Do you ever feel like you’re on the bicycle of life?  Just peddling along hoping that you’ll soon be able to stop and take a break?  Not really sure where the next rest stop is, or where your final destination is?  Right now, it really doesn’t matter because there’s nothing available here and you know you’ve just got to keep peddling?  Hoping to end up somewhere nice?  Hoping someone will come along and rescue you?

Have you ever worked toward a goal, and then realized a few months later that you somehow got sidetracked?  You got so busy “putting out fires” that the flames became your focus and you now you see nothing but smoke?

Wouldn’t it be great if we could find a way to put an “X” on the one thing, the main obstacle that holds us back from accomplishing our biggest goals and realizing our dreams?  Wouldn’t it be great if we could identify what that is so that we can eliminate it and get back on track?

I can do that for you today.  No, I’m not going to charge you any money.  Are you ready?

It’s you.

You are the biggest obstacle to your success.  You are what is holding you back.

It’s not life, it’s not tough breaks, it’s not your destiny to struggle.  It’s just you.

The good news is, as I wrote in my last post, if you’re the problem, you’re also the solution.  Here are the three key areas where you are in your own way, and some suggestions on how to resolve the problem of you.

1. Control your attitude. I’m tired of saying, “control your thoughts.”  Besides, most people misinterpret what that means.  It’s not so much that you need to never have a negative thought again, which is how some people think of control, but more about what you do when you have that moment of self-doubt.  The most popular comment I hear in my career development seminars is, “Well, I started to go after my goal, but then I had this thought that said . . .”  Sometimes the thought comes from a family member or well-meaning friend who is trying to protect you, but it is always the fact that you listened to that thought and allowed the fear to manifest that held you back, keeping you on the bicycle. The only way off the bicycle, is to stop peddling.  Eventually, you will lose your balance, and you will have to stop.  Stop listening to thoughts, friends, and relatives who want you to keep doing what you’re doing because you’re serving their purposes.
2. Control your actions. Have you ever acted without thinking first?  Everyone has some kind of story about how, “I didn’t even realize I was doing it – it just happened.”   Most of our habits are performed without thinking, in fact, most people believe that’s what a habit is – something you do without thinking about it.  Wouldn’t it make sense, then, to form good habits?  In the post, The Beauty of Rituals, I discuss my method for getting myself going in the morning.  I’ve had many people e-mail me or tell me in person how much that post changed their lives.  And each person came up with dramatically different rituals, but the results were the same – life enhancing!
3. Live in the present moment, but stay future focused. Knowing that you’re living your future right now is a happy thought if you know that what you’re doing in this very moment is leading to your ultimate goals and dream life.  Is it?  Do you know where you’re going on this bicycle ride?  If you’re on the bicycle and know where you’re going and that your path has a purpose, it’s an excellent ride.  But if you’re in the middle of nowhere, and you haven’t planned your final destination - you’re just riding around, stopping to take rest wherever there’s an opportunity - after a while, you begin to get distraught.  Then you think, “Why didn’t I plan this trip?”

In his book, Get Out of Your Own Way: The 5 Keys to Surpassing Everyone’s Expectations , Dr. Robert Cooper explains this about the human brain:

Under any kind of stress, the loudest signals your brain sends are about what’s happening right at this moment and how to survive it.  Anything that’s not immediately critical – such as moving toward your longer-term goals – gets drowned out.

Don’t let that happen to you.  Take control by planning ahead, and then deciding in each moment what is important for right now.  You’ll be amazed at how much this will change your life.  But if you don’t take time to think about it, you’ll simply react and stay on the bicycle.

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Posted under Education, Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success