How many times have you decided on a dream, and put together a plan to reach your dream, but then you never actually reach it? There are always obstacles that seem to get in the way of finding the time to complete the goals that you set out for yourself. Many people have intentions of doing things, but they rarely seem to be able to complete their goals. There are too many challenges to overcome.
While people may come up with many excuses for not accomplishing their goals, there are only two emotions that govern all our actions: fear and pleasure. Everything we do is based off of these two emotions.
Think about it. Why do people get married? They are either in love with the person they are marrying and are getting pleasure from being with them, or they are afraid to be alone. Or they are afraid of not following a traditional family path. Why do some mothers want to stay home with their children? They want the pleasure of watching their children grow and learn. They are also afraid of who their children will grow up to be if someone else (Day Care) is raising them. They are afraid of missing out on their kid’s childhoods while they are still little. Why are some people unwilling, or seemingly unable, to quit their current job to find the time to pursue a business venture or passion? Even if they don’t enjoy their job, they enjoy the pleasure of the income and security of their current job. They are afraid that if they quit their current job, they won’t make enough money or that if they quit to start a business, their business may not be successful.
Whenever you want something bad enough, you find a way to make it happen. If it isn’t happening for you, then deep down inside you haven’t decided that you want it bad enough. The fears you are experiencing in regards to taking your business to the next level are stronger than the pleasure you think you will obtain from growing your business.
What are your fears? Some common ones are: fear of failure if your business idea isn’t a success, fear of ridicule, embarrassment, or shame, fear of taking time away from your kids and your family, fear of being too busy, fear of what people will say to you if you follow a nontraditional path, fear of being too successful. (Believe it or not, this last fear is very common.)
As humans, we will always be faced with fears. The key to overcoming them is to face them. A toddler who is learning how to walk may fall and get hurt. That child may be afraid to try again right away, but eventually he will. Everyone capable learns how to walk. The toddler sees the pleasure he will get by facing his fear of falling. He knows that if he wants to have freedom and independence, he needs to be able to move around like the adults around him.