“One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a Well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the donkey was old, and the Well, needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey did something amazing. He shook it off and took a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
Anything worth accomplishing will come with a large dose of uncertainty, dedication, and sacrifice. Becoming successful and using our potential doesn’t just happen. It is a process that requires hard work, personal growth, and a positive attitude. Reaching our aspirations requires the ability to cope with failure and persist during moments of doubt. If we can count on anything it’s that we’ll have to shake off worry, self-doubt, fear, and exhaustion from time to time. The last post I published was about staying committed to your mission and life’s purpose. As much as the post offered ideas to stay motivated and uncover a purposeful pursuit, it didn’t cover how to fully handle those points when success seems out of reach. Often success is just around the corner if we can stick with it through those uncertain times. Before throwing in the towel consider these six barriers to success and prepare to overcome them.
Burnout
Burnout is one of the most common culprits for destroying dreams and aspirations. We may be dedicated, hard working, and fully committed to achieving our goals, but if we don’t take care of ourselves we will eventually burnout. To be truly successfully we must manage stress and fatigue and take care of ourselves by living a balanced life. What’s the point of having a thriving business or escalating career if we’re unhealthy and can’t enjoy it? Avoid burnout by:
- Practicing meditation
- Exercising at least 3 days a week
- Getting adequate sleep
- Making time for social support
- Taking a vacation or day off
- Being more playful and laughing more often
Not reaping the rewards quickly enough
If you’re a new business owner I’m sure you remember how it feels to work your butt off without getting the bottom line results. It’s not easy to be patient and content when we don’t see the fruits of our labor. Our efforts can all seem in vain. No matter how passionate we are about something, when compensation is missing, discouragement can begin to take over. Reaping the rewards will come in time if we offer great value, are consistently efficient, willing to be innovative, and continue learning and adapting. Be patient and be willing to change before you give up.
A sour attitude
When things take a turn for the worst, our belief that we will be successful can start to diminish. When we stop believing in the potential of our endeavors our attitude may become sour and our progress will dwindle. Attitude has a direct impact on our feelings and behavior. If you have a negative attitude about something you’ll want nothing to do with it. You won’t dedicate the time and energy that is required and may end up avoiding or sabotaging the entire project.
Is discouragement stealing your vision?
I believe in thinking big and having an inspiring vision for the future. However, it’s not always natural to hold on to this vision when our surroundings are to the contrary and reality is presenting different results. As we become discouraged our vision can shrink and our inspiring view of what “could be” disappears. Discouragement is a true killer of dreams. No matter what keep dreaming and thinking big.
Paralysis from perfection
The sooner we accept that we’re not perfect and have many areas for improvement the sooner we can start making progress and correcting our course. Perfection can keep us completely stuck and immobile. We might be too afraid to put ourselves out there because we don’t feel prepared enough or don’t have the ideal circumstances. Planning, preparation, and precision are important for success, but perfection is not a reality and must be abandoned. Be willing to take action and stop stalling because the situation isn’t ideal.
Not investing in yourself
I have heard numerous times that the best investment we can make is investing in ourselves. This includes investing in our personal-growth, physical health, emotional well-being, expertise, and skill level. A major factor in the pursuit of success is a constant desire to learn and expand knowledge. We are never done growing and learning. If you don’t continue to train and learn the advancing world will pass you by. Make a conscious effort to learn something new that can help you achieve your goals.
My Connection
This is where I provide my personal connection to the ideas in the post. I hope you will join the conversation by leaving a comment, and offering your personal connection to these ideas as well. I’m going on a much needed vacation this coming week. I have reached a point of feeling a little strained. It’s getting more difficult to concentrate and my energy level is lower. Burnout is approaching, so this vacation is coming at a perfect time. Along with the fatigue comes a feeling of discouragement and disappointment because “my dreams” aren’t materializing fast enough. The whole process of success roadblocks is a vicious cycle if we aren’t aware of it. When I notice these barriers I remind myself of all the accomplishments I have made in the last year. I make efforts to listen to or read something uplifting and inspirational, and I do everything I can to crush the “victim voice” trying to hold me back. All of these strategies help me keep a positive attitude, stay optimistic, and rekindle my motivation when it dwindles. What have been roadblocks to your success? How and when do you know that discouragement is setting in? What do you do about it?
