What’s Holding You Back?

What’s holding you back? What’s standing in the way of you getting all that you want? What’s preventing you from starting that business, writing that book or going back to school to get that degree?

If you’re like most people you have a list as long as your arm filled with excuses for why you haven’t gone out and chased that dream of yours. It might include things like:

The kids are still in school.

I’m so tired after working all day.

I plan on starting next Monday.

I can’t afford to quit my job and pursue my dream.

I’ll go after my dream as soon as things settle down.

I just got a puppy.

I’m just not ready yet.

The truth is – things will never settle down enough for you to do the things you want to do. If you want to achieve your dreams – write that book, start a business, go back to school, launch a non profit, run for office – you have to take the plunge. The earth will not stop spinning while you gather the courage to take a leap of faith. So go ahead and take the leap already – the universe wants you to succeed.

The other truth is – the only thing holding you back is yourself. Other people might make demands on your time, but it is only you who grant them the pass. Other people may drain your energy down, but only you can put boundaries in place to preserve your energy.

Each of us have the same 24 hours in a day – no one gets more or less even if it feels like it sometimes. How are you using your 24 hours? Are you filling it with hours on social media sites scrolling endlessly? Are you spending that time bingewatching the latest Netflix series? Most of us waste a lot of time each day – what can you remove from your daily routine to allow yourself more time to chase your dream?

It might be true that you can’t quit your day job to write full time, but you can quit some of the things you do after your job so you can write part time. A lot of part time can add up to full time if you stay focused.

If your goal is to get into better shape what are you doing today to make it happen? All it takes is one small shift to start seeing big results. Instead of grabbing that fast food burger during lunch (which costs money too), why not get up a little earlier each morning and make a healthy lunch? Not only will you be working toward your goal of getting in better shape, but you’ll also save money – money you might need to reach another goal down the line.

We all have dreams, the difference is some of us take action to reach those dreams while others wait around for the planets to align so we can finally take action.

Here’s a hint, the planets might align, but you’ll probably have another excuse then. Stop making excuses and take the next step to reach your dream – that next step is action. Make a plan, make a shift in your daily life and do even just one thing to keep you moving in the direction of your goals – but stop making excuses.