The Inner Path: It's Never too Late to Start... Anything!

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”~ Eric Roth, 

Have you ever found yourself saying, "Oh no, I’m too old for that,  Not at this time of my life or That ship has sailed." It's a pity that we adopt this belief through our own perceptions of what others view as acceptable for us... that age is seen as something of a restriction. It's never too late to begin again. Every moment is an opportunity to start over. Make an attempt and gain some clarity about what it is you want from life. With age comes responsibility but it also brings with it new outlooks on life. It brings with it feelings of self-awareness and clarity that may not have been there in your earlier years.

How old would you think you are if you didn’t know and couldn’t see yourself in the mirror? Age is just a number.  What’s important is how you feel. Your dreams and desires can take many years to truly form into something that resembles your true path, and that could continue for the rest of your life, but if you let age get in your way, then you may just be allowing that process to end too early... which would be terrible.  So never become too old to dream and have the confidence to act on those dreams at any time along your journey.  The concept to live your life fully does not end when you reach a certain age. 

Actually, the human spirit is constantly in a time of growth and challenge, in whichever form this takes, at whatever age you are, so embrace that challenge, even if it is to learn how to do nothing, which is actually much harder than it sounds. If there isn't anything to aspire or look forward to in life, we end up feeling like we're going nowhere, and we stagnate.  When I  feel this way I start a new project, no matter how small or insignificant.

Don't let those limiting thoughts of age hold you back from living the truly fruitful life you deserve. Age, if anything, is on your side, because as you grow older, your goals and dreams should really, by virtue of your life experiences, be more attainable.  Many people don't realize that it takes time to learn how to own your life, nurture your goals, and realize your dreams, but fortunately you have time if you’re willing to seize it.
 
There is no need to go back and make a brand new start... you can start from now and make a brand new ending for yourself. Get rid of the life you've planned so you can have the life that is waiting for you. Your old skin has to be shed before the new one can come... don't hold on to your past, it's gone. If you’re determined to do something, it's never too late to start. Don’t let age stop you from going after your dreams. You are never too old and it's never too late, to set another goal or to dream a new dream or to start... anything.

Personal Development: The Growing is in the Journey

 The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.  Lao Tzu

Sure, your goal is the desired result which you envisions, plans and commits to achieve an end-point in some sort of assumed development and deadline.  Now, that anticipated result is what guides your actions and gives value to your goal.  And, goals, even small ones are beneficial to follow, for they lay out a strategic path of short goals to achieve, rather than simply striving only for the thing you desire the most.  In order to reach your goal, you must embark on a journey and there lies the determining factor as to whether or not you reach your goal ... the journey, because each step counts.

~ It's because of the Destination  ...

To reach your goal, keep your mind on the destination, but focus on you path or journey you encounter along the way.  The journey is important because it's where you grow. You cannot get anywhere without moving. Without journeying through life, you stagnate and die. It's where you're tested. Planning your goals and writing them down is the safe part of setting your goal. 

Personal Development: Comfort Zone Be Gone

Life loses its meaning when we get stuck up in comfort zone. –M.K. Soni

Your comfort zone is your behavioral state of mind operating in an anxiety-neutral condition, using a limited set of behaviors to deliver a steady level of performance, usually without a sense of risk. True statement... in other words, boring.

LifeandStuff

 A comfort zone is a type of mental conditioning that causes a person to create and operate mental boundaries around themselves. 


Where is the challenge and growth when you operate around boundaries and already know what to expect. Such boundaries create an unfounded sense of security, that is, when you establish your comfort zone you tend to stay within that zone without stepping outside of it. Step outside your comfort zone and experiment with new and different environments. You will find that you'll be lead to new and different responses within your new environment. 

The Inner Path: Get Out Of Your Own Way!

Nothing strengthens the judgment and quickens the conscience like individual responsibility.
~ Elizabeth Cady Stanton

 
Do you ever catch yourself going on and on about all the blunders others around you make.....how your friend is always late to work, your neighbor drinks too much, your cousin is too easy on his kids, your micro-managing boss..... but if someone hands you a criticism, you once again react with surprise, anger, and indignation.  Part of taking responsibility for our own lives involves figuring out where and how we get in our own way of making progress toward our goals. Seeing ourselves objectively, free of emotion and prejudices, however, is something most of us find extremely difficult...."Me? I certainly don’t do that!"  I know you want to concentrate and capitalize on your strengths, and don't get me wrong, I'm all for that, but I think many people refuse to be objective with themselves most of the time. But it does help once in awhile to take a good look at exactly what you're doing to move yourself forward, and what you might be doing to hold yourself back, in other words....you could be in your own way.  Here are three common ways I think you can get in your own way... slowing our progress toward your goals and what to do to get out of your way.

The Inner Path - Procrastination and How To Make Headway

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday.  ~Don Marquis
  

Do you procrastinate?  How about replacing high-priority actions with tasks of lower priority or do something more enjoyable, while putting off important tasks to a later time?   If you  are someone with a habit of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention, then you might be a procrastinator.  There's an old Spanish Proverb, which says tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week.  But seriously, if you are seeking to achieve your goals and finding purpose in your life then you need to get a handle on this procrastination thing. Believe it or not, procrastination steals your time - time you could be using more constructively.

Why are you procrastinating?  Some of us stay very busy with constructive activities, while never getting around to the things we consider truly important, the things that will make us most proud and from which we can derive the deepest satisfaction. But why is that?  Well, it could be like that Janet Jackson song, remember Pleasure Principle, that could actually be it. But it's Freudian psychology, where he describes the pleasure principle as people seeking pleasure and avoiding suffering (pain) in order to satisfy their biological and psychological needs. Yep, we just don't prefer any negative emotions. We'll put off a stressful task for something easier or until a further date is enjoyable.  Habit plays a large role in procrastination and believe it or not, stress comes when you continue to put off the task, because tasks pile up and time runs short. Take a look at some reasons that might be causing your procrastination:

• low sense of self-worth
• apathy or laziness
• impulsiveness  
• boredom 
• dislike the task
• bad concentration skills
• over prioritizing
• anxiety or stress

Recognize any? Well the problem is that if you buy into any of the above excuses, you have created a habit and you don't follow-through on the steps needed to achieve your goals.   In the moment, procrastination can feel good, but later on it catches up with you and creates stress and thus becomes a vicious cycle.


I believe procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.  Because when opportunity knocks... you want to be ready.  The ability to get things done is one of the most important skills to master if you wish to achieve your goals and live your purpose.  It takes both thoughtful awareness and deliberate action to navigate successfully through all of the important business of life.   If you have a tendency to procrastinate, take heart, because the few rules here can conquer your procrastination and increase efficiency in your life and accomplish more. In the words of the great Martin Luther King, Jr., "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Consider the five steps below:

1.  Determine the reason for your procrastination; could it be that you are lazy and don't want to admit it. Laziness might run in the family. You will need to break that family curse and move forward... generational curses can stronghold families for years until someone breaks the chain... break the chain.  It may be anxiety or stress.  If so, or if you think that might be the problem, see your doctor, check it out...you never know.  But remember this step is critical to you getting a handle on the cycle of procrastination in your life.
2. Identify the tasks needed to be done: The best thing to do is write down your tasks, even if they seem simple.  A vision is the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be and that's what you want to happen with your tasks... you want to see them completed.  Habakkuk  2:2-3 says “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it." So, if you want to move forward, write down your tasks.  Use old fashion paper and pencil.  I know iPads and iPhones make things a lot easier, but this is different.  You need to see your tasks and feel them.  Write your tasks over and over, if you have to, but if that tablet is with you and you check off what you've completed, then you would have conquered a big chunk of what caused your procrastination.
3. Target one task at a time until completion. Don't multitask because this will cause anxiety and stress, and you'll be back in your habit or pattern of excuses; looking for something easier or enjoyable to do.  Stick to your tasks. Stay focused and be in the now; be aware; it keeps you alert, and use a timer if you think that will help.
4. Don't over prioritize. Be honest with yourself and your love ones. If you need help, let others, such as co-workers, family and friends know what they can do to help.  Be specific with tasks which are handed out to others so you don't fall into redundancy and have to go behind them and redo the task.
5. Do your best and don't give up.  Your vision is for an appointed time and since it took time to develop this habit of procrastination, it will take time to develop a new habit of meeting your goals and seeing your vision through.  Work steps 1-3 until it becomes a habit.  Just as the word of God says in Isaiah 28:10, "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little", in other words, be patient...it takes time.

Getting through the tasks is the goal. The steps above will help you get a handle on your procrastination, but don't over analyze it or try to be perfect.  Just provide yourself some structure so you can accomplish and complete your tasks.  You'll soon be on your way to achieving your goals, working your vision and living a purpose filled life.  Good luck!