My Guest Post as it appeared on Exodus Digital Marketing

I am constantly fascinated by the way the human brain functions. It is amazing how one small prod in the right direction can release a wealth of new ideas and inspiration. The digital age has proved (to me at least) that there is really no restriction to what the human mind is capable of once it switches over into creative mode. Combine that with passion and motivation and the sky is, well no longer the limit.

However the human mind is also very capable of switching over into the opposing side of motivation and inspiration, which does seem to be quite regular in any given week of mine. Procrastination is a regular visitor at my door, and excuses seem to force their way on through to the Dream Party frequently. I don’t invite them. Who would intentionally? They each present themselves as valid participants, but they really aren’t good company. The following are a profile on some of my regulars:

1. I Don’t Know Where to Start, It Is All So Overwhelming:

Starting is the hardest “easy part” on your way to fulfilling your dream. I find the bigger the goal, the harder it seems to get started. But that is the key: Just start. Start somewhere. When I was planning to sell my house, I felt so overwhelmed by how much there was to do to get it ready for sale. So I packed 1 box. It seem futile in the beginning, but then I packed another one. And then another one. And pretty soon my house was all packed up and I was moving out into my future. So it is with your dream. Pack a box.
I also find lists very helpful. To quote Lauren Laverne from her article The Power of Writing Lists… “Lists are wonderful precisely because they create the happy illusion of order.” Even if you don’t utilise your lists, they help give you a sense of order and control. It also helps your mind release the pressure of so many thoughts. Journaling will also function for you in a similar manner. Once your plan of attack is written down, strategizing becomes much easier. Recognizing the steps you need to climb to achieve your goal is the best place to start. Then crack on with it. This then becomes a negated excuse.

2. I Don’t Have Enough Time In My Daily Schedule

“Those who make the worse use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness.” – Jean De La Bruyere

Last time I checked, the amount of time that we each have in the day is the same. Every day is the same. 24 hours. Give or take a few hours for sleeping. And yet a large percentage of the world seem to manage just fine with the time given to them. Their clocks are no different to mine… Just their focus and their productivity.

Productivity is the question here, not time. Ask yourself, how can I make better use of my time?

Do you need to hire people to do some of the jobs that are irrelevant to you building your dream? Collaboration with other professionals should also be utilised to its full potential. Work that will take you hours will take some people minutes. Equip yourself with a network of people that will help you make maximum use of your time.

3. I’m Not Qualified Enough.

There is an endless list of ultra-successful people that I read about who never finished college. Some of them never even completed school. And yet, my brain does not compute. Somewhere up in my grey matter I am separated out from the rest of the world and I need to have a long list of university degrees, diplomas, PHD’s before I can achieve any form of greatness.

“Be chronic, not acute. Success doesn’t strike, it accumulates” (How to Fly A Horse – Kevin Ashton)

Education is important. However education in not just limited to the institutionalised form that we are so familiar with today. The digital age has opened up completely new methods of education. Online courses, blogs, podcasts, webinars are all very educational and allow you to connect with like-minded people who can help equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to move forward. Social media have become a fantastic source of finding mentors. Use it. It is at your fingertips.

Read. Read. Read. A recent article I was reading referred to a study done on highly successful people and the one thing they all have in common – a passion and dedication to reading. Reading is still one of the best ways you can grow. Learn from those who have gone before you. Use their knowledge to help you step up to the next level.

 

4. I’m Not Sure If It’s Going To Work. What If I Fail?

Better to have tried and failed, than to have never tried at all, so the saying goes… This has nothing to do with the dream you have, for in our own mind a dream is always a super success. This is an issue of confidence.

“Confidence is a cycle, not a steady state, a muscle that must be strengthened daily, a feeling we renew and increase by enduring the adversity of creation” (How To Fly A Horse – Kevin Ashton).

Lack of confidence, and the constant questioning of the dream is one of the most common attributes of an innovator. I have come to accept that this is a healthy place to be as it keeps me on the edge – looking for new ideas, better ways of achieving our goals, persisting with my commitment to growing my knowledge, and skills. It sharpens us. Stepping towards your dream automatically moves you out onto an unsteady platform, out of your comfort zone. By default goals forces us to grow beyond ourselves.

5. The Big One: I’m Too Tired.

There are numerous instances in my week where I wake up early, motivated and full of energy. Then the day rolls on and somewhere in the mix I end up slumped over my computer trying to focus and thinking that all I really feel like doing is devouring a block of chocolate in front of the TV with a single empty “hum” sound running through my mind. Silence. Nothing. Nada.

This excuse is probably my most frequent visitor to my Dream Party, the one that nags me constantly. As Dan Waldschmidt says in his blog post “The Lies Your Tired Brain Tells You” – If you are working hard enough, your brain is tired. When this happens, you find yourself “buying into lies that will cripple your ability to amazing”. So true.

Life is busy when you are wanting to achieve amazing, and you get tired. Just accept it.
However, in all of this what I do know for certain is that when I am standing on the podium of my dreams I will not be thinking about how I was so tired all the time, how under-qualified I was, or how hard it was to start. I will just be beaming with the fulfillment of success. I will be congratulating myself for persevering. I won’t be wishing I had spent more hours in bed.

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