GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY

Full disclosure, I will probably need to read this post again myself.

When things don’t go your way, it is so easy to blame any and everybody for their supposed role in your misfortune; everybody but you that is! In my case, if I am to be honest with the benefit of hindsight, I have caused much of my own misfortune; something I don’t care to admit much. In those moments, it was certainly easy to blame others, but how much did I contribute you may ask…….A LOT!!

Through my own retrospection, I can list at least thirty ways that one can get in his or her own way. When I consider my observations of other people, I can add many more. Because there are so many ways, I will revisit this topic from time to time. For now, we will just label this post “Part 1”. With that said, let us delve into the first of many ways how you are probably getting in your own way:

YOUR ATTITUDE SUCKS!

Your attitude really does determine your altitude. We all heard this saying, maybe in elementary school. And while this saying is so seemingly simple and fundamental, its truth cuts like valaryan steel cuts through a whitewalker (Yes, I watched Game of Thrones). We all know at least one person with real talent and ability who has fallen short of their potential because they have a horrible attitude; it’s probably even you.

With the world advancing so rapidly, do not neglect virtues like respect and consideration for others and basic manners. Say ‘please’ at the end of a request, and watch things get done. Maintain a spirit of gratitude, as opposed to a spirit of envy; it truly makes a difference. Don’t be an entitled brat; the world owes you nothing. I could go on, but you get the point.

YOU ARE NOT SELF AWARE

What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? These are not just generic job interview questions. Let’s go further, what are you passionate about? What do you really believe in? Have you sat down and answered these questions honestly? If not, now is a good time to start.

Spoiler, self-analysis is hard and can even be painful. It requires you looking at yourself critically and identifying not just the good, but also your shortcomings, mistakes and the like. It means even thinking critically and evaluating whether your perceived strengths are strengths at all or whether they are delusions.

YOU ARE GUN SHY!

You may be afraid to put yourself out there. You may be afraid to chase your dreams. You may be non-committal. Whatever it is, you want it, but you have done nothing to achieve it. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; emphasis on the word ‘begins’.

There are so many reasons this may happen: the fear of failure, the fear of rejection, not knowing what you actually want, a lack of self-confidence – the reasons are plenty. But as many people can attest, there is so much on the other side of fear. Get started!

We’ll stop here for now my friends. But if any of what I have said above speaks to you, as it spoke to me when I wrote it, do yourself a favour and begin to GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY!