“Don’t believe everything you think — or feel.” -Anna Chancellor
When you’re pursuing bigger and better futures, your mind will try to keep you stuck in your past; it doesn’t like uncertainty and doesn’t want risk.
Thus, your subconscious will conjure up all sorts of fear and doubt in order to keep you from your goal. It will convince and persuade you to settle for a lesser path.
Said Robert Brault,
“We are kept from our goal not by obstacles but a clearer path to a lesser goal.”
Accordingly, some Psychologists have said that the fear of the unknown may the foundation of all fears — your brain really likes to be able to predict the outcome of your behavior.
However, if you’re trying to create experiences far beyond anything you’ve ever lived before, your journey is going to be far from predictable.
Hence, you can’t believe everything you think or feel.
Here’s what you do need to remember.
Get Momentum and Clarity Very Quickly
“You can’t be the kid standing at the top of the waterside, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.” -Tina Fey
Many people think they need clarity in their direction before moving forward. But this is backward, you get clarity by moving in your desired direction not the other way around. Be → Do → Have.
You don’t have to have the whole vision mapped out. You need to take the first step and then let the momentum carry you onto the next.
As Francis of Assisi has said,
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
Now, none of this is rocket science. While your emotional state and need for clarity will have you wrapped up into thinking it’s complex and confusing, it’s all very simple.
What you focus on expands. If you continually approach your goals with disregard for what you think or feel, your momentum and confidence will increase.
As you move forward, your vision will become more clear. You’ll learn more about who are and what you want. But the action needs to start with you; a blank page isn’t going to write itself.
Have Unwavering Faith in Your Direction
“Your future is as bright as your faith.” -Thomas S. Monson
While this might seem impractical, faith is actually exactly what you need when pursuing bigger and better futures. No one achieves more than they set out to achieve.
Even more interesting, is that Hal Elrod has said you don’t actually have to believe in something to have faith in it, you just need to be committed. You need to be committed that you’ll do whatever it takes until the last possible moment.
In his words,
“Unwavering faith is a conscious strategy that directs your focus on staying committed to moving forward in the direction toward your goals and dreams. It doesn’t mean that you really believe that deep down.”
You need to decide where you want to go and then be committed to believing in that direction no matter what’s going on around you — both internally and externally.
When you make this decision, the world will bend to you; you can have whatever you want. This is where Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote comes from,
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.”
Decide where you will go, act accordingly and then you can have whatever you want. Again, Be → Do → Have.
In Conclusion
“You have to “Be” the right kind of person first, then you must “Do” the right things before you can expect to “Have” the things in life that really matter. Be, Do, Have.” -Zig Ziglar
Your brain really likes to predict the outcome of your behavior. It doesn’t like uncertainty and doesn’t want risk.
Although, pursuing bigger and better futures will never be predictable.
Thus, you need a strategy to keep your negative self-talk at bay. You need to shift your focus in order to get out of your own way.
It starts by getting momentum and clarity very quickly. You can’t be overthinking it, you need to go down the chute.
Once you have faith in your direction and then act accordingly, the universe will conspire to make it happen.
Nothing can stop you.