Now I don’t say this lightly but the reason you don’t have a life you want isn’t because of your circumstances, it’s because of you. Yep, you heard me. YOU are the thing that stands between the life you have and the life you want.
See we all want a life and career we love, but the truth is, few people are actually living the dream. But when you look around and see people that are truly happy, you’ll notice that they have set the terms for their life and they live by them without exception.
So if you aspire for something different, these are 4 key mistakes people make that stop them from living a life they truly want and love.
Mistake 1: You’re not clear about the life you want
It may sound obvious but happiness is not something you just fall into. And there is no ‘one size fits all’. Instead, it requires thought and self-reflection to understand what happiness looks like for you.
So take the time and work out what it is you want.
Let your imagination run wild and give yourself permission to dream.
Forget about other people’s opinions and just imagine what life would look like if you were living truly on your terms. Think about all areas of your life and define what the life you want looks like. Once you know this you can start to create meaningful goals that actually make you happy.
Mistake 2. You’re not 100% committed
Creating anything great, whether it’s a career, relationship or a business, requires commitment. You need to be clear on your goals and then have an unwavering commitment to making it happen.
Now to be clear, I’m not suggesting you need to spend every moment of every day pursuing your goals, in fact, I would strongly caution against that. But what I am saying is if you want truly something, you need to go for it. All in.
Stop making excuses for why it’s not possible.
Don’t shy away from opportunities.
Stop playing it safe inside your comfort zone.
Instead, show up and do what needs to be done.
Be consistent. Embrace being uncomfortable. Be willing to look stupid.
Being 100% committed means you keep trying things until you’re living the life you want.
And if something doesn’t work, brush yourself off and try something else.
Mistake 3. You’re not willing to let go
Often, pursuing what we want requires letting go of something.
It might be relationships, job security or our professional identity. And I know from experience, this can be terrifying.
But I also know that holding on to things and relationships that are no longer aligned with who we want to be, feels terrible, keeps us stuck in mediocrity and prolongs the transition period that comes with change.
So, as painful as it might be, accept that things need to change and the sooner you let go, the sooner you’ll have the life you want.
Mistake 4. You’re waiting for the ‘right’ time
We all grow up with an idea of how our life should unfold and for most people, that includes certain notions about an ideal timeline for their life.
For most, retirement is when we think we’re supposed to relax and enjoy life. But heck, who wants to wait until (or is it 70 these days?) to have the life you want?
Not me.
And to play devil’s advocate, there will always be a reason to hold off on pursuing the life you want. And what if retirement never comes?
What if you spend your whole life waiting to have the life you want instead of actually living it?
So embrace the idea that there is no right time.
All we have is now, so let’s make the most of it.
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