The Uncomfortable Truth Of What Is Keeping You From Success

Do you really want to know what is keeping your from success?

Really, really?

Because it’s not a lack of productivity apps or time management skills …

It’s not even those customers that aren’t calling you back, those friends who are not supportive or those colleagues that never seem to listen to you…

I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry.

But it’s you !

Here’s why:

1. You’re Not Clear On What Success Really Is

I’ve been interviewed for a popular magazine in the Netherlands when I was a student and it was all about what we wanted out of life after our studies. I’m caught on print that all I wanted was to have an amazing, well-paid job, a big house and a car to go with it. 6 years later I find myself in a big fancy office, filled with high-achieving consultants, which I drive to in my big fancy car from my big fancy house being incredibly jealous of the guy who waters the plants, because he’s obviously a lot more HAPPY with his life and work than I am.

Having a clear vision on what success is to you is a basic necessity; how else are you going to know that you’re heading in the right direction and if you indeed ARE successful?

But make sure your vision grows and evolves along with you in life.

2. You’re Not Listening To Your Gut

Us human beings are a fascinating bunch; instinctively we almost always know what’s right or wrong for us but we hardly ever listen to those instincts and we do the wrong things anyway. The reasons for this could fill an entire library but the effect of it is that we waste our time and energy on things that are not in line with our core vision and are therefore keeping us from success.

Listening to your gut and acting on it demands you to be very brave. It means that you’ll have to say no to opportunities and people even when that puts you at risk of being unpopular or not profitable in the short-term. But it’s authentic, and in the end, that’s the only way to success.

And not listening … that will keep you nice and safe in your comfort zone. You know, the place where you’ll very likely NOT to achieve the things you want to.

3. Your Ambition Is In The Way

Who is your big hero, entrepreneurial or otherwise? Do you just look up to them and learn from them or do you want to be exactly like them?

There’s a big difference ! It’s great to have people to look up to and learn from, especially in this day and age where so many inspirational stories are shared. We learn that we’re not alone in our struggles on the path to success and we learn how to recognize and not fall in to the pitfalls these people have.

But what if you want to be exactly like them ? What if you’re not happy until you’ve achieved the same as they have ?

Personally, I can’t seem to shake the ambition of being a combination of Nelson Mandela, the Dalai Lama and Angelina Jolie and am not happy until I get the same recognition they get …

Yeah, that’s never gonna happen !

Not because I don’t deserve that recognition or am anything less than they are, but simply because I’M NOT THEM.

But it does limit my behavior and level of courage at times …

We all have our own lives, paths and characters and can be extremely successful in our own rights, but we’re keeping ourselves small if we keep comparing ourselves to others.

4. You Can’t See What You’ve Already Achieved

At what point will you be able to look at yourself and your business and be happy with what you’ve achieved?

Most of us can’t. Most of us have this continuously lingering thought in the back of our heads that tells us that it (and we) are still ‘not good enough’ …

It’s both the comparison of ourselves to others and an ancient imprint in our brain that compels us to always be something bigger and better than we are. It’s evolution and simply in our DNA.

But it’s not really useful is it ? What’s the point of working this hard and actually achieving all this success but not enjoying it for what it is ?

Sometimes…there’s nothing keeping us from success. Sometimes, we’re already there but just not able to see it.

Not sure if you’re holding yourself back in any way ? Answer these questions:

-       Do you really know what success looks like for YOU ?
-       Do you always listen to – and act on – your instincts ?
-       Does the awesomeness of [insert name] keep you from even trying?
-       Could it be that you’re already there ? Hint: listen to the people close to you !

Dreaming big, having huge ambitions and always aiming for growth and improvement are all essential for success and are great characteristics for anyone that thinks of themselves as a personal leader.

But don’t let them become their own pitfalls.

http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/the-uncomfortable-truth-of-what-is-keeping-you-from-success/

4 Ways To Systematically Replace Your Limiting Habits With Empowering Habits

What is stopping you from achieving your goals ?  Are you procrastinating ?  Do you find you never have enough time ? Are you finding all sorts of reasons to NOT follow your dream ?  What is holding you back ? Maybe not following your dream keeps you "safe" and in your comfort zone - because stepping out of your comfort zone might feel scary ?  Maybe you're worried you might "fail" or make mistakes.  Whatever limiting thoughts and habits are stopping you from going for it, this article helps you to replace those limiting habits with new, empowering ones ...

Imagine this scenario…

What if you could systematically break down all of the bad habits that are currently holding you back from achieving your goals?

What if you could then re engineer those habits so that they actually supported your goals?

There are some habits that move us closer towards our goals in life, we’ll call those empowering habits. Then, there are some that move us further away from the achievement of those goals, we’ll call those limiting habits.

Your goal should be to constantly reduce the limiting habits, and maximize the empowering habits.

How do you accomplish this?

Step 1: Identify Your Limiting Habits

The first step is to simply identify which habits are limiting your success.

You identify these limiting habits by first knowing what goals you’re currently trying to accomplish. After you know your goals, ask yourself which actions you perform on a regular basis that are holding you back from achieving that goal.

For instance, say you have a goal of losing weight, but you also have a bad habit of eating unhealthy fast food. That habit is limiting the achievement of your goal.

Step 2: Identify The Cue for Your Limiting Habit

Once you know your limiting habit, the next step is to identify the cue for that bad habit. What is the trigger that sets your bad habit in motion?

Cues can come in many different forms, so it helps to narrow your focus on a few areas:

• Time – What time is it?
• Location – Where are you?
• Emotion – How are you feeling?
• Other People – Who are you with?
• Preceding Action – What did you just do?

The next time you catch yourself performing that limiting habit, take a quick look at these 5 areas. You’ll eventually start to notice a trend.

Maybe your bad habit shows up every day at 2:00pm. Or maybe every time you’re with you one of your buddies.  Or maybe you fall into your limiting habit whenever you get upset or sad.

Pay close enough attention, for a long enough time, and you’ll eventually see the pattern.

Step 3: Identify the Reward for Your Limiting Habit

Once you’ve recognized the pattern and found the cue that’s setting your limiting habit in motion, you want to identify the reward you’re receiving from the habit. What’s the big, positive thing you get from performing that habit?

I know, this may seem a little confusing. I told you that limiting habits are moving you away from your goals, but now I’m saying they provide you with a reward?

Let me explain.

A reward is anything that brings pleasure. But just because something brings pleasure, doesn’t always mean it provides a positive outcome.

For instance, overeating is a limiting habit many people deal with. It provides the pleasure of eating delicious food and filling up your body, but then there are also negative consequences, like gaining weight, and destroying your health.

Do quick “pulse check” on your limiting habit and see what reward it’s providing you with. What’s the good feeling coming from that limiting habit? Why do you keep doing it?

Step 4: Find a New Action

Once you’ve found your cue and your reward, the only step left is to then replace the negative action, with a positive one.

But there’s one caveat, whatever new action you choose, must provide the same reward and be triggered by the same cue.

Putting It All Together

So let’s look at an example that ties everything together.

I had a goal of increasing my health, but I also had a bad habit of snacking on junk food. Every time I caught myself slipping into the bad habit, I began to pay close attention to those five areas (time, location, emotion, other people, preceding action).

I eventually found the pattern. Every time I was hungry and tired, I opted for junk food instead of a healthier alternative.

So my cue was being hungry and tired at mealtime, and my reward was getting something quick and easy to eat.

I replaced that limiting habit of snacking on junk food, with a different, empowering habit, of eating a smaller, healthier snack that would hold me over until I actually cooked something healthy. I used the same cue, and the same reward. I just replaced the action I was performing.

http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/4-ways-to-systematically-replace-your-limiting-habits-with-empowering-habits

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