Well said by Ryan Holiday but doing it takes grit.
Summer LotusAug 19 · 4 min read
The obstacles were in my way. I could not get out of my own way. I had a lot of difficulties negotiating them because of myself. Nobody could stop me if I wanted to achieve something but first I needed to get over myself.
So what were my problems? After some analysis, I could classify my barriers;
1) I am not organized enough
2) I am not committed enough
3) I am not persistent enough
I decided to do it my way.
1)Not Organized enough
If you have the opportunity to be in a surgeon’s clinic who does predominantly surgery, you would know what I mean.
Everything on the surgical table- each instrument serves a purpose. The working top is clean and cleansed. The ambiance is bright and brilliant.
That is why a surgeon can be so focused. He delivers the offending structure with military precision.
Looking at my own table with a thousand ambitions, I knew it’s hard to go deep into anything as the table looks disorganized with many targets. To excel in one goal to the max could be difficult because of the dilution of focus.
My Solution – To focus on fewer goals but I am not one to zero in on only one as I believe aiming for more makes me multidimensional.
Getting organized with the details would help me.
2) Not committed enough.
here were many things that I started but they never took off.
Results from dipping my fingers into too many pies.
I learned flute at one point because I was enamored with James Galway the consummate flutist but I never got beyond level 3. I learned the Japanese Language but never got to Level 1 for full certification.
My excuse was that my flute teacher had emigrated to the US so I had to stop. I had found some teachers among my patients who could take me through but I did not follow through. It was my excuse.
Today the flute is waiting to be sold. My Japanese Language books remain unread.
However, I have no regrets as it was a learning journey for me and while I was at it, I enjoyed it thoroughly.
I understand that there is a steep learning curve when acquiring a new skill or knowledge. Once you have hit a certain peak, it does get easier but I need to be committed and resolved to carry my goals further.
My philosophy- You need not commit to everything you are interested in. Some will fall by the wayside. I believe that one must savor a variety of interests and become committed to a few. I need to work harder if I want to master them.
3 ) Not persistent enough.
I had a treadmill that was bought years ago but I can count the number of times I have used it.
I wanted to keep my weight constant which is a mean feat as the weight keeps climbing with age. It’s Nature’s way of telling us to slow down. Loving high-calorie food like cakes did not help.to
I did not have enough fire in my belly but I have rolls of fat and that is due to my lack of persistence.
Tonight, I fought to overcome it. I simply pushed myself to lower the running platform, switch on the machine, put on the shoes, and press start. Very soon, perspiration trickled down the sides of my face and my back.
I believe I would do this again tomorrow and the day after and eventually every day. Well, I know it’s all up to me.
I often used the slogan by Nike “Just do it” and did it tonight. This action has to be repeated and only I can help myself.
In any case, I Am Optimistic enough. I had started telling myself to think positive and see the good in every event. I noticed this change in myself over the last few years. Optimism is my prime over.
In this pandemic, living and working under some form of restrictions, I have set my aim to overcome these three obstacles.
Knowing my obstacles helps me to tackle them and make me feel happier and fulfilled. Just stay positive- from time immemorial, crises have come and gone. These are ways to adapt and evolve with the current times.
Work at your obstacles and get out of your own way!
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