Question # 9: "What Would I Do If I Knew I Couldn’t Fail?"

What if failure was not an option? The fear of failure holds us back more than anything else in all our pursuits in life. Many people don’t even set goals because they are often so afraid of failing that they do not even try.

How many opportunities have you missed in the past because you lacked the courage to take a chance, to play full out, all because you were afraid you might fail? How much more pain and lost opportunities are you willing to endure by continuing to allow fear and procrastination to rule your life?

Failure is a concept that only exists in your ego’s mind. If your ego would have a favorite slogan, it would probably be “Playing It Safe.” Your ego operates in the emotional comfort zone of your mind and will do anything in its power to keep you there.  It is that little voice in the back of your head giving you all the reasons why you shouldn’t do this or try that …

The only way to create results in your life is by taking action. Realize that, succeed or fail, you will produce results from which you will learn.

Don’t be afraid of failure; be afraid of not taking action!

Question # 10: "How am I spending my time?"

In the spring of 1954, Roger Bannister became the first athlete to run a mile in under 4 minutes. Three minutes and 59.4 seconds to be exact. Before he did this, breaking a four-minute mile had been considered impossible – completely beyond the physical limits of the human body.

Was he successful because he possessed superhuman ability?  No, he was successful because he was a believer. Roger Bannister chose to set aside the widely accepted belief that it wasn’t possible. He saw himself running a mile in under four minutes.  He rehearsed the race in his mind’s eye until he truly believed that he could do it. He believed that he really could break the four-minute mile. The rest is history!

And Roger’s belief set off an even more interesting dynamic. Within seven months of setting the new record, thirty-seven others followed him.  Within the following three years, another 300 athletes ran the mile in under 4 minutes.

What was thought impossible was now in the realm of completely achievable.  But what happened to those other runners who ran before Roger?  Did their lack of belief limit them and cause them to pass-up on an incredible opportunity? 

Are you letting a limited belief of what you can do and accomplish, stop you from reaching your goals and dreams?

When you believe you can’t do something, you are right – and you won’t.  When you believe it is possible, you will awake dormant resources within yourself and find the opportunities and circumstances that help make it a reality. You also influence everyone around you – your belief and positive attitude  will set off an infectious chain of accomplishment.

In his diary Roger Bannister wrote:

"I tried to establish this “now or never” attitude because I knew that unless I was successful in attaining this attitude, I would perhaps lose my chance by letting myself fall prey to the mental reaction so common to athletes — that is, that there would always be a next time of deciding, perhaps, that this is not the day.”

Follow these 4 steps  for breaking through your own personal barriers:

1. Decide that today is the day
2. Believe that your goal is possible for you to achieve
3. Get resourceful
4. Take action

To be successful you need to decide that today is the day.  Today you will believe in your ability, you will take on a can-do attitude, and you will set in motion the actions you need to accomplish your dreams. 

To your success!