“There are many talented people who haven’t fulfilled their dreams because they over thought it, or they were too cautious, and were unwilling to make the leap of faith.” – James Cameron
There is an article last year, in Inc. Magazine, that referenced a University of Scranton research study on the success people have in achieving their New Year’s goals. The findings indicated that a whopping 92% of individuals who set New Year’s goals fail to accomplish them. Another 2014 article in Entrepreneur Magazine states that only 6% of people achieve their childhood dreams. And a recent blog posted by the Wealth Research Group identifies the fact that 98% of people die without fulfilling their dreams. These facts should make you think hard about your life and the goals and dreams you have not achieved.
In a Psychology Today article dated January 12, 2015, Barton Goldsmith Ph.D. shared six reasons that explain why people don’t pursue and fail to achieve their dreams.
- Some people are too shy to approach individuals they need to fulfill their goals and dreams. Whether this is someone we want to date, someone who can help us network into a desired career, or someone who is financially able to invest in our vision, the inability to make that face-to-face request prevents the removing of the barrier that serves to keep the dream from becoming a reality. Think about it in this way, if you do reach out and ask and they say, “No,” how has your life changed? The answer is, not at all. But what if they say yes?
- Some people don’t feel deserving. It is a feeling of not being good enough, smart enough, or worthy enough to obtain the desired dream. Perhaps you have internalized negative thoughts that subliminally replay in your daily interactions. Some of these messages to ourselves come from what others have said, while others are internally generated ingrained beliefs we have developed about ourselves. Understand that If you don’t feel deserving, no one else will believe you are deserving.
- Some people question their skill, talent, and ability to be successful. In this situation, the individual wants it and feels they are deserving, but look at the situation from what they lack, rather than from what they have. Sometimes it is simply the result of not wanting to make mistakes and fail. This belief keeps individuals from achieving their goals and dreams.
- Some people are not willing to invest the time and effort it requires. Going after a dream takes an investment of time and effort. It may mean that after having worked a day job, you will have to spend your nights and weekends working on that book, or that business idea, or pursuing that dream. It means having to put aside some enjoyable pastimes or activities to work on achieving that goal or dream. Failure to invest that time and effort guarantees that the dream will not come to fruition.
- Some people don’t feel adequate in comparison to others with similar goals. It is a fact that you will always find someone smarter, more attractive, more experienced, more educated, and more financially stable than you. Regardless of how great they are, they are not you. Remember that no one can be a better you, than you. You are the only competition that matters. Focus on being the best you that you can be.
- Some people worry about failing and what people will say about them and think about them. If Thomas Edison worried about what people would say about him, we might not have the electric light bulb. He was unsuccessful in his first 1,000 attempts. He may have even had colleagues and competitors that mocked and laughed at his efforts, but Edison understood that failing at something is not akin to being a failure.
If I synthesized all these reasons into one word, I believe that word would be “fear.” The reason why so many people don’t achieve in life or pursue their goals and dreams, and the reason so many fail to take the leap is because of fear. That is sad because fear is a wasted emotion. It doesn’t solve anything, and it doesn’t prevent anyone from doing anything. It is simply a convenient justification for not taking a leap.
The good news is the antidote to fear is courage. Courage does not mean you are not afraid. Courage just says, “I am afraid. Nevertheless, I’m going to ignore my fear and go for it.” What dreams and goals have you been afraid to pursue? Get a dose of courage and TAKE THE LEAP!!!!
LAS Blog is produced by Leadership Axis Solutions. We are in the business of “providing cogent solutions to organizational and professional problems.” If you like what you’ve read, visit our website at www.leadershipaxis.org/contact_us.html, fill out the “CONTACT US” form, and we will send you our weekly blog updates.
LAS Blog, Copyright © 2017, Leadership Axis Solutions, All rights reserved.
LAS Blog 