{"id":35271,"date":"2015-09-09T11:09:24","date_gmt":"2015-09-09T19:09:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=35271"},"modified":"2015-09-11T23:37:05","modified_gmt":"2015-09-12T07:37:05","slug":"5-speed-bumps-encounter-way-dream-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-speed-bumps-encounter-way-dream-get\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Speed Bumps You Encounter on the Way to Your Dream (and How to Get Over Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all been there.
\nYou want it so badly, you can taste it.
\nYou\u2019re so close to that dream, you can touch it.
\nBut then something happens.<\/p>\n

You hit a speed bump.<\/em><\/p>\n

You thought things would be easier, but now you’re confused, turned off, or scared.<\/p>\n

You start to panic. You want to quit.
\nAs someone who frequently comes up against speed bumps, I\u2019m guilty of all of the above.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s no road to success without the occasional setback. Here are the most common speed bumps you\u2019ll encounter and how to get over each one\u2026<\/p>\n

Speed Bump #1:<\/strong><\/h1>\n

You get muddled. You have too many ideas floating around. You\u2019re getting scattered and losing focus. You can\u2019t get anything done. You find more and more days with nothing to show because you\u2019re spinning your wheels.
\nSolution: Keep a to-do list. I know. It sounds simple, but it\u2019s vital. I\u2019m always amazed by people who keep all their life details in their heads. \u201cI have it all up here,\u201d they say, pointing to their overtaxed brains. They think they\u2019re making things easier by not being \u201cso Type A,\u201d but they\u2019re actually making things harder.<\/p>\n

Have one piece of paper you refer to each day. Don\u2019t stick dozens of post-it notes all over your desk, car, and bed post. Let that one list be your bible. Watch how tasks become more manageable. Watch how things get done.<\/p>\n

Speed Bump #2:<\/h1>\n

Your list grows long and intimidating. Okay, you have those daily to-do items. It\u2019s working great but starting to get too big. What if you don\u2019t get to everything? What if you never catch up?<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> Do the easiest items first. Approaching tricky to-do lists is like starting a motor. That engine needs to warm up. Those quick phone calls, that fast trip to the store, whatever\u2019s easiest, do first. Not only will you start checking things off, but you\u2019ll also feel confident. You\u2019re making progress.<\/p>\n

Once those easy items get checked off, the big machinery starts revving. Before you know it, you have energy for more challenging stuff. And if you have a huge task, put it on your to-do list every day. Chip away at it. You\u2019ll be surprised how that huge obstacle becomes smaller.<\/p>\n

Speed Bump #3:<\/h1>\n

You over-commit yourself. Things are going great. You\u2019re getting things done. You\u2019re in demand. But all of a sudden you have too many meetings, projects, and people coming at you. And you\u2019re saying yes to everything and signing on to too many endeavors. You start panicking. You can\u2019t do it all. But how do you decide what to keep and what to let go?<\/p>\n

Solution<\/strong>: Find the Sweet Spot. As a blogger, I was happy writing one post a week. Then I read something saying unless I churned out three long posts every seven days, I was a worthless human being. For several weeks, I frantically wrote and wrote, throwing out posts like a woman having a psychotic breakdown, which of course I was.<\/p>\n

After a while, I realized this schedule wasn\u2019t for me. I went back to posting once a week and felt instant calm. I had found the sweet spot. Which part of your goal is most important to you? Which projects make financial sense to keep? Which ones make you happiest? Find the schedule that\u2019s both productive but not heart-racing. And sometimes the only way to find your sweet spot is trying different approaches. Believe me; you\u2019ll know quickly what works and what doesn\u2019t. Stick to what works. Let go of the rest.<\/p>\n

Speed Bump #4:<\/h1>\n

You get resentful. You have your to-do list. You\u2019re getting things done. You found your productivity sweet spot. You\u2019re churning out great stuff. Until you realize one day that you\u2019re not having fun. You look at your busy desk, and instead of feeling proud, you want to set it on fire.<\/p>\n

Solution<\/strong>: Selective Procrastination. Step away. Go fishing, shop, see a movie, walk in the park. Go to Thailand for two weeks, whatever. Remember, life is short. If your goal is really your calling, if it\u2019s really your passion, you\u2019ll hear that siren song again. Your dream will be there when you get back.<\/p>\n

Even better, fresh ideas will start percolating. Why? Because you\u2019ve given yourself distance. You had the break you needed to see things fresh, to fall in love again. You\u2019ll come back charged and ready to go.<\/p>\n

Speed Bump #5:<\/h1>\n

You start doubting yourself. Maybe it was an off-hand remark by a colleague or a friend in a bad mood. You got rejected for something you set your hopes on. Whatever it was, you start questioning yourself. Maybe you don\u2019t have what it takes. Maybe you\u2019re not good enough. Maybe you should call it quits.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/strong> Ask yourself if there\u2019s any validity in what was said. Sometimes our harshest critics are our best teachers. Sometimes there\u2019s truth in a snarky remark. Don\u2019t go on the defensive. Don\u2019t try and explain why they\u2019re wrong and you\u2019re right. Try looking at it from their side. Are they right? Then maybe they did you a favor. Maybe you can improve.
\nIf there\u2019s no validity to what they say, use this moment to believe in yourself. You know who you are. You know what you\u2019re capable of, and that\u2019s what matters.
\nGetting to that Finish Line\u2026<\/p>\n

In the end, those who succeed aren\u2019t the ones on some special highway who never encounter speed bumps. They\u2019re the ones who learn to drive around or over them.
\nYou know you\u2019re one of those people. You know you\u2019re on the road to victory, to achieving that goal.<\/p>\n

All you need is belief in yourself.<\/p>\n

What are you waiting for?<\/em> Get in that car, rev that engine, and drive. When you encounter a speed bump, you know what to do. Get over it, and keep heading for that dream.<\/p>\n

——–<\/p>\n

Laurie Stone<\/a> is a blogger, writer of fiction, and reporter. Her essays have appeared in the Connecticut Post, Connecticut Kids Magazine and In The Know Traveler Website, among many others. Laurie blogs about midlife, family, and the ups and downs that come with growing up and growing older.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019ve all been there.
\nYou want it so badly, you can taste it.
\nYou\u2019re so close to that dream, you can touch it.
\nBut then something happens.<\/p>\n

You hit a speed bump. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":35466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[9,6],"tags":[4601,1611,4631,66,4629,4600,513],"yoast_head":"\n5 Speed Bumps You Encounter on the Way to Your Dream (and How to Get Over Them)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We\u2019ve all been there. You want it so badly, you can taste it. You\u2019re so close to that dream, you can touch it. But then something happens. 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