Have you ever held back on doing something because you were afraid of failure? Most people have! Let's face it; no one likes to fail. None of us likes to feel like we're ineffective, weak or lacking in any way, and that's exactly how failure makes us feel.
However, you may be surprised to know that failure doesn't exist - until YOU say it does. In the dictionary, failure has several definitions: 1) a failing to do or perform 2) a state of inability to perform a normal function adequately 3) a fracturing or giving way under stress 4) a lack of success.
Look carefully at those definitions and you'll probably realize they have one thing in common when it comes to goal achievement: failure is a PERCEPTION.
If you believe you have failed, then you have. If you believe you don't have the ability to succeed, then you don't. If you believe you can't handle the pressure of achieving your goals, you can't. If you believe you're not successful, you aren't. Failure only exists in your own mind! The moment you decide to give up or stop working toward your goals, failure is born.
But what if you never do that? What if you continue working toward your goals, one step at a time for as long as it takes? There's no failure then, is there?
This insight should be very encouraging if you've been working toward goals and not yet seeing positive results. Simply keep going and you cannot fail!
Here are three tips to help you stay strong and focused on your goals:
1) Never give yourself an out. Most people do this without even realizing it. They are willing to work hard on achieving their goals, until the going gets too rough or their motivation dwindles. Don't do that! Commit to making your goals happen, no matter what! Never quit, never contemplate admitting failure, and never lose your inner determination.
2) Don't get hooked on a specific timeframe for completion. It's okay to set a general timeline, but be aware that some circumstances will be beyond your control, so you can't say for sure when your goal will be achieved. If you do that, you're just setting yourself up for failure! Instead, get a general idea of when you'd like your goal to be completed, but then take it a day at a time and focus on making progress, not reaching the finish line in as little time as possible.
3) Finally, be sure that you don't view obstacles and setbacks as failures. The two are completely different. An obstacle, setback or delay means only one thing: it's not time for your goal to be completed yet. That's it! It doesn't mean you failed; it doesn't mean you're weak; it doesn't mean you'll never achieve your goals. It simply means you're not done yet. You've got to keep moving forward and find a way around or through the obstacle.
One of the most difficult parts of goal achievement is simply getting started. It's easy enough to dream and plan, but many people get stuck in this phase indefinitely and avoid taking action. Planning and dreaming might make you feel like you're doing something about your goals, but if you never actually take a step forward you'll never achieve them. In order to see measurable progress, you have to step out of your comfort zones and take action.
When you finally do gather your courage and begin moving forward, what usually happens? You realize it's WAY harder than you thought it would be, right? It feels like you're trying to run uphill. You keep tripping over obstacles, facing setbacks and delays, dealing with fear and anxiety, and fighting a daily battle to stay motivated.
It's during this difficult phase that most people give up. They decide that "it isn't meant to be" right now, so they set their dream aside and vow to try again later. Or worse, they resign themselves to a mediocre life because they don't believe they have what it takes to succeed. They've "failed," so they're not going to try any more.
Have you done this? Most people have!
However, this doesn't have to be the end of the story. You can pick up your dreams, dust them off and try again. But this time you should know about a little something called Momentum.
You see, the difficult phase I just described is what happens at the beginning when you're trying to gain momentum. Most people quit during this phase because they think it's ALWAYS going to be this hard. What they don't realize is that every effort they put toward the achievement of their goals will build on the previous efforts. With every step forward the process gets easier and easier. Finally, they've put so much energy and effort into the process that momentum begins to take over. Suddenly they realize that they don't have to push so hard to keep moving forward. It becomes fun . . . even easy to achieve their goal.
This same experience can be yours! All you have to do is keep moving forward. Keep working toward your dreams and never quit. Momentum WILL take over eventually!
If you want to get momentum working even more quickly for you there are a few ways to do it, but they can be summed up in one sentence:
Be willing to work harder, faster and take bigger risks than you have in the past.
The reason why momentum can be delayed sometimes is because many people take very tentative steps toward their goals. They're afraid to really give it their all, so they hold back much of the energy and power they could be devoting toward their goal. Even if they're not aware of it, they may feel more comfortable working at a slower pace, so they avoid taking big risks and instead take baby steps.
There's not a thing wrong with this approach if it suits you! However, if you want to make faster progress and build momentum quickly, think about taking bigger steps and giving your full energy and focus toward making it happen. By doing so, you'll push through the difficult beginning and find yourself coasting before you know it.
Here is an amazing video I recently came across. When you consider the obstacles this man must face every day of his life, well - what can I say - Nick Vujicic is truly an inspiration ...
According to Nick, who has had plenty of practice overcoming obstacles, in order to triumph over such impediments, we need first to see where we are in relation to the obstacle - then we must visualise ourselves overcoming the obstacle.
Nick is a devout Christian and his life is a real testimony to his strong faith in God and his goodness. He provides a real lesson in life for us all - wherever we are and whatever our circumstances, we can rise above them, find our true purpose and live a successful life.
