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What's holding you back?
Last week we talked about getting crystal clear on your vision, the big things
you want to do in your life. Did you create a plan? Did you write
it down? Have you begun to take action on it?
Usually, when I ask these questions...a large percentage of the hands go up in
answer to the first one, less hands to writing it down and very few actually started
working on their plan.
No wonder so many of us are frustrated on the progress we are making in our lives!
There never seems to be enough time in the day for us to begin to take action
on our plan. So, this week, I'd like to give you a key tool to get on your
way to making that vision a reality.
If you aren't already moving forward on the way to your vision, you need to ask
yourself this question first: "WHY am I not moving forward? What is the
KEY thing holding me back from making progress?" While most of us think
this constraint usually comes from an external source, such as lack of support
from a key person, lack of money or other resources, research has shown that the
root cause of that constraint is generated INTERNALLY at least 80% of the time!
This means that 80% of the time, there is an internally driven reason holding
us back from success in our vision….80% of the time!
While many of us can come up with a number of reasons holding us back from reaching
our vision, there is usually one key factor that sets the speed at which we can
achieve that goal. And this factor is usually internally driven. You'll
know this factor by the fact that it alone can free you up to move toward your
goal or vision.
As an example, let's say that you have a vision of becoming a public speaker.
You might say that there are several things holding you back from becoming a public
speaker: money, time, support from others, self confidence and marketing.
However, when the needs for money, time, and support from others are all met,
will you quickly launch that career? Or will you find other reasons not
to, due to your lack of self confidence in the area? If that is the key
factor holding you back, then resolving all the others won't impact your movement
toward your vision….until you work on your self confidence! When you really
look at your skill level and ability, and your desire to be successful in this
endeavor, you may find that your lack of self confidence is really just inexperience.
This is the area in which you must focus first….take a class, practice, get feedback
from others whose opinions you value. When you have addressed the key factor
of self confidence, the other tasks, like finding the money and time, seem to
be much easier to accomplish.
Accurately defining the limiting factor holding you back from achieving your vision
or dream is a huge step forward on your path! Spend some time today thinking
of all the things that are holding you back from taking the steps toward your
vision….and then narrow it down to the one that is really at the bottom of them
all. Spending time here requires honesty with yourself. Once you have
identified this constraint, you can determine a strategy to resolve it.
You may need a coach to assist you… either a good friend, significant other, or
a person who is trained to assist you in just this path…a Leadership Coach.
You can use this tool on any task that just seems to be too big to tackle.
Identify the ONE key constraint that is holding you back, then find the strategy
for resolving it. When you are focused on becoming more powerful, this step
can be key to success!
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