In this country, in these times, we have access to everything we need to be healthy, wealthy and wise.  So…what’s getting in the way?

Maybe you are.

The stumbling blocks on the road to success are of your own creation.  I’ve listed the most common ones below.  Recognize any of them?

  1. Wishing and wanting.  Do you have a written list of goals?  When you write down what you want to be, do and have…you hurdle a big stumbling block.  Mark Victor Hansen – the Chicken Soup for the Soul author – suggests you write a list of 101 goals…from mild to wild.  Why not?  Those who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them.  Get going and get specific.  Break the goals into monthly, weekly, daily to dos.  You KNOW this.  Quit wanting things to be different.  Make it different.
  2. Brainy guys get paralyzed.  I love Bill Rosenberg, founder of Dunkin’ Donuts, and Ray Kroc of McDonald’s.  These guys…no offense fellows…were not geniuses.  Have you read their autobiographies?  They were adequately intelligent.  The smarter the person the more likely he or she is to set up a stumbling block.  The smart set can imagine so many ways that things can go wrong.  They see every possible future scenario.  They can see all the imperfections in a plan.  So, they end up doing nothing.  NO plan is perfect enough.  Sheesh.  It’s called “Paralysis by Analysis.”  Do you suffer from it?  If so, dumb it down a little.  Take action in light of uncertainty.  Passion and enthusiasm trump smarts every day.
  3. Blame laying.  On the economy.  On customers.  On competitors.  Stop already!  What difference does it make?  Consider this: If the source of your problems is outside of your control, quit talking about it.  Do what you can do.  Lay out a plan of action, execute the plan.  Assess your results; tweak the plan…and KEEP MOVING.
  4. Stating, and restating, and stating again…the problem.  (aka whining.)  Picture your association meeting.  The biggest whiner will find a few other losers and start a pity party.  Woe is me, woe is you.  Refuse to participate in these conversations.  No good comes of them.  Find the MOST successful members of your group.  Ask good questions…and LISTEN.  How did they overcome the stumbling blocks?  Find out.
  5. Hunt for the Silver Bullet.  There is no piece of information that is going to make everything all better.  You know plenty.  You know enough to be successful.  Act on what you know.  There is no item of technology that will make all the difference.  There is no single marketing piece that will solve all your problems.  Paul Revere rounded up the revolutionaries by riding on horseback from town to town, shouting, “The British are coming!”  Get moving.
  6. Family/Health/Spirituality is more important.  Success in your professional life and your personal life are not mutually exclusive events.  Success in one area of your life can build success in other areas.  Quit using this excuse.  Buddhist author Jack Kornfield said this in response to a question about spiritual practice and the rest of your life, “In time you will realize that all of your life is part of your practice.”  You have enough time to devote to the MOST important areas of your life.  Weed out the less important stuff.
  7. Which leads us to the all time biggest stumbling block: We continue to do that which doesn’t work.  Review your time card.  Stop doing that which isn’t contributing to the realization of your goals.

You need to ask yourself if you really want to be successful.  You are the one holding you back.  And you are the key to your success.  The choice is yours.  Create the stumbling blocks…or hurdle them.