4 Influences That Can Distract You From Your Dreams
By Zech Newman
November 13, 2018 • Fact checked by Dumb Little Man
I sat on the couch frustrated and overwhelmed. There was too much to do and not enough time. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t get ahead. I felt like I was letting everyone down, including myself. Close to giving up on my dreams, I instead examined what I was doing and why I was doing it. What I found out was that I was tired and overwhelmed for NO reason.
Our dreams give us fuel and passion, but they are also a little beyond what we can see with our physical eyes. The chase is what we are built for. However, in the middle of our dreams and reality, we lose track of what really matters to us. We can be swayed by others and be seduced to go in a different direction than our heart’s cry.
When you are pursuing your dream, it’s important to focus on what you want and the actions required to get there. It is also important to be aware of the influences that are affecting your decisions so that you can fight for what really matters and let go of what doesn’t.
Keep track of these 4 barriers to achieving your goals:
People we respect
Having relationships with people that we respect is crucial to achieving our dreams. They can give us insights and direction and we listen to them because we respect them and their opinions.
However, they also see life through their perspective and point of view. Sometimes, it’ll match our desires and in some cases, it won’t. It is important to keep our ears open to what they have to say but remember, it should never overrule your heart.
Don’t add things to your plate just because a respected individual asks you to check your vision and make sure it matches with their own.
Haters
Haters are going to hate. They will spit out fumes on why you won’t be able to do what you want to do. It is easy to start listening to those voices and start to doubt what you are doing. The stronger the opposition against your dream is, the more you need to focus on building yourself up.
Verbalizing to yourself can give you the fortitude to stand against the opposition of haters. Keep an eye out for your belief and be prepared to stand against their negative influence.
Family
Family members can have more influence on us than any other group of people. We want to please them, which is noble in the right context. The closer we are to our family and the more they respect us, the more they have an influence over us.
This can be great when they are cheering you on towards your goals, but what do you do when your family says that what you care about doesn’t matter?
Make sure to use that powerful influence in a good way. Remind yourself that you are the one who is responsible for your own dreams.
Our Doubts
Sometimes, our belief is so strong and at other points, doubt is overwhelming in our minds. On days you are feeling low, it is important to remind yourself that it’s just a phase and think about what you really want. Our personal doubts can be hard to overcome because we are weak at that time.
Look towards those influences that are pushing you in the right direction and reach out to them so that they can cheer you on and lift you up. However, you also have to remind yourself of what you want. That way, you’ll be able to set aside time and energy to work on your dream. Being unhinged by influences will give you the time, energy, and other resources to achieve your dreams in a healthy way.
Zech Newman
Zech Newman is a serial dreamer. He has written for Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Faith Driven Business and has been featured on Fox News and NBC. His passion is to help others pursue their dream in a way that brings family closer together and builds a rock-solid foundation of faith. Zech is the author of the new book, Chasing Dreams in a Minivan - For Men with Big Goals and the Women Who Put Up with Them. ZechariahNewman.com