On the journey toward the accomplishment of your dream, there will be times when you will severely doubt that you can achieve them. That’s perfectly normal. Don’t think you’re weak because of it. In fact, that doubt only serves to make you stronger.
It usually starts out with you doing something that doesn’t go the way you thought it would. Perhaps you bombed the job interview of your dreams. The bank didn’t give you the loan for your business. One of your clients fired you.
You then start a dangerous downward spiral. You imagine the worse case scenario that ensues because what you worked on doesn’t go the way you planned. You get that sinking feeling in your gut. You start questioning yourself as to whether or not you should keep on pursuing your dream. Hope is dwindling. The fears are piling. You’re about ready to throw in the towel. What do you do then?
1. Breathe
Deep breaths.
Inhale, exhale.
Inhale, exhale.
Deep breaths.
Inhale, exhale.
When you do that, really concentrate on your breathing.
Why?
Three reasons.
1. It gets you back in the present moment.
At the point when you are most down, you are probably projecting the worse case scenario way into the future. You have to travel back to this present moment in time because that is all that matters. Not the past, not the future, but now. NOW.
2. It reminds you that YOU are in control.
When you concentrate on your breathing, you become aware that it is YOU that is controlling YOU. You tap back into your power of personal responsibility. You are in control of yourself. You and nobody else. It is only YOU who makes or breaks YOU.
3. It clears your head
Your mind was probably like a tornado when you were spiraling down, thinking of every conceivable worse case scenario, but when you concentrate on breathing, you go back to simplicity. You clear your head of all that negativity and all that’s on your mind now is the simple act of breathing.
After you do that, then what?
2. Focus on what you want.
Stop focusing on what you don’t want. That’s what caused your downward spiral in the first place. Now that you’re back in the present moment and know that you’re in control, start to focus on what you want to happen. Visualize it. Repeat the end goal you want to achieve over and over again in your mind.
This shifts your focus away from your fears and back onto your dreams.
Now what?
3. Ask How.
I love the word how. Ask yourself how you can move toward your goals today. List some action items you can do today to move toward your goals to alleviate any doubt and fears and execute them.
The reason why how is such a powerful word is that it silently bypasses any lingering doubts you have. The very nature of using the word how implies, or is contingent upon the fact that you believe you’ll succeed. How can I get that job? How can I get that business loan? How can I get that client back? You already know it’s going to happen. Now it’s just a question of how.
Then, when you take action on those items, your fears and doubt will slowly start to dissipate and you’ll get back into your flow again.
Many people immediately try to jump directly into action mode when things are bad, but that doesn’t really work. You’ve got to come back to the present moment, realize you’re in control, focus on what you want, figure out what you can do now on how to get what you want, and THEN implement those action items.
Rebuild the foundation first. Then take action.
You’ll feel a lot better afterwards. I guarantee it.
