5 Progress Killers That Block Your Personal Development 

By Ange Fonce

The good news is you can over come and work through these blocks and it is easier than you might "think" it will be.

These are the blocks that can keep you stuck for months... years... or decades. 

If you want to make progress in improving your “personal development” and "lifestyle" in all ways... there is one simple premise that has to happen... you have got to get off your backside... make it happen and get things DONE!

You “know” it already and you probably beat yourself up over it.

You “know” what to do and yet you do not do it.

You "know" you want to get started... yet it does not happen.

You have got the goals... and you do not “invest” the “time... effort” and “resources” to make your goals a “reality” and “acquire” them.

First things first... let us put to rest the myth about why it is so hard sometimes to accomplish what I call GROYA...  or “personal development.”

You are not lazy

Laziness does not keep you from GROYA.

In the first place... I think truly lazy people are rather rare... it is much more common that something is blocking your "thinking" process.

In the second place... people who are actually lazy can often do rather well... rather than spend a lot of “time” and “resources” spinning their wheels... they figure out the 5% of work that will give them the most results and then they “focus” on that... so in fact they are not lazy... they are "efficient" in "how"  they "invest" their "time"... they get "more done" than lots of their earnest “hard working” brothers and sisters who are "busy" at a million things... and going nowhere... fast.

Lazy is just a word you throw around to avoid looking at what clogs up your “thinking process” and keeps you from taking REAL and EFFECTIVE action. 

Throw such "thinking" away and start looking at more useful explanations.

As long as you keep telling yourself... 

“I am lazy.” 

"I am useless."

"I will never succeed."

You will keep getting exactly what you have today. 

Failure to GROYA does not come from some kind of personality defect. 

It comes from specific blocks to your "thinking" state.


Thinking Block 1... You Do Not See What Is Possible...

This is probably the most common reason you do not start any personal project... like losing weight and become slim and sexy for example... because you cannot "see" yourself in that way... it is the reason most people fail.

It is your nature to fear the unknown.
 
It is your nature to steer away from activities that you do not see anyone else much doing.

And if you do not know any “successful” people who acquire “success”... like losing weight and getting fit and acquiring "personal goals"... is uncharted territory for you.
 
If you do not really “trust” in yourself... that what you set out to "acquire"... is ever going to work for yourself... why would you fully COMMIT to your personal GROYA in the first place? 

It makes more sense to watch TV or "waste time” on Facebook and Twitter.

Let us carry on using the example of health and fitness.

If you never hang out with smart... fit and healthy people... you do not “know” and “understand” how they “think”... and “how” they frame their lifestyles... what kinds of “actions” they take every day... you have nothing to model your own “behavior” on.

So what is the Solution? 

Find role models for the kind of “transformation” you want to “create” or goal you want to acquire in your life... “invest” as much “time” with those role models as you can.

If you want more better body for your “courting life... relationships... sexing life”... more energy to “create” a DYNAMIC lifestyle... acquire your goals and more drive to “succeed”... hang out with people who have those things now.

Success is contagious. 

Get out and put yourself somewhere you can catch it.


Thinking block 2... You Do Not Have Support Structures In Place...

Every “successful person” you “know” has little habits or rituals in place that make GROYA possible... some follow more formal systems... others have little private rituals they link together.

Solution... “create” a simple “productivity structure” that makes it easy to develop "healthy habits"... there are really just two elements to any “successful productivity system.”

One... figure out what you need to do next on any given project... do not put... 

“I need to lose 4 stone.” 

On your "make it happen" list... instead be detailed... with a “laser focus”... as a basic examples put... 

“I will develop a plan where I WILL lose 2... 3lbs a week”

“I will research healthy eating habits.” 

“I will develop a fitness program that fits in with my time schedule.” 

Or if you have a personal goal to lose weight... sit down and work out a fat burning plan... a fitness plan.

Do the "mental focusing” first... because the real secret to losing weight and acquiring any type of goal... is getting your "thinking" process in the right frame first... and "educating" you “brain” to be working for you!

Rather than throw vague ideas at yourself which your “brain” cannot “focus” on...break your ideas down into "steps"... so from one step you complete it leads you into the next step and the “action” for you to take.

String those “actions” together and you come up with finished projects... and acquired goals.

String together completed projects and you come up with a “successful lifestyle system.”

When you are planning your "next step" it needs to be no longer than the amount of “time” you can work uninterrupted... which leads you to the second key element:

Two... block out chunks of “uninterrupted time” to “focus” on your most "important project."

Once you have identified the "next action" to take... you will block out “time” on your calendar and make an unbreakable “commitment” to doing it.

You may start small with just five minutes a day... "consistency" and “focus” are much more important than the raw number of hours you "invest" on a project or goal. 

Use a timer and turn off all distractions like email... social media... your phone... etc... gradually work up to longer periods of being "totally focused"... keep these "time blocks" to about 50 minutes... then take a quick break to refresh your “body” and “mind”... before you "focus" on your next task.

We all know there is no such thing as “free time”... in this busy world you have to fight for it and "create time”... you might wake up a half hour early in the morning... stay up a half hour later at night... and this one is often the best... use the “time” you waste watching TV.

Consider this perspective... which is the better "investment" of your TIME?

A... Investing your time in CREATING the Dynamic Life you want to live?

B... Wasting your time on Facebook and watching TV?

Which now leads as to...


Thinking Block 3... You Have Not set Up Any Accountability For Yourself...

Only a tiny fraction of people can GROYA all by themselves... it takes a very high degree of “self discipline... commitment” and “focus”... which over “time” you can develop for yourself.

Yet to start with... most men and women need to leverage the power of being held "accountable"  to make it happen... you probably do not want to try and use your friends and family for “accountability” unless they are also working on acquiring lifestyle goals and "success" for themselves. 

They are not going to understand your particular challenges or victories for that matter... and they are too likely to say... 

“Maybe you just are not cut out for this.”

Some families can be an amazing source of support and totally "committed" to you acquiring your “success”...  yet on the whole they are often the worst people to get support from.

Instead... get out there and find some other men and women who are at about the same level you are... meet regularly and make “commitments” to getting your "next actions" completed... you might have a face to face group... a weekly Skype call... a Google+ hangout... explore and find what works for you.

Solution... 

Find a group of peers who have similar goals to your own... meet regularly to check your progress on your projects... and to hold each other “accountable”... every week... commit to a specific "next action"... and then let your group know about the “commitment.” 

It does not matter how big or how small the steps are at first... what matters is that when others are looking for the results... you will hold yourself more “accountable”... do not try to do hold yourself “accountable” at first... as very few people manage... learn to develop "focused self discipline" first... then "self accountability" can be developed from that "self discipline behavior.” 

Instead... construct an “accountability structure” that makes it easy to develop “productive habits.”

Those who work with me... know I am hot on keeping them "accountable" and on target to acquiring their own personal goals!


Thinking Block 4... You Stop At The First Barrier...

Because of your lack of role models... you have the idea that progress toward your goals is supposed to move forward in a straight line.

Where does "life" move in a straight line?

No ones "success" looks like this... no ones... anything as complex as developing your personal life... has side tracks... dead ends... and false starts... you may “think” losing weight is simple for example... it is not... ask the many dieters who lost weight and then put it back on... plus some more!
  
So plan for that. 

Do not get obsessed to a single plan of “action.” 

Stay consistent about your eventual goal and flexible about exactly how you are going to get there.

Solution... 

Have a "B" plan for what happens when “Plan A” is not turning out the way you "thought" and planned for. 

  • Who can you ask for advice on your next steps? 
  • Do you have a support network for the times when you are feeling discouraged? 
  • Do you have a "Plan B?"
One of the reasons I have Q & A time at the closing point of our "meet ups" with other Dynamic Lifers... is to go over what they have learned for themselves... so that in acquiring their goals... they can make the necessary course corrections. 

I do not want any Dynamic Lifer to ever feel stuck and unable to figure out "how" to get out of a corner.

Of course... being in a group who are working towards the same goals as yourself... are also a fantastic resource for brainstorming your Plan B...and plan C... D and E if you need them. 

The most successful Dynamic Lifers combine the Q & A sessions with peer support in Mind Groups to get over those hurdles.


Thinking Block 5... You Are Scared...

This is really the combination of all of the other blocks together.

Failure is scary. 

Even “success” can be scary... acquiring a BIG goal has a lot of uncomfortable moments and involves RISKS.

Like I mentioned before... losing weight may seem easy... yet it requires a lot of "transformations" to your present lifestyle as it is to lose that weight.

When you are scared... having to move out of your existing "comfort zone" can be very challenging to “transform” yourself and to develop “healthy habits” and “behaviors” for you personal GROYA.

Solution... 

Make the habits I have described here part of your life.

The more structures you have... the more “healthy habits” you build and the more "optimistic" and "productive" behaviors you develop... which will lessen the fears that before were able to stop you.

All men and women feel fear when moving out of their "comfort zone." 

All people setting out to acquire their goals feel fear. 

I do... make no mistake about it... when it is a BIG project the doubts and fears are there and also the “excitement” of doing something new!

And the fear of being the MASTER of your own life and lifestyle is not nearly as crushing as the fear of letting your “blocking thinking habits”... present lifestyle or any other external factor CONTROL YOU!
 
Start small... developing "healthy habits" and "healthy thinking behaviors"... link up with a network of “action takers”... you do not have to do it alone... avoid dreamers... drifters... and those who just "talk the talk" and never take ACTION and WALK THE WALK! 

You will be amazed at the way that small... “consistent” and “committed” progress can start to grow into great things... your own personal DYNAMIC GROWYA! 

And practically speaking... that completes my conversation for this article.

Thank you and may you enjoy a Prosperous and Dynamic day!

Yours Sincerely


Ange is an  Author... Speaker... and Dynamic Peak Performance Personal Development Consultant... and Humanistic Counselling Psychologist and Sexologist... who works with men and women who desire to "personally develop" themselves and their "relationships" to become Dynamic Lifers... "creators" of their own "life" and "wealth!" 

To CONTACT Ange CLICK HERE



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