There are few feelings worse than feeling like you’ll never get anywhere, be anything, or achieve anything. When you just aren’t making any progress, it’s all too easy to feel stuck in a rut with no way to escape. That’s about when most of us start to get in our own way, sabotaging our success and really doing more to hinder ourselves than anything else. We have a few tips that can help you break free of that rut.
Can’t seem to stop tripping over your own self-sabotage? Getting out of your own way is quite simple, but it requires a little bit of conscious effort. Don’t wait for motivation, run on a schedule, give into your impulses, and utilize every resource possible to make true progress on your goals. to find out exactly how to get over your mental hangups.
Follow These Four Tips to Become Your Own Best Friend.
Don’t Wait for Motivation
Waiting for motivation is one of the most common mistakes we make when trying to reach our goals. Ultimately, waiting around is counterproductive because it encourages you to do nothing instead of something. Inspiration is important, but you make real progress with actual, hands-on effort and engagement.
The amount of time you’ll spend waiting to feel motivated is time spent doing nothing. Take an active role in creating your own destiny as opposed to passively waiting for your dreams to come true.
Make a Schedule and Stick with It
Many of us have a tendency to fly by the seat of our pants. Few people actually thrive this way. In fact, you’re more likely to trip yourself up if you refuse to nail down your responsibilities and manage your own time.
Schedules are a very powerful tool. There is real science supporting the idea that following a routine makes accomplishing your goals easier over time. Moreover, doing a little every day gets you just a little bit closer to your goal, but it’s also less time spent thinking about what to do instead of finding resources to make it happen. It’ll take some effort to get up and running with your productivity, but you’ll be happier with yourself and your progress in the long run.
Don’t Ignore Your Impulses
It’s often best to act on instinct when you feel an urge to do something. Waiting more than about five seconds to act on an impulse means you’re far less likely to follow through with it. Waiting forever to ask someone for a dance almost certainly means you’re not doing it at all. Take your initial impulses into account for trivial and important decisions alike to play an active role in your life and increase your odds of success.
(This probably goes without saying, but an ounce of common sense comes into play, here. If your instincts lead you to dangerous habits, refrain and be safe.)
Take Advantage of Your Resources
If you’re reading this right now, you obviously have access to the Internet. And that means you’re able to access a virtually unlimited amount of information on just about every subject in the world.
Want to learn about diseases? You can do that at Mayo Clinic. Want to learn how to build or improve a home 3D printer? You can dive right into a tutorial at Instructables.
The point we’re trying to make here is that you have the power to educate yourself, even without going to college. There are so many new skills you could learn from browsing informative articles, reading guides, and watching videos. These are real, valuable skills that just might help you get into a degree program or even land a job.
Start Networking to Find Your People
It’s possible you’ll eventually run into dead ends or unanswered questions if you dig deep enough in your fields of interest. Sometimes, it’s easier to learn by having someone explain an idea or technique in real time. Remember that you’re never alone in being interested in your favorite topics; it’s not hard to find similar minds online.
Actively engaging online communities are ideal for helping you further your understanding and skills. But they’re also a great way to expand your personal network or even engage in skills trading and stay accountable at the same time. That’s exactly why so many course providers on Coursera and Codecademy now offer real-time forums for course-takers.
Finding your “tribe” – people who understand you, relate to you, learn like you, and thrive in the same environments as you – can be immensely helpful. Networking is always useful, but even just having people you’re in contact with who “get” you can help you stay focused and motivated.
Internal battles with motivation and energy are always hard-fought and hard-won. Of course many of us get in our own way sometimes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be that way forever. Start playing an active role in your life with these tips.
