One of the things I have spent the majority of my adult life trying to figure out is why I haven't achieved the level of success I want. This was not for lack of effort, not for lack of ambition, and not because of a shortage of passion.
Most times, I just didn't submit the application.
From the moment I could remember, until just recently, there had been a consistent piece of my identity when it came to my ambitions: I would read about how to do a thing, I would know all about that thing, I would talk about getting that thing, but when it came time to apply, I wouldn't apply.
Let me explain.
From the moment we are born, until the moment we no longer exist, we are chosen for everything. We are selected to attend school, we are selected for our extracurricular activities, and we usually are greatly influenced in the things we believe we select for ourselves, like the majors we take in college and the jobs we compete with one another for after college.
We are not built to make decisions, let alone the tough ones. Entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, consultants and small business owners face these kinds of real-life obstacles on a daily basis. That's on-the-job training. That's survival at its fittest.
PICK YOURSELF.
Stop waiting for approval! It's your life, and you don't need permission to live it! The fact that you are reading this right now proves that you want to change. And I'm telling you that you can.
Today.
Here is the quickest way to change how you perceive opportunity: - Make a List. List all of the things you want to do that you didn't because of someone else in the last year. - Identify and Reverse the No. Every time you encountered the "No" that stopped you, imagine a "Yes" instead and identify your next steps. - Be Your Own Gatekeeper. If there's someone who you need in order for you to act, determine WHY you need them and how you can provide yourself with that power.
Everything is possible when you start creating your own opportunities.