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What’s Really Holding You Back?

marathon goals

What is the real hurdle, block or fear that is holding you back?

marathon goals

The subject for today’s post was triggered by a discussion in the Small Business Accelerator Group on Linked In with the title “What’s Holding You Back”. – You do need to be a member to read it.

Over a year ago, I published a post  about how the limiting belief  “I am not enough” holds most of us back at some time.

Some of the comments from group members include:

  • Own Self
  • Lack of Knowledge
  • Not good enough
  • Fear of success
  • Fear of rejection
  • Time
  • Procrastination

Most of these are related to the “I am not enough” belief.

In my own case, I know that distraction, overwhelm from information overload and investigating too many opportunities were big factors.

The photo of me running  an ultra-marathon (85km / 50 miles) is up there for a purpose. I was very afraid that I was not good enough when I set a goal as a non-runner in my late thirties to complete at least one Comrades ultra-marathon by age 40, I did it anyway. Then did it 3 more times.

I found that training 6 days a week for 2 years, getting up at 4 or 5 am most mornings, the pain and disruption to my life were all tougher than just about anything I had attempted before. However it was easier to believe that I could do it and consistently take action to achieve it than striving to achieve some business goals.

This anomaly puzzled me for a long time, I published a series of posts on the subject and then published an e-book which is available fromAmazon for $2.91 .

My early business successes, starting at age 21 with a small manufacturing business, continuing with a career in the corporate world and then starting several more brick and mortar businesses and a farm all seem easy with hindsight. Of course there were difficult periods, huge doubts at times and some catastrophic failures.

But on reflection, I believe that it was easier in many ways because:

  • Fewer distractions from the Internet and Social media
  • With no “on-line” business opportunities, barriers to starting a business in most fields were high – not for the faint-hearted
  • Consulting / coaching industry was in its infancy, not an option for most
  • Fewer regulatory, health, employment, “human rights” restrictions

Because it was more difficult to start a brick and mortar business then than it is to start an on-line business today, those that did had frequently made a bigger commitment and a bigger investment. Many of today’s dabblers or those that confuse a business with a hobby, never got started.

The Internet is both a blessing and a curse, yes it has opened up a flood of new industries and an endless store of information, but it has also opened the flood gates to a deluge of “opportunities”, false promises and distracting rabbit holes.

That had been holding me back, continually collecting new information instead of acting on what I already had. Using research, planning, looking at too many new ideas, new blogging tactics, new tools. All that is important to some degree, but in the past I had often been successful with “flying by the seat of my pants” tactics. I had  found it much easier to focus on a few strategically important activities without the distractions.

In my first business, I had a contract to make hessian (burlap) sacks to a certain specification. It was a simple business, once I had arranged finances, purchased machinery and trained workers I did not have to worry about more research. Before the contract came to an end, I found other work for the factory, more products to make, bought more machinery, still simple, not much to hold me back.

That is why, this year I have been following the doctrine of “The Disciplined Pursuit of Less”, (Definitely worth a read) purging my email subscriptions, reducing the number of blogs I follow, cancelling my membership of several social media sites and spending less time on most others. I have dropped most of the products and services I was promoting as an affiliate marketer.

It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It makes it much easier to focus on the few important activities I must do to build my business as a blogger, business and life alchemist and speaker.

Wishing you success with nothing to hold you back.

Peter Wright

 

 

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