How to get lucky

You can’t expect to win a jackpot if you put no money on the line. You have to risk something to win a truly large reward. You can wish all that you want, but it won’t matter. As Michael Jordan said, “some people want things to happen, others make things happen.” It won’t happen unless you take action. The harder you work, the luckier you’ll get.

Courage

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” – E.E. Cunning

It can be very scary to ask that person out, to leave your job, to chase your dreams (or even to say them out loud). But without even attempting to do those things almost guarantees those things won’t happen. Sure, it might be more comfortable to do nothing. But without discomfort, you will never achieve your greatest goals.

My dad used to say that everyone experiences fear. They feel it too, whether they show it or not. You’re not alone. But it’s what you do with that fear that matters. Will you run from it? Or will you face it?

Don’t let fear stop you from living the life you’re meant to. Courage is the resistance to fear, not the absence of it. Be courageous. Stand up for what you believe in and take that next step towards living out your dreams.

Thinking big when setting goals

Your only limiting factor is how quickly you can accept the expansion. Are you thinking big? Or are you thinking small?

If you set small goals, you might achieve them. But you’ll never truly be inspired to complete them. Without passion/desire, you’ll either achieve your goals and not care OR stop trying to reach your goals because you don’t care. Either way, thinking small leads to small actions.

If you set big, hairy audacious goals, you’ll get excited to work towards them. You’ll hit some bumps in the road, but that is to be expected. Keep going! If you can find ways to persevere and overcome obstacles, you’ll eventually make it to where you want to go. Whatever you think you need to do to achieve your goal, double the action. Some would even say to do 10 times what you think you need to do!

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” –Les Brown

Set big goals. They should excite you. They might make you nervous to say out loud. But speak your goals. Tell anyone who will listen. Write them down. Read them each morning. Think about them throughout the day and ask yourself at night what you did that day to get you closer to reaching your goal(s). Every journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. Keep walking in the right direction and you’ll get to your destination.

The key to success

Knock down/remove as many barriers as possible to achieve success. But make sure you’re the one removing the obstacles and not just letting someone do the hard work for you.

The more barriers you have, the less likely you are to reach your goal. For example, say you want to lose 50 lbs. If you don’t have workout attire, you’re less likely to go…

If you live far away from the gym you chose to be a member…

If you don’t have a support system/someone to hold you accountable…

If you are surrounded by junk food (you have it in your house, you go down the aisle in the store with it, etc.)…

REMOVE BARRIERS.

My biggest fear…is it really what I think?

Many people fear failing, and I know it is one of my biggest fears as well. That’s what I’ve always told myself before, anyways. But after thinking about it more, am I afraid of actually failing or am I afraid of looking like a failure to others? There is a difference…

When you actually fear failing, you’ll often get stuck in “paralysis by analysis” mode, where you procrastinate taking any action for fear that the action you take is the wrong one. The irony is that this fear to fail often keeps you from even trying to get what you want. But if you don’t try it, you guarantee you won’t get it. In that sense, you have ensured failure, just not publicly.

So is it really failure you’re afraid of or is it the perception of failing? Sometimes you are held back from doing something or saying something because you think others will look down on you. Are you ok with asking questions and letting other know that you are not processing the information they’ve given to you? Are you ok with trying something new, with no guarantees of succeeding, if you think others will judge you for it? That’s the difference between being afraid to fail versus being afraid to look like a failure.

Next time you find that you aren’t pursuing a goal or a passion, ask yourself this…What is more important – what other people think of you (when they see you try and fail) or what you think of yourself (never publicly trying something/never “failing” in front of others, but ask never achieving your actual goal)?