Fear of failure And confiance

1. Fear/Anxiety 

Sometimes you may have a goal that you’d like to accomplish but you’re afraid to try it. Fear is a compelling reason why many people don’t push themselves further. It can manifest itself in a variety of ways that can be challenging to overcome.

a. Fear of failure 

Failing can be uncomfortable, frustrating or downright painful. If you put all of your effort into doing something and it fails, that can stop you from ever trying again. No one likes to fail. It’s not a great feeling and no matter how often you experience it, you never get used to it.

b. Fear of success 

When you succeed at something, it definitely feels good. It can make you much more confident about trying something new again. It also tends to leave you with extra responsibility. Once you’ve shown that you can succeed at something, people tend to expect more from you. It’s one of the side effects of success that many people aren’t prepared to deal with. Heightened expectations can be challenging to accept.

2. Lack of confidence 

You may be perfectly qualified to pursue your dreams but you may not see it. There are some people who have all of the tools and skills they need but they are missing the most important element—confidence. You have to believe you can do it or you never will. 

3. Discomfort

It’s uncomfortable breaking habits even if it’s just to insert something new. No one likes to be uncomfortable even if it’s for a good reason. Consider how many people hate going to the doctor or the dentist. Some people will suffer through pain and illness rather than going to the doctor or dentist. True it can be uncomfortable being examined by either (and I am no fan of the dentist myself) but in those cases the discomfort is for a good reason—your health. If people avoid doing something that could positively affect their health because it may be uncomfortable, it makes sense that they may avoid doing something that could positively affect their future for the same reason. 

Even if you’re not stuck in a rut and are experiencing these other things it’s still important that you figure out the cause of it. You have to address the root of anything that’s stopping you from pursuing your dream and stepping outside of your comfort zone. When you’re able to address the root of a problem, you’re much better able to successfully deal with it.

There is, however, one other reason people don’t pursue their dreams—their situations. If you notice, I didn’t list that as something that prevents you from reaching your goals. If you stop and take note the above reasons I shared are all personal. They’re all focused on you.

When it comes to tackling your destiny you can never let something outside of you decide whether you do it or not.

You should never give someone or something else power over your life. This is dangerous and makes it way too easy for you to find an excuse to put your dreams aside. Initially this may seem like a noble thing to do. Many people do it. You may put your dreams to the side for your children, parents, spouse or sibling. I get it. You want to do what’s best for these people and you love them.

Unfortunately putting this amount of responsibility on someone else isn’t fair even if they ask you to do it. Your happiness is ultimately YOUR responsibility. You have the power to change or not change your life. If you give this power to someone else, it gives them the ability to determine where your life goes.

Putting this kind of power into the hands of someone else makes you helpless when it comes to making changes when the time comes. This can lead to feelings of frustration that you can’t fix. Don’t do this.

The only reasons why you aren’t pursuing your goals should be reasons you can realistically change. They have to be reasons based only on you, no one else.

Ultimately YOU are the only one who has power over your life. If you aren’t pursuing your goals because of someone else, you are essentially using that person as an excuse or a buffer. It’s always easier to place responsibility on someone else than yourself.

Stepping outside of your comfort zone isn’t easy.  

You shouldn’t expect it to be easy. Be prepared to do some tough personal work. If you have goals to pursue but haven’t, it’s important that you figure out why and fix it. I’ve been where you are. In fact, I expect I’ll be here again.

The process of stepping outside of your comfort zone and pushing your limits is an ongoing one. It doesn’t really get any easier. It just becomes an integral part of personal growth. So buckle up. This is going to be an interesting ride.