Have you ever had a goal that you worked really hard at only to
wonder where your results went? Well, the reason you’ve felt this
way is because of things called Insidious Killers of Success.
Insidious means something that is barely noticeable, and Insidious
Killers of Success are things that often times happen without us
even realizing it and it can be extremely damaging. The Insidious
1. DIGGING UP THE SEED BEFORE IT SPROUTS.
The analogy that you plant a seed into your garden, wait
patiently for something to happen with no results, then dig up the
seed to check and see if something will happen, only to have to
rebury it and start the process over again. The seed will not
sprout unless you leave it buried. The Law of Gestation says
that everything (even and especially our goals) need a gestation or
incubation period to fully form.
2. PUTTING UNNECESSARY OBSTACLES IN FRONT OF YOURSELF.
Somebody once asked Ernest Hemingway how to write a novel and he
replied, “First you defrost the refrigerator.” We all place
unnecessary obstacles in front of ourselves to avoid doing what
really needs to be done, so ask yourself: Do I really need to
do it that way? Does it really need to take that long? Remember
that chances are you’re not the first person to try what you’re
trying to do, so research others who have tried it and skip past
the beginning obstacles they had to go through first.
3. HAVING UNSUSTAINABLE ROUTINES THAT WILL KEEP YOU ON THE THE
HAMSTER WHEEL OF BURNOUT.
Having a challenging routine is okay, but having an
unsustainable routine is not. Success is usually associated
with hard work (which is good), but it can also be associated with
unrealistic restrictions on yourself and that isn’t necessary. For
example, Frederick Eklund, the most successful real estate agent in
New York City, works Monday through Friday and only half of Sunday
to give himself time for himself. Don’t stop sleeping, don’t
stop taking care of yourself, and don’t stop doing things like
paying bills or spending time with family because these will lead
to a burn out and that is not sustainable.
4. CONSCIOUSLY WANTING MORE BUT SUBCONSCIOUSLY BEING SO
COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE YOU’RE AT THAT YOU WILL SABOTAGE YOURSELF
OUT OF SUCCESS.
We are often times comfortable in our discomfort meaning that
regardless of how comfortable things may be now, we would rather go
through the pain of keeping this the same than go through the pain
of change. How to fix this: Get in touch with the internal
dialogue when you’re trying to do something (the one that says it’s
okay to have that extra slice of cake when you’re on a diet) and
learn how to tune it out. Get a coach or someone to hold you
accountable to your word because sometimes we can’t see what other
people see. Visualize a better future for yourself and deal with
the discomfort to make it a reality.
When you can understand, overcome, and eliminate these things,
you will be able to eliminate the Four Insidious Killers of
