end your pursuit. Let’s consider this for a second…typical obstacles are money, time, human resources, lack of skills, lack of knowledge, lack of support, life circumstances, and the list could continue.
And these are just the general typical ones. Then you have the bigger obstacles that are unique to you as a person and happen in the course of the pursuit…things like making a poor decision, making a mistake in the process of the work, underestimating time, improper planning, errors in judgement, counting on the wrong person, and this list can go on too.
Everything I’ve listed so far is a potential obstacle, and some or all will happen to you in a meaningful pursuit. And not any of these are insurmountable, even if you have them ALL (aside from you becoming physically/mentally incapacitated…or worse).
The difference between moving through your obstacles and accomplishing your goals, or not, will come down entirely to your level of belief in yourself.
Anything of value you are pursuing will require you to persist and persevere as a normal part of the process. Many steps in the journey will not feel forward. They will feel like they are backwards, sideways, and down. There will be many times where you feel stuck and can’t seem to make any progress. There will be times when you feel lost.
All of these things are normal and, in my thinking, required to be sustainably successful.
Belief in Yourself is the One Thing That Will Keep You Working Through.
In 3 Circles Living, I share a great deal of my life journey. I share how I quit many things in my earlier years, that I was actually excelling at. Why would someone quit on themselves like that?
Belief. I had NO belief that I could do something. My thinking was all wrong. My belief system was that I had little worth, that everyone else had characteristics or circumstances that gave them an opportunity to succeed. But not me. I was worthless. Why I was like this is no longer relevant. That I was like this is the point.
I know what it feels like to give up on something because you don’t believe you can do it.
When you don’t believe in yourself, you will see difficulties as proof that it won’t work out for you, and you will stop. This will guarantee the failure, and further augment the false belief that you can’t do it.
When you believe in yourself, you recognize that difficulties are part of the process. They are teachers. And they are escorts to success. They shape you and hone you. And each one you work through bolsters your belief that you can and will succeed.
I give you an entire bank of things you can develop and refer to in cultivating a belief in your ability to succeed in 3 Circles Living. For now, I’ll share just a few that you can take action on now, and/or share with those you know need the belief jolt.
How to Grow Your Belief in You Starting Now
First, consider the aspects of the process for your pursuit. There is always a process, a paint by numbers, to everything. Where in this process do you lack confidence? Make a note of this. The reason you lack confidence is that you feel like you lack competence. And you probably do. Study this area and take action on the thing you need to improve. You cannot get better at something simply by studying it. You have to do the thing repetitively. In time your confidence will grow.
Second, consider your self-talk. What lies are you telling yourself about why you, out of all the people in the world, are unable to do this thing that others seemingly can? Then, each day, go to work on destroying the lies. Invest time in reading, listening, and reflecting on why you can do it, as opposed to being anchored in why you can’t. It will take a little time before this anchor slowly starts dragging along the bottom and you start pulling it with you, and over time, this rope will break and the anchor will be gone.
Third, consider the people in your life that you have respect for who have expressed belief in you. What do they see that you don’ yet? If they believe in you, that tells you something. Ask them what they see in you? This is a source of empowerment for you and can slingshot you faster than most things.
Belief in self is a cycle that you choose to drive forward or backward. What you think, drives what you believe. What you believe drives what you’ll choose to do. What you choose to do will drive the actions you take and the results you get.
I gave you some of the things to think about that feed belief. Now you have to go to work on it. I encourage you to read the chapter in 3 Circles Living on the mental side of the health circle as it gives you multiple things in addition, that all work, to grow your belief.
Life is too short and uncertain to not pursue the things that lead to the life you want, and are meant, to live. The only real thing in the way is your belief in you.
I hope this helps you.
Many Blessings, Todd
P.S. I am currently deep into the initial growth stage of “Project Next.” As a result, I am no longer accepting coaching clients, as my coaching time is reserved for my expanding project team. I am still accepting certain training/speaking engagements based on timing and fit. If you are currently dissatisfied with your bigger picture progress in life and would like to learn how the project may help you move forward, send me an email and we can arrange a time to talk.
P.S.S. Want to detox, lower inflammation, rid yourself of extra body fat, and change the entire trajectory of your health in a 21-day window? If that sounds at all appealing, shoot me an email and I’ll share a very unique and effective program that has been massively successful in Europe over the past seven years and is making a significant difference for several of my clients currently. I’ll send you a program guide that will allow you to learn the details, and a link where you can move forward if you choose to. No pitch, I’m not about that. Just information that can help if you need it.
