Life is short. Each choice you make today will determine the number of regrets you will have in the future. Some of the most common regrets people have are not spending time more wisely, missed opportunities, procrastinating, not forming better habits, mistakes in past relationships, or not having the self control to say no. It sucks. But what you do today, can at least somewhat limit the number of regrets you'll have in the future. Every moment of our life is so precious. Here are three common mindset obstacles that we must get over to make the best use of our life.
"Don't wait. The time will never be just right." - Napoleon Hill
Time won't wait. There will never ever be a perfect time for you to take action. Once you can accept this, it will help you to get more meaningful work done each day. However, it can be easy for all of us to say: I don't have time. I can't do it. I'm too tired. Someone else can handle this. It's too late now. I am not talented. I'm not ready. What if I fail? I'd rather wait. You can always come up with a fitting excuse and rationalize why you haven't started. However, the time you spend making up excuses can be more productively used to take action. The more you prolong your start date, the easier it will be to come up with more excuses later as to why you can't do it. And in the end, you may just end up not doing it.
You need to take action despite the self-criticism and self-doubt. When you constantly make excuses, you are in effect saying, "I'm not in control of my life." However, the only person that has control of your life - your actions and decisions - is "you". Don't let excuses rob you of that power. Most people make excuses because of their fear of the unknown. They don't know what to expect and they fear change, rejection, or embarrassment. But that fear will only keep you trapped in your comfort zone where nothing remarkable happens. Instead of seeing a potential setback, don't make an excuse. View it instead as a challenge you want to overcome.
"Try and fail, but don't fail to try." - John Quincy Adams
One of the biggest reasons why many fail at taking action to change their life or pursue their goals is because they can't find the motivation to start. At times, we may feel too comfortable with the lifestyle or daily routine we have and the new plan or habit that we want to set in motion may be inconvenient or even too hard for us. However, you can only make progress in life if you are willing to take that extra step forward - as wobbly or as shaky as it may be. Overcome your fear of failure - that is the first step towards success.
Remember, slow progress is better than nothing. No matter how many times you fail or how many mistakes you make, you are still ahead of everyone who isn't trying. You can only make changes if you try. So whatever you do, don't fail to try. To make it easier to implement a new habit or goal, start small. You don't need to invest too much of your time at first, but just start with perhaps 10 minutes. Take baby steps. You will be on track to making bigger progress or changes in your life and you can look back without regrets knowing that at least you tried.
"You just can't beat the person who won't give up." - Babe Ruth
If you have failed recently and are considering giving up, don't. Keep trying and you will find the way out. Evaluate why it didn't work out and find ways to pull yourself back out of the ditch. Most people after dealing with a setback, don't even try to do something about their failures. They just simply give up on it and don't want to have anything to do with it. At times, it takes persistence to reach your goal. One of the most important secret to success is to learn how to conquer your doubts.
Most winners we know of today have a story of persistence to share. They too had obstacles, failures, and setbacks. Yet, they didn't give up. And they reached their goal in life. There is no alternative to reaching your goal. As long as you don't give up and actively keep trying, you have not failed yet.
"Anyone can give up; it is the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone would expect you to fall apart, now that is true strength." Chris Bradford
So what are your new year's resolutions? Are you going to start today and quit waiting? Don't look back on your life with more regrets.
