What Holds Us Back?

It is now 1:58 AM and I feel compelled to write a post here on AnxietyDepressionAndI.com…and so I am! The reason why I am compelled to write up a new post is because I have become fed up with myself. All I’ve been doing lately is procrastinating, procrastinating, and then procrastinating some more. I know what I should be doing, yet I somehow find a way to do something else that wastes my time. I know exactly what I need to do in order to make more money, yet I am faced with this mental block every time I have even the slightest inclination to do some work. Writing up new content for this blogsite is also something I’ve been putting off.

And this is exactly why I am writing right this minute. I’ve just had enough of my ridiculous procrastination skills. I honestly don’t understand myself sometimes. The way I think about some things is completely out of wack. You see, there are things which I would like to get done and even some things that I would enjoy doing; things I like. But all of these “things” are shoved in the back of my mind. They are there and I know they exist back there…but something holds me back from getting to them.

Hopefully I can start doing something productive with my time because there is at least one task that has escaped my mental prison and that is to write here. I just finished a relaxing cigarette outside amidst the still scene of night and I am now ready to vent. Rest assured, this vent has a purpose.

This morning I would like to address the topic of what holds us back. What holds us back from doing that work. What holds us back from taking that chance. What holds us back from getting out of the house. What holds us back…from just about anything. That is what I want to talk about.  So, keep on reading to the next section. Don’t let anything hold you back this time because you might actually figure out what has been holding you back all of this time. Yes, I made that last one confusing on purpose…

Thinking And Doing Are Not Alike

All of us have times when we think to ourselves, “Man, I’ve got to do that in a year!” or “I definitely would like to take a trip there eventually.” or just about anything that we would very much like to have that involves a lot of doing. However, very rarely does one of us take the necessary steps in order to become a millionaire or visit that special place. The idea of something which we fantasize about remains just that for the most part, and idea. Most people do not break the norm and strive to achieve what they really want from life. Most people settle for “right now”. The idea of rolling in money is a very nice one but most of us aren’t willing to even think about moving out of our comfort zones.

Now, I realize that I’m talking about rather difficult tasks when it comes to being held back by ourselves but there is a point to it all. The point is that this type of thinking can apply to just about any type of task. Take me for example. I have some very serious problems when it comes to “getting things done”. So serious, that I am actually running out of ways to procrastinate even further. If you have any good ones please do share. Seriously though, most of us are held back even when we are faced with the simplest of tasks. And I know for a fact that I am not the only crazy one because of one word, trash. How many of us enjoyed taking out the trash as children? That’s what I thought. And if you did enjoy taking out the trash then you have your own issues to sort out other than what’s holding you back in life.

You see, there are so many little things in life that we aren’t willing to do. Maybe you don’t want to wash the dishes. Maybe you don’t want to do what it takes in order to earn a promotion. Maybe you are fine with your car that doesn’t work. Or maybe, you’ve just thought of ten tasks relevant to you that you just can’t seem to get done.

Ok then, what the hell holds us back? I mean, that is the title of this post after all. Ready for the answer? This is where I’d give it to you if I had it but since I don’t you’ll need to continue on.

The reason why I can’t tell you the answer is because it is unique to you and your situation. It’s not a cop out, let me explain further. Let’s take a look at what kinds of tasks I’ve been putting off:

• Doing work
• Writing
• Lifting
• Running

Right this minute I can see at least one huge commonality between all of these things. All of these things do not have an immediate gain. They all require an ongoing effort in order to see any type of gain. All of these things also offer quite a significant gain to me. So, let’s do a quick diagnosis for yours truly.

I most likely have intimacy…wrong post. Let’s start over. My problem (in my opinion) is that I lack motivation and more importantly I have somewhat of a fear of success. I suppose this mental block which I described earlier is my mind keeping me from taking that chance. I could triple my income, but why do so when I can settle for where I’m at right now? I do want to be financially independent and know exactly where I want to be at in a year from now, but why take that chance? I think that on some level I am thinking this way. It could be my sub-conscious coming out. It could be that I am crazy. Who knows? It is very interesting to think about nonetheless.

You see, I am pretty confident when it comes to some of my life goals and in particular where I would like to be at in a year or two from now. However, lately it seems as though I am my worst enemy. Like I said, very interesting stuff to think about.

As you can see, you are the only one who can truly know what is holding you back. What you need to do is to take a hard look at what you aren’t getting done and then try to figure out the significance of what needs to be done. For example, maybe you don’t want to clean up the house simply because it is a task which you find annoying. In that case, your reason for being held back would be your lack of motivation. I realize that some of what I am saying is very generic and vague but I sincerely believe that it is the truth.

I hope that by taking a look at my example of what is holding me back you can start to see what is holding you back when it comes to getting things done. I have to warn you though, know what holds you back is only half the battle. You’ll still need to actually take care of your own roadblocks as well as get something done…