Challenging Limiting Beliefs and Chasing Dreams
Challenging Limiting Beliefs and Chasing Dreams
100 Things #023 - Challenge Yourself
Anybody who knows me knows that I struggle with biting off a “normal” amount of work, and I know there are plenty of people out there who fall into that same camp.
Knowing the extent of your own limits and capacity can be an incredibly difficult thing that may never come naturally to some the way that it does to others.
I’m a serial project starter, I’ll admit it. I mean, I do have two newsletters for some reason. (Which you can find a link to the second one of here if you’re curious!)
At any given moment, I might have anywhere from 5-10 writing projects on the go, and don’t even get me started on school assignments and mundane life responsibilities.
And no, this post is not just a chance for me to vent about my poor time management and scheduling issues.
The point of me writing this is to encourage readers to follow my lead, and commit the same treacherous act to your own timetables!
Now hold on, I know I haven’t exactly made flooding a schedule full of projects and responsibilities seem all that appealing, but trust me when I say that I haven't felt as fulfilled as I do now before beginning to maximize on those things that do make a positive impact on my life.
Yes, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, but I think often people will lean too heavily into the mindset that they’re coming up on their limits before they’ve actually considered challenging that belief.
I first heard hints pointing toward this set of ideals in a YouTube video that asked people to talk about the things holding them back from chasing their dreams. So many of the answers given in the data collection for that video revolved around individuals not having enough time in the day to begin to enact any real, consistent change.
One of the examples that I remember hearing come up that stuck with me was this idea of needing time after the typical work-day to decompress before even thinking about being able to work on any sort of “side project.”
My first thought was, “Sure, that seems fair. Work can be draining, and recharging is important, without a doubt. But it was then revealed that this individual was taking two hours each day after getting home from work to scroll social media and video streaming apps—pastimes that have been proven by now, time and time again, to be more of a drain on one’s mental faculties than to be any sort of recharge. Then it’s time for dinner, and then dishes, and then whatever else realistically needs to get done.
While I’m definitely not here to tell anybody that the way they spend their time is “right” or “wrong,” I do believe that their are a number of people out their who have goals of their own that may, under their current circumstances, simply feel too far out of reach.
To echo some of the sentiments voiced in that video, and to add some of my own two cents, it may be important to begin to challenge some of those limiting beliefs being held that are restricting growth in those areas that one wishes to develop.
And it doesn’t need to be a “side hustle” or something that you deem to be a result of productivity, but instead, could simply be having some extra time in the day to read, or to crochet, or to call family and friends and catch up.
Limiting beliefs about time management can frequently sabotage a schedule bit by bit. It often isn’t the large chunks of time that get wasted, but rather, it’s can be those few minutes here and there that add up to being a strain on one’s calendar.
This echoes a sentiment written by Brienna Wiest in her book, “101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think.” One must focus on what you can do with your minutes, and not your hours or days.
These are strategies that, when put into practice regularly, can cumulate to effectively change one’s life on a larger scale through continued use.
I’ll leave you here with a few journaling prompts for those who want to do a bit of guided thinking around this topic:
Think about your long-term goals and aspirations. Are there any areas where you feel you're not making progress due to perceived time constraints or limiting beliefs?
What are some activities or hobbies that you wish you had more time for? How could you carve out space for these in your schedule?
Reflect on times when you've successfully challenged yourself or your beliefs. How did you feel afterward, and what did you learn from the experience?
Thanks for reading! If you have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them in the comments or send me an email.
For now, have a good week, and I’ll see you at 100.