One Thing Stopping You From Reaching Your Goals
One of the most common issues people face today is self discipline. We always wonder why we never accomplish our tasks and goals, but the reality is this—it’s all about mindset. Many of us set goals having the right mindset, and may even commit to working on them for a few days, weeks, or even months.
Eventually, though, at some point, we lose motivation, skip a couple days here and there, before completely stopping altogether, often less than a few months after starting.
I myself have dealt with this issue so many times on numerous occasions, and it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons for why we do this. Why is it so hard to just sit down and work on achieving our goals? What is it that holds us back, stops us from getting where we want to be?
I feel like there’s a lot of different ways to answer this question, but the one I want to focus on is mindset. With the wrong mindset, we stop feeling motivated, stop trying, and progressively feel that the result we want is unattainable, too hard to work towards, or that some other factor stands in the way. We turn to excuses and drift away from the path we’d like to take.
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How Emotions Affect Our Mindset
Your emotions are one of the primary factors that affect your mindset. If the thought of an activity gives you physical discomfort or creates a negative emotion, you’ll begin to associate that task with that emotion. The more you reinforce this negative association in your mind, the less likely you are to do the task.
There’s evidence that people make decisions based on emotions over facts and logic. This is why those who wish to work on goals they know will benefit them, instead end up procrastinating or refraining from the activity. They feel a negative emotion every time the task comes to mind.
If the thought of something gives you anxiety, you’re far less likely to do it than if that same thought evoked a feeling of excitement and joy. A great way to get more productive is by learning to take control of your emotions.
How to Control Emotions
1. Thoughts
Something that works for me is changing the way I feel about a certain task I want to complete. Often, I don’t notice my negative connotations until I start this exercise. Sometimes the thought of something overwhelms me or gives me anxiety. This is when I change my thoughts about the task, and thus my emotions towards it.
I tell myself I’m good at the task that needs to get done, that it’ll be easy. It won’t take too long. If I do it now I won’t have to worry about it later. It’ll benefit me in the long run if I just sit down and get started.
These types of thought patterns have helped me a lot personally, but only if I truly focus on my thoughts and the emotions associated with them. If the thoughts don’t change the way I feel about the task, this technique won’t work.
The key is to add emotion. Think whatever thoughts allow you to make the experience seem more appealing, or change physical aspects of the task to actually make it more enjoyable or less daunting.
For example, if writing a ten page essay, you can break the task down into smaller chunks. Then work on a small chunk each day leading up to the due date.
Another option is starting a timer for a certain length of time if the task feels too overwhelming. I find this also helps me focus if I’m having trouble concentrating.
I also try to make the task more enjoyable, such as by drinking a cup of tea or coffee while I work, or listening to a good playlist.
2. Inspiring Content
Another thing I like to do, for personal goals especially, is to look at images or read success stories that inspire me. Anything that can give you a spark of inspiration is a very valuable tool for to help change your mindset and reach your goals.
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If watching a movie or video fills you with motivation to change your whole life and work diligently on achieving your dreams, then rewatch it as many times as it continues to elicit those emotions towards your goals.
Filling your mind with inspiring content on a regular basis is a very effective way to change your mindset over time and establish self discipline through continuous repetition. It’s always that emotion you should be after.
This is a daily habit that helps some of the most successful people on the planet create thriving businesses and build the life of their dreams.
3. Limiting Beliefs
A big factor that leads to negative emotions and a lack of motivation are limiting beliefs. Many people quit before they achieve their goals. Some give up before they even start, because they believe the results are out of their reach or control.
There’s not enough time. Not enough resources. Bad timing. Too much going on. Too late to start now. The niche is too competitive. There will be a better time to do this in the future. I’m just not skilled enough for that. Only a couple people get to make it. The chances are too slim for me, etc.
The real reason why so many people fail and why such a small percentage of them “make it” is because it’s only that small percentage that actually believe they can. Most people have limiting beliefs that hold them back.
The ones who believe it’s possible don’t ever give up, because they know that success is a result of your actions and the work you put in, rather than luck. It’s true that some may have better opportunities and find easier success due to circumstances, but even the average person often has more opportunities than they may realize.
Taking Action
We often underestimate the power our actions have on our emotions and our mindset. Healthy habits such as exercise, diet, and sleep make a bigger difference than most people realize. A common cause of anxiety and depression is the food we consume. More specifically, a lack of the right nutrients in our food, which can directly affect our emotions long term. Neglecting sleep can also lead to greater stress and a short temper, while exercise is known to decrease anxiety. Additionally, it releases dopamine, boosting happiness.
All of these things vary the resilience of our attitude and emotional state. Avoiding mood swings and reaching emotional consistency is best achieved by focusing on our health and wellbeing.
Other habits and actions also play a large role in cultivating the right mindset. This includes the content we consume (as mentioned above), or the way we like to spend our time. Watching the news can lead to feeling unhappier and more stressed. Also, it often establishes a worse outlook on life due to the negative thoughts and feelings it can create.
It’s important to spend time doing activities we enjoy that make us feel good. Work on changing thoughts, conversing with the right people, and having new and enjoyable experiences regularly. Over time, it’s possible to cultivate a productive mindset and achieve the life of your dreams.
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