Over the years, I know there were times when my desire to do something perfect held me back from trying to do what I thought was a good idea. How often have you felt paralyzed because you wondered if you could do a good job and possibly even be perfect? Thinking you must always be perfect at something can hold you back from your true potential. So many of us never get out of the gate because we are too scared of failing, so we never even begin something we have been dreaming of for years. Most successful people have failed repeatedly before they succeeded at something. Remember when your mother told you if you fail, try again? She knew what she was talking about. Do not let your insecurities hold you back from your true potential. Success can be right after your last mistake.
Several reasons oftentimes hold people back from achieving their greatest good. We must ask ourselves whether they are questions and concerns or excuses. When we start to feel the imposter syndrome sneak up on us, we begin to doubt ourselves and what we believe we can achieve. The only way to overcome this issue or fear is to do the necessary work and research to understand more about your field of interest. We doubt ourselves when we are not prepared or do not know the essential details of whatever we are interested in. This also causes insecurity and sets us up for the fear of failure. We must all remember that mistakes are inevitable but do not make us failures. We must learn the lessons from our mistakes and keep moving forward. Nothing is over and final until we give up.
Another reason we delay moving forward is that we overthink a situation, which causes what is known as analysis paralysis. Then, we become involved in a cycle where we never make progress because we second-guess every decision we make. This can lead to procrastination. How many times have you doubted yourself to the point that you work on everything else on your list because you feel confident you will be able to complete those items, and then you tell yourself you will return to the real thing on the table tomorrow? Stop it! Face whatever you want to do and whatever is holding you back today. There is no time like now. Remember, yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is not promised, and today is a gift. The gift of the present is powerful and all we can control.
We must ensure we are not our worst enemy by getting in our own way. When we focus on being perfect, eventually, we may miss opportunities because our heads may be down and we are not looking in the right direction. We may also lose our creativity and become frustrated and burned out. Putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves can be exhausting and cause us to doubt ourselves. It is important to stay on course, keep our mindset positive, and remember that everything takes time before you may get the breakthrough you desire. Jack Canfield says, “Belief in yourself is a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you believe in your ability to show up and get results, you will become that person and experience better outcomes in everything you do!” It is never too late for a fresh start to realize your true potential. Stop letting perfectionism paralyze the true potential you hold inside of you. Do one thing today to get back on the path you dream of.
Healing Without Hate: It's a choice. It's a lifestyle. Pass it on.
Visit www.WendyGladney.com and www.forgivingforliving.org to learn more. Wendy is a life strategist, coach, consultant, author, and speaker.
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