Stop the 4 Demons of Personal Growth

May 30, 2011 by tntanderson

Throughout you life’s journey, you will constantly encounter ‘demons’ that seek to sabotage your passion, motivation and inspiration. These demons are personal limitations you place on yourself, creating a negative energy within you.
Don’t lose faith – the demons are not an indication of a weakness. They are a test of your determination. They do not want you to change, they like you just the way you are. They will battle you along the way, but it is a battle you can win.
Here are 4 of the most common demons, and some steps to help win the battle:
1. Unrealistic Expectations – perfectionism is most often due to an over-zealous plan. We are all guilty of wanting too much too soon.
You may not follow through on your plan because you chose a goal that is too large, or worse yet, one that is not in-line with your values.
You may have taken a path that others chose for you, that just doesn’t feel right.
Don’t fear. Step back, and be truthful about the issue. Ask yourself if this is really what you want to do? If not, change paths – the choice is always yours.
Is the goal overwhelming? Are you shutting down? Then break it down into bit-size chunks.
Most importantly, be true to yourself always, and don’t let your situation obscure your path.
2. Self Sabotage – this is the demon that loves to play with you. Many of us give up on our goals and dreams because we don’t feel we deserve the rewards for achieving them.
You may feel uncomfortable when things are going well. That is the demon playing with your mind.
3. Lack of Focus – this is my primary problem. All the things you want to accomplish, and the goals you need to complete, start to flash through your brain at once, causing confusion and frustration.
A great analogy to think about is juggling. To keep the objects in the air, all the juggler really needs to do is focus on one object at a time. The one object that matters the most for that moment. If the juggler scatters her attention to all the objects at once they will drop everything.
The same happens to you. To overcome this, your first action should be to act in the moment. What one action can you take right now that will clear your mind and re-establish your focus on the right goal(s)? You will instinctively know what to do.
4. Resistance to Change – have you made a positive change, only to fall back to the old, negative habit? This is a natural occurrence – our subconscious mind has an attachment to old, familiar patterns and habits, no matter how damaging they are.
Keep it simple. Change has 2 basic steps:
Making the desired change. Maintaining that change.
Maintaining change requires you to continue with the new habit pattern long enough for it to become familiar to your subconscious. Then it becomes a new, positive habit.
We all encounter these demons. You have the tools inside of you to achieve the ultimate success you desire.
To your ultimate success – TNTAnderson