Did your mother ever say that to you? How about your coach or teacher?
What they were trying to say, in their infinite wisdom, was that we are each our own worst enemy. Only we can prevent ourselves from achieving. And, if we determine that we CAN'T do something before we ever actually try, we are certain to fail.
Do you find yourself saying or thinking phrases such as,
"I should do some research on the competition, but. . ."
"I can't take that computer class because. . ."
"I would go visit that new merchant downtown if. . ."
The way to get out of these negative thoughts is to first determine what is preventing you from trying to achieve your goalsóand no fair blaming someone or something else. For example, "They don't pay me enough," or "They don't give me enough control," or "If I was in charge..." Sound familiar? Try to figure out why you don't get it done, not who is preventing you from achieving. Ask yourself:
Is it fear? Are you so afraid you will fail that it's better to never try so no one can call you a failure? Is it laziness? Do you think the effort is just not worth the payoff?
Is it discouragement? Did you try before and fail? Do you now believe it will be a wasted effort?
Next time you hear yourself saying, "won't" or "can't" or "but," find out what the real obstacle is. Finding out why you're limiting yourself can help you destroy those barriers and go after what you want. What do you have to lose? Probably a lot less than you have to gain. Take a stab at it.
Paul H. Green
Editor-in-Chief
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