As has become my custom at least a few times throughout the year, this past weekend, on a whim, I packed a bag and spontaneously hit the open road. I wound up in Erie, PA – home of the cheapest gas I’ve purchased in a decade. $57 to fill my truck? Are you kidding me??? At home $57 would almost get me half a tank!
I digress.
I love my apartment. I love my office. It has too many distractions. That’s why I like to leave sometimes. I find a nice hotel, book a suite for the weekend, and lock myself inside to see what happens.
In most cases, my creativity runs wild.
I took the above pic on Friday evening. The papers spread out all over… goals, ideas, dreams, plans. I was writing down everything that came into my head. Nothing was edited. Nothing was filtered. I didn’t stop myself to consider logic or practicality.
I also spent some time reading a book on the subject of achieving our dreams and breaking down the barriers that so often seem to be standing in the way.
What I came to realize is that, more often than not, the only true barrier standing in our way is ourselves!
What Do I Really Want
Ask yourself this question, “What do I REALLY want?”
Now, as you ask yourself this question what comes into your mind? Whatever it is that you want most? Or 101 reasons for why you can’t have it, don’t have it, won’t have it?
Do you think about what you need to do to achieve it? Or do you think about everything standing in your way?
If you’re like me, and most of the rest of the world, your natural inclination is to see the barriers. All the barriers. Every. Last. Barrier.
Then comes fear.
Which breeds procrastination.
Nothing has ever been accomplished on the heels of procrastination.
Ask New Questions
I have a dozen pages of goals that I wrote during the weekend. From small, simple personal goes to big, elaborate career goals. Goals I can accomplish in a week, some in a month, some in a year. Some in five. Some in ten. One thing is certain, I intend to accomplish every last one of them.
If your answer to the question, “What do I REALLY want?” is in fact, what you really want, you’ll find a way to get there.
Remember the 101 reasons why you can’t? Write those things down. Every last one of them. Get them on paper. Speak them out loud. Confront them head on.
Then get creative.
If you’re committed to your goals and dreams, all you’ve got to do is reframe the circumstances and ask new questions. Take each one of those barriers standing in your way and find a way through them, over them, under them or around them.
Believe it or not, it can be done!
Need Proof?
On Wednesday, I’m going to share a new blog post. The story of how I took my dream of being a full-time voice talent and turned it into my reality.
I hope you’ll come back and check it out.
* For Part 2 of this post visit How I Made My Voice Over Dream A Reality *
