Follow Your Own Path In Life

I keep having this urge, whenever I get an idea into my head of something I want to try doing. My immediate reaction, is to not think of if this new idea lines up with what I would like to do, but rather if others would approve. Like a small child craning their neck around to see if their parent behind them is approving of what they are about to do.

I have always second guessed myself. When I think of a path or action I want to take, the first thought that comes to my mind is ‘What would others think of this?”. It never fails.

However through years of personal growth, I feel I am for the first time giving myself permission to purposeful to stop looking around for others approval and just listen to my intuitive voice and go in the direction it suggests.

I wont lie, it feels uncomfortable. Like any well worn habit that has deeply etched its pathways of my mind, I want to resort to my old ways of thinking. But I persist. I have a sense of knowing in myself that has not been there. For the first time, I think I trust myself to make a choice that I and I alone will be able to live with, even if I fail.

Its scary, I will admit to take a path that I have decided and not a decision that I have allowed vetted by a nonexistent rule book outlining today’s supposed societal norms.

its unusual for someone in today’s society to follow their own path. To a certain extent I would say it is disparaged and at worst the idea is shunned. Why would this be the case? Well, it seems more and more in America, independent thought is seen as a dangerous way of being. Economically, companies would rather keep employees tied down, with healthcare and benefits. It seems like a safer way to live, however people don’t realize how much freedom they actually are giving up.

“What if I just got out of my own way and let myself experiment and let my inner voice guide me on my path?”

Don’t expect others to understand. Sure you can accept advice, but nobody knows you more then you know yourself! This is very important. Others can’t completely understand what your wants and needs are. Only you can come close to to understanding what you desire in life. Just like you can’t expect yourself to fully understand what drives others to do what they do. Just be true with what your inner voice is telling you, be still and listen intently to what it is saying. This is the truest essence of trusting yourself and living authentically. Being the most authentic you. You can’t live a truer life than to live in a way that your inner voice is alignment with.

Fear Of The Unknown Keeps Us From Starting

I am guilty of this time and time again. I avoid something I want to do because in the back of my mind, I don’t have a solid understanding of (A) if it is possible at all, or (B) if it is possible, the path to success must arduous and painful. Not to mention the deep seeded fear of my overall lack of belief in myself of accomplishing any said task, and the deeper fear of if I “fail”, I will be consumed by feelings of shame and regret.

The first step to conquering this fear would be to grab that idea by the scruff of the neck and drag it out from the shadows, and push it into the light. Ambiguous ideas are a friend of fear. First, start by defining what you want to accomplish by getting your thoughts down on paper. If you need to rewrite what exactly you are trying to achieve, this is the time to do it! By becoming clear on what is your main goal, this should have a big impact on reducing your overall fear of starting.

So, you have spent the time to condense your thoughts down on paper, and now you have a firm understanding of what you are trying to achieve. The next step is to write out small actionable steps you can take to accomplish this goal. Maybe start out small. For example, I want to learn about SEO. I can start by studying for thirty minutes a day, five times a week. If after completing this task, I feel energized to do more, then I can up my study time.

The last comment is a segway into another thought I had on goals. Why do you want to accomplish this goal? This is very important. Are you unconsciously trying to complete a goal because you believe your partner or parents would be proud of you? Is this goal in line with what and who you truly are? Make sure what you have set out to do is for the right reasons.

This thought is in line with knowing your “why”. You have to ask yourself do you want it enough? Are you willing to wake up at 4am in the morning and study for two hours, five days a week for months on end? I know I am guilty of this. I will have a grand idea while taking a shower, but in the end I am just not motivated enough to put in the hours and effort to achieve the goal.

Track your progress, and keep yourself accountable. Its easy to oversleep in the morning and put off what you want to get done. Have a calendar handy, hang it above your desk and mark off the days you have worked on your goal. This way you can look back on the work accomplished and it can give you a boost in confidence, and an overall feeling of accomplishment. While you are at it, to stay motivated, write out your “Why” and your goal on a piece of paper and hang it above your desk.

I think that if you are clear on what you want, you have checked in with yourself and you have confirmed you are pursuing it for the right reasons, and you know your “why”, then I think you have a very good chance of succeeding.

Why you should try

Why should you try. You should try because your time on this planet is not infinite. You should try to show to yourself that you can. You should try so that you grow as a person, strive to step outside your comfort zone, and become the individual you were always meant to be.

This is what encapsulates ever dream, and goal. Putting in the effort to just try. Try something that you have already failed at before. Try drawing again, or try riding a bike that you fell off of many times before. Trying is what separates the people who never accomplish their goals, and the ones who do.

Trying can be correlated with perseverance, and persistence, too. All three have something in common. They all involve the human trait, courage. You will need to have some level of courage to keep on trying, when things don’t go your way. You will need to persist, and persevere, if the goal is important to you.

When you try because you have an authentic interest in a subject or field, when you know what your “Why” is in relation to your goal, you can make great strides and persevere far longer than someone who is not quite sure of why they are pursuing a set goal.

So, again, just try. You can try for your loved ones, or try for your boss, but above all else, try for yourself. Because in the end, this is the one person that you let down the most when you give up on your dreams.