Much what much of what gets in the way of success is… ourselves. Here a five emotional traps we should strive to avoid:
1. The desire to be comfortable – as Paulo Coelho said “only the mediocre are ever truly comfortable”. If your primary goal is to be comfortable then you can expect to get run over by someone not interested in being comfortable. There is no growth without discomfort so better get used to it. Where do you fear discomfort? Are you willing to move past it?
2. Not realizing that the only power you will ever have is right here, right now – it is so easy to project ourselves into a painful past or fearful future. All this does is create emotional noise which gets in the way of what really matters – getting things done now. While it is important to have plans it’s even more important to ask what’s the most important thing I should be doing right now? And then do it without delay. Every time.
3. Waiting for somebody else to go first – it is so easy to blame the environment including the people in it. It is “they” who get in the way of our success. It is “they” who don’t see the full measure of our value. Guess what – it’s not their job to notice your value or to play hero for you. You go first in spite of others. You don’t look for what’s “unfair”. You look for the opportunity you will create.
4. You don’t want to get over it…quickly- deeply successful people can weather most any storm. That’s because they have built a strong emotional foundation. They don’t harbor on the past but they do learn from it. Then they dust themselves off and get going again. So what if you made a mistake or blew a sale. Get over it, learn the lesson and move on!
5. There is an entitlement mentality – this is where “they” owe you something simply because of how wonderful you are. God’s gift to this planet. Maybe you were raised as the family prince or princess and now expect those you work with to cater to every need like your parents did. Newsflash – no manager wants to be your mommy or daddy. Very simply they want you to perform well because that makes them look good. Remember this: success is your responsibility and nobody else’s.
