It’s been a couple years since I’ve sat down to write a weekly column… After 5 years of blogging every week, I needed a break. But just like exercising or cleaning the garage, it’s a lot harder to start up again after taking a break. So why is that?

The short answer for me wasn’t laziness. Just the opposite is true… like you, I’ve been really busy. But that’s only part of the reason.

Ironically, I tend to get more things done when I’m at my busiest. It’s almost like my plate actually gets bigger when I put more things on it! Even though I’ve been busy working with monthly clients, developing new products, and working on other meaningful projects, the truth is I could have made time to start blogging again.

The real reason I haven’t started writing again is because I absolutely hate failing. I figure if I start, I need to have the discipline to stick with it week after week. The reality is that anybody can write a few paragraphs once in a while. But if I’m going to do this, I need to be committed to creating a habit that endures beyond just a couple of weeks. Basically, once I start, I don’t want make any excuses or “reasonable justification” for stopping.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for why I’ve been dragging my feet when it comes to starting to write every week, work out, eat healthy, and start all the other things on my To-Do list. It turns out that I’m not really afraid of failing. I’m actually afraid of succeeding.

Yeah, that probably sounds crazy. I mean, who the hell is afraid of success!?

But think about it. If you possessed the courage to set lofty, yet achievable goals AND you truly worked at accomplishing them, you’d see firsthand what you’re truly capable of doing and becoming. Once you start achieving your true potential, you’ll need to hold yourself to this new, higher standard… every day!

The truth is, being “the best version of yourself” is tough. It’s a lot easier keeping your bar at a lower, easy-to-reach height, isn’t it?

Sure, we want everyone else to give us their best. But we often give ourselves a pass. Most of us don’t want the “pressure” of doing and being our best. We know that it would require hard work and commitment to live up to our potential day after day. So instead, we sign up for a “life level” that’s just high enough to look challenging, but that’ s just low enough so we can maintain it comfortably.

Reaching your potential is always a worthy goal. So what are you waiting for? Today’s a great day to start.

 

Photo Credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/30713600@N00/4138774352″>ampel</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>