Get out of the way!

Are you an enemy or a friend?

You are in your way. Every action you take, every word you say, every reaction you display, every decision you make, every promise you never follow through, that's on you. You are either leaving trails on the way, or you are standing in your own way.

If you decide to start your day early going forward, that is you making a way for yourself towards desired outcome. It could be that you found out you're a lot more productive and energetic when you wake up early. Then the next morning comes and you decide, consciously, to stay in bed a little more. That's you standing in the way that you made for yourself! Every time your alarm rings and you decide to snooze it and stay in bed one hour more, that's you standing in the way of the life of productivity and energy that you want to live. Get out of your way!

You wake up one day, look in the mirror, and don't like what you see. You decide you're going to start working out so you can get fit. You set a fitness goal, you register in a gym and get a coach on premium, you order gym clothes and get excited for the journey ahead. Everything you have done is you carving a way for yourself towards fitness.

Then you miss going to the gym the first day, the second day, the third day, you blame it on work, you blame it on stress, you blame it on the distance, you are too tired, you don't feel good and decided to stay home, your wife gave birth and you need to take care of her and breastfeed the kid so you won't be coming to the gym for the next 6 months. Your graceful coach sends you a home workout instruction, but you never see it through because you're always tired, you know, it's hectic welcoming a newborn, yeah? All of this is you standing in the way that you have carved. Get out of your own way!!

You need opportunities for either a scholarship, fellowship, grant for your business, better-paying job, or another source of income, you tell your friends about it, you tell digital algorithms about it; that's you carving a way towards the opportunity you are looking for.

Now links are being sent to you from different angles. You even go on to open the links and start the application processes, but you never, ever finish applying for any. You say you are missing one document, you don't have a reference letter and you've made zero attempts at getting one. You say they are asking for a video application and it's too stressful, or you're too busy, or you're camera shy, somehow, you just never finish any of the applications that are sent your way. You are in your own way and you need to get out of it if you want to grow and leave point A to point B!

You want a new skill that will make you more valuable in your industry, you decide on the skill, and you even buy a course or find a YouTube video that will teach it all from start to finish, but somehow, in between your mid-paying job, Netflix, parties, meals, sleep, you don't get around to start watching the YouTube video. Bro! Get out of your own way!!!

You want quality friendships, but you keep hanging around low-quality individuals. You are looking for good friends, but even you haven't exactly shown yourself to be a good friend to the ones you have. You want quality conversations, but you keep being in the council of people who only talk all day about the opposite sex, drinks, and parties. You want to be more knowledgeable, but 10 out of 10 times, you choose raving over reading, you choose to subscribe to Showmax over buying a book. You want to be more financially responsible, but when money comes into your hands, you spend first before you save rather than do the opposite. You want to pray more, but you only pray when you feel like it. Do you see how you are in your own way?

We all make goals for our careers, personal development, relationships, family, finances, spiritual life, physical health, fitness, productivity, and mental health, but we go right ahead, after carving the way toward what we want, and then stand right in front of ourselves, blocking our own way.

One advice I have is to GET OUT OF THE WAY! Stop sabotaging yourself off the life you want to live! You are either your greatest friend or your worst enemy. If you keep standing in your way, it's clear what you are to yourself. A friend wouldn't stand in your way. Instead, he will do everything possible to help you on your journey.

Are you your greatest friend, or your worst enemy? Think about it the next time you are about to make a decision that feels like you are standing in the way of your progress.

To Your Growth,

Your Coach,

Abiola Okunsanya,

Handzinspired. ✨