Today, something that I’ve heard a million times finally sunk in. It finally sunk in that I have to pick one thing to focus on at a time. Like all of us, I have many dreams, goals, or skills that I’m looking to develop, and I can get caught in the paralysis of analysis. So the thought that jumped out to me is that maybe I don’t have to choose only one thing, ultimately. I have to pick in the short term because I have to start somewhere, but how would I act if I knew I would achieve all of them. Would the order I do them in really matter? I’m not saying that you should just pick a goal and completely wing it. It makes sense to do research, but I usually do better when I throw myself into something. That stress and pressure open up something in my brain that allows me to make better decisions. I can have a lot of anxiety about making sure I pick the absolute best option. But more times than not, I get so overwhelmed by the possibilities that I will not take any action. I have dreams of having a website, making videos, being up in front of people talking, making them laugh, and running my own company. But ultimately, I have to pick one thing and start working on it. If I do that, perhaps, I can have it all. If you’re reading this post, you know which one I chose.
I can’t go casually after my dreams. I have to go after one with all I’ve got, and after achieving that goal or just realizing that it isn’t actually what I wanted, I can change course and go after one of the others. No matter which goal I pursue, there will be obstacles. Life is going to challenge us to see how bad we want it. With that said, I don’t think we should go after the goal that we believe will be easiest because there will be obstacles no matter what. I think that’s another reason we have to go after one thing with everything we’ve got. If we’re going in 10 different directions or trying to build 10 other skills simultaneously, we will face obstacles in all those persuits, and we probably won’t have the energy to deal with them. It is easier said than done, but I also don’t believe that we have to know how to achieve a goal when we start pursuing it. We have to take the next step, and by making and learning from mistakes, we will ultimately get there.
And honestly, what do I have to lose? Time? Money? When I am honest with myself, I think how much time and money I waste going out to eat at the same places and scrolling through social media. I’m on social media 4-5 hours a day. What if I spent two hours of that “wasted time” on my dream? What if I never even get close to achieving my goal? Did I actually lose anything? I can guarantee that even if I don’t reach my goal, I’ve learned a hell of a lot in the process. And with that, we’ve got to get up and try again.