What happens when motivation is nowhere to be found? Most of the time, what happens is that people give up, often without even realizing it. It’s not an easy decision to make, and they don’t typically go, “That’s it. I give up on my dream.”
What does happen is this: they slowly stop taking steps to achieve what they want. They procrastinate and make excuses. They stay in the dreaded comfort zone and blame someone or something else for it.
But what if they didn’t give up?
There are going to be difficulties in your life. When it comes to pursuing your dreams, obstacles are going to happen as well, and you have to evaluate whether your battle is worth fighting for. Put everything into perspective and consider if you’re the one who’s actually standing in your own way.
Ultimately, you’re responsible for your life. So why not travel on the path that you really want to?
There’s no reason why should give up your dreams. After all, dreams let us know what we really desire. That’s why we should pay attention to them, rather than dismissing them so easily. If you’re like most people, you have at least one dream that has always seemed appealing. Some say;
- “I could’ve been a singer” or
- “I’ve always wanted to help others but never figured out how” or
- “I just love painting! But one can’t afford a living just by creating art”
… you get the picture, right?
It’s easy to limit ourselves for a number of complicated (and human) reasons. As a consequence, we often feel trapped and overpowered by everyday tasks.
If you’re about to give up on your dream (whatever it is)… consider asking yourself these questions instead.
– How important is your dream?
To you, that is. Make sure that you’re on the right track by asking yourself this question. You’ll immediately feel the answer. As you think about your dream, you’ll either start feeling stressed and fearful, or eager and a bit excited.
If the road towards your dream didn’t have any complications whatsoever, would you run to it? Or would you still have some hesitations?
– Is it really yours?
Why do you want to achieve this? Sometimes, we want to make others happy so badly that we try to fulfill their expectations instead of ours. That may be one of the reasons we feel like giving up. So, is your dream really yours?
Imagine the best-case scenario in which you achieve your dream: would you feel truly happy? If the answer’s yes, then you’re going after something that really resonates with your heart and soul.
– What’s the worst that could happen?
We all think about how awful it would be to give our best shot at something only to fail. The thought of fear and rejection can be paralyzing. You could stop all these negative feelings by facing them head on.
Think about the worst thing it could happen and compare it to the best thing that could happen. More likely than not, you’ll have a lot more to gain if you give it a go.
– What means do I need to make it happen?
It’s great to dream, but at some point we have to land the plane. In order to fully commit and live the life you want, maybe you’ll need financial help, legal assistance, emotional coaching… whatever it is make an investment in yourself and you won’t regret it.
Once you know your dreams and goals are worth fighting for, proceed to create an action plan. Thinking and reflecting upon your desires will only be effective if you take action. You have to work for it.
Imagine you’re throwing a party. Would you expect it to be the party of the year by imagining it? No! You would call and invite your friends, plan some fun things to do, maybe prepare a special menu… and you’d definitely get up, dress up, and show up. It’s your party!
Honor your heart’s true desires. You’re here to live and maximize your full potential. We all fear rejection and failure, but that shouldn’t stop us from trying out new things and living fully. Dreams mean we have desires, and having desires means that we’re alive.
Go for it.