3 exercises to overcome obstacles on your way to your dream

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Improve your life, not yourself - this is the main advice for those who want to be happier.

Writer Barbara Sher has developed a step-by-step plan to help people find their own calling and live the way they like. Here are some useful recommendations from her book "It's Time."

Deep down, every person dreams of something: write a book, learn to ride a horse, travel around the world or start their own business. Even if your dreams have not yet taken shape, but have only vague outlines, they are still there. It is impossible to get rid of such desires.

There is only one true happiness - to live the way you like. Barbara Sher "It's High Time"

The book "It's High Time" is just about how to bring your secret desires to the surface, remove obstacles in your path and make your dreams come true. For this, Cher has developed special exercises that help to put things in order in life. You can try some of these tasks for yourself right now and check if this technique is right for you.

Exercise # 1. Get rid of the trash

Before you put things in order in your thoughts, put things in order around you. The junk that fills your living space distracts you from more important things.

Trash has several varieties, each of which needs to be dealt with in its own way. For this task, take a notebook and pencil. Sort all the accumulated junk into categories and start cleaning the house.

A kind of trash	How to get rid of
Junk "That was a good idea." Old tapes, drawings, tutorials and all those things that you haven't touched in years but hope to someday use	Give yourself a deadline. Write down any “good ideas” and put a date next to each item. If at the appointed time you will not use the item, take it to the trash heap
Junk "Too expensive to throw away." Once upon a time, these things were expensive: an old tape recorder, a designer hat, CDs. It's a shame to throw it out because you paid for them	Do good. Present things to someone who really needs them. Give the books you read to the library, the DVDs to the hospital for a break room. May your things bring joy to people
Invisible trash. Little things that you stop noticing: old batteries, broken glasses, worn-out shoes. Things that you will definitely never need	Throw ten items. It is always too lazy to carry out a big general cleaning. Do pinpoint strikes: Once a week, once a month, or whenever you remember, find 10 items to throw away. And take them to the trash can
Things we keep for someone else. Junk that belongs to your relatives and friends: certificates, posters, clothes, stupid souvenirs. I want to throw it out, but it's inconvenient	Return the belongings to the owners. Call your loved ones and ask what to do with their things: return or throw away. If they really need them, state the date until which you are going to store them. Then throw it away
Favorite things that shouldn't be thrown away. Things that are dear as a memory: special books, magazines, photographs, stones from the beach. Things that make your soul warm	Don't get rid of it. They remind you of the years gone by. Do not throw away pleasant memories, but keep them.

Exercise number 2. Look for useful information

You know what dream you would like to realize, but you have no idea how to do it. This means that it is necessary to conduct research, fill the lack of information and think over specific steps. Here are some ideas for where to look for useful information.

1. Dream and obstacle

Cher shares such a simple and effective way to acquire valuable ideas that you will be surprised how it never occurred to you yourself.

What is required of you: tell everyone who comes to hand about your dream and the difficulties you have encountered. Tell your friends, relatives, and casual travel companions. That's all.

It is in this form: first desire, then an obstacle. For example: "I want to go to the Himalayas, but I'm afraid to go until I talk to someone who has been there." If you only talk about your goal, chances are good that you will be discouraged. But if we talk about obstacles, an instinctive desire to help awakens in the listeners.

2. Conferences, symposia, exhibitions and screenings

If you see an advertisement for a free conference on a topic that is close to you, do not hesitate and go there. Do not be afraid to be out of place. There you will surely meet like-minded people and interesting people to whom you can ask questions.

If I come across an announcement about something, at least indirectly related to the sphere of my interests, I definitely go there. Barbara Sher "It's High Time"

You won't be able to communicate at exhibitions, but you can make useful notes for yourself. At master classes - try to do something with your hands. At events for professionals - meet real experts in their field.

3. Bookstore Treasures

Another place to grab useful information is in the educational and reference section of any bookstore. But buying books for this is not at all necessary.

To get started, flip through the publications on the topic that interests you. See which publishers are publishing books on your topic. Note which ideas and chapter titles are repeated by different authors. General points are usually the most important information.

Exercise number 3. Overcome resistance

Every time you decide to change, you take on a new business with enthusiasm. And then something happens, hands drop. Before you overcome your reluctance to continue, you need to understand what you are dealing with.

To live life to the fullest, you need to do what you love. And the object of love cannot be chosen, it can only be found. Barbara Sher "It's High Time"

What forms can resistance take

• I'm too busy. This is the feeling that there is no time for what you love. A very popular excuse. But just think how much you would have done if you weren't sitting around on the Internet.
• "I'm just a bummer." Laziness does not exist: you can do anything, if you wish. Since your laziness is selective, this is no longer laziness, but something else.
• "Maybe I don't want that at all." Sometimes the very fact that you want to achieve a goal prevents you from getting down to business. After all, this is a serious stress - and suddenly it does not work out. Your brain is trying to protect you from severe emotional distress.
• "Interest is gone." Boredom is also a manifestation of your caution. If before the interest was, but disappeared, you need to figure out how to turn it on again.
• "Business time, fun hour." If you think that you need to do important things first, and do your hobby later, then you may not have time at all for your favorite pastime. We justify our unwillingness to take risks with increased responsibility.

How to bypass internal resistance

If you recognize yourself in the points from the list above, you are faced with internal resistance. But do not be discouraged ahead of time, because you can get around it.

Workaround # 1. Absolute Minimum Work

If you get down to business, do it conscientiously: work often, but little by little. No need to shoulder an overwhelming burden. This is how you quit your attempts in the first week. Work on small chunks of tasks. Then the internal resistance will not bother you.

Workaround # 2. If You Can't Win - Join

If internal resistance does not allow you to work even for 15 minutes, you do not need to force yourself. Straighten up to your full height and say: "I don't want to and I won't!" This is an important point - make a real protest. Be the master of the situation, not a downtrodden victim. After a week of protests, internal resistance won't dare stop you.

Workaround # 3: Create External Memos

Remind yourself constantly of your goal. Hang up stickers. Put your plan card in your wallet. Write your notes in a notebook and re-read them when you have a free minute. The goal reminder should always be with you, like a smartphone or keys.