What are you waiting for? Time is short and not guaranteed, so if you want to do something, what’s actually holding you back? Let’s explore some of the main emotions that keep you from actually doing what you want to do.

 

What’s Holding You Back from Getting What You Want?

1. Fear
2. Joy (Fear of Losing that Joy)
3. Worry of Regret

 

Why Do We Avoid Doing What We Want to Do

So often, we put off doing what we actually want to do. Whether that’s going on holiday, changing career, or something else. Why do we do this?

Often, we think we have all the time in the world to accomplish what we want to do, but I want to ask you: why are you putting it off? Time is scarce, my friends, and it’s fleeting. So I ask you again, why are you putting off what you really want to do?

Most often, we don’t do what we want to do because of some pretty big emotions. Fear is one of the biggest reasons we don’t do what we want to do. But did you know that joy can also hold you back?

 

What Would Happen if You Allowed Your Curiosity to Take Control?

When you’re happy with your lot in life, it can be difficult to move out of that comfort zone to try something else. I challenge this fear of losing joy with curiosity. What if what you want is truly amazing?

Some of the other reasons you might not do what you want is because you’re comparing yourself to other people doing the same thing. What would you tell your best friend in these circumstances? 

Finally, I want you to think about whether the worry of disappointing others is part of why you’re putting off doing what you want to do. And I want you to ask yourself whether you’ll regret not doing what you want to do. It’s time to get introspective.

Do any of these feelings resonate with you? I want you to decide what you want right now. Are you willing to feel the potential feelings you’ll have to feel to get to the other side?

 

In This Episode 

• What time scarcity is [2:30]
• Some of the obstacles or reasons for not going after what you want [6:00]
• How fear can hold you back from doing what you want to do [7:00]
• How comparison can stop us from doing what we want [19:00]
• The role of regret in keeping us from doing what we want [23:00]

 

Quotes

“Time is not guaranteed. So if there’s something that you really want or really want to do, why would you put it off so long?” [2:47]

“There can be fear holding us back from getting what we want right now, but if we take that fear away, what would actually happen? Then we can go deeper and ask, ‘why are we really afraid?’” [9:31]

“If we can give all this compassion to other people, to our friends, to our loved ones, to even perfect strangers, what is the obstacle of extending that same compassion to ourselves?” [20:44]

“If you are concerned that you might regret a decision, ask yourself, ‘what if it does work out?’ Okay, it can flop and be horrible, but what if it isn’t. What if it’s amazing? What do you choose to believe? Do you choose to believe that it’s going to be amazing or do you choose to believe that it’s going to be a big, ol’ flop.” [25:00]

 

Resources Mentioned

Join the G.O.A.L.S. Society Program

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Podcast production by the team at Counterweight Creative

 

Related Episodes

Episode 81: Say "Yes" to Yourself 

Episode 75: The Art of Making a Decision 

Episode 79: Do More of What Works