How many times has procrastination prevented you from pursuing and achieving your dreams? Do you fear that the goals and dreams you have now won't come true, because of the ways you've procrastinated or given up on them in the past?
Many of us struggle to achieve our dreams because of our mindset. It's our way of thinking that keeps us stuck.
When it comes to pursuing one or more of our dreams, there's often two parts of us at work - the part that wants to move forward toward what it is that we desire, and the part of us that argues for why we can't.
The part of you that argues for why you can't is your current "paradigm" - the collection of thought patterns and beliefs you have about who you are and what you think you deserve.
This explains why you experience your current reality.
If your paradigm is not in harmony with what it is that you would really love to be, do or have, it's going to be impossible to generate the results that you desire.
How Your Current Paradigm Keeps You Stuck
Even if your goals and dreams start revealing themselves, your current paradigm, by its very nature, will keep things exactly as they are.
You may start out feeling inspired by your goals and dreams, and you may even start to generate some success turning them into your reality... but soon, your current paradigm will cause you to begin procrastinating on taking action, so as to sabotage your efforts.
Your current paradigm usually seeks to cause you to procrastinate your dreams in one of three ways:
1. DISTRACTION: Just as you're about to take the action required to achieve your dreams, your paradigm pipes up and says something like, "Maybe you should do the dishes first," or "But your favorite show is on TV!" This distraction creates a delay in taking the necessary action to move forward with your life.
2. DISSUASION: You succumb to feelings of fear, doubt and worry, such as a fear of failure or fear of what others may think of you. Your paradigm will seek to derail you from taking action by telling you the reasons why you won't succeed, so that you will abandon your pursuit of what it is that you would love.
3. DEFCON 1: This is when your paradigm goes into defensive HIGH ALERT and puts you in "fight or flight" mode. Most people experience fear and misinterpret it as a sign that they shouldn't move beyond their comfort zone - but this feeling is really your paradigm trying to make sure you remain stuck.
These are the three methods your current paradigm will use to chip away at your enthusiasm, resolve and momentum toward your dreams.
The Secret to Getting Unstuck
The secret to getting unstuck is to notice when your paradigm is telling you to stay behind instead of encouraging you to follow your dreams. Then, recognize that there is another part of you that wants you to pursue your goals and dreams!
If your current paradigm begins making a compelling case as to why you shouldn't or can't take action toward creating a life you love living, let the other side of you stand tall against it.
Fight your paradigm when it tries to dissuade you, distract you or delay you.
Tell it that today, you are going to pursue your goals and dreams. Don't believe your paradigm when it tries to convince you that tomorrow, next month or next year may be better - take action, no matter how big or small, TODAY. Stand up for your dreams!
When you do this, you begin instilling a new pattern of thoughts and beliefs that will support you in moving forward on your success journey, instead of your old disempowering paradigm that seeks to keep you stuck.
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