Why Get Stuck?

“Why get stuck at something you don’t like doing?”. I can hardly remember where that came from. Somehow, that statement really hit the spot. 6 years ago, after passing the CPA board exam, I was all excited on doing what I was passionate about – which that time I was clueless. Was that all I’m supposed to do for the next 40 years?

My passion is music, computer games and eating and the latter really shows. Somehow, I was able to do my passion while doing my full time job as an accountant. After 3 years at work, I knew there’s something wrong. I have no time to think of other things as time went by as workloads seem to be forever increasing in number. Then I was introduced to the world of business and entrepreneurship. “It’s simply not my passion to sell products or services, or lead people!” Those were my major objections at first which hindered me to do business part time. However, I realized my passion is seeing my family and future family happy. After realizing that we will truly never know if a thing is our passion without even trying it, I studied business and entrepreneurship. I started small and embraced the possibility of failing. Some people start a business for the first time with 1 to 5 million of capital as practice. Woah! Now, that’s risky.

Looking back, there were 3 main reasons why I got stuck and I wasn’t able to move on, and I would like to share them with you.

1. Pride – The number one reason why I got stuck was pride. I wasn’t eager to learn aside from my colleague in the field of accounting. Why would I listen to other professionals? Why would I be willing to listen to other ideas? Later on, I realized pride took me captive and held me paralyzed. Too much analysis, less action. It kept me away from doing research, doing my own study and being resourceful.
2. Fear – I was full of doubts and fear of starting a new venture. Then it hit me, the reason why I am full of fears is because I know nothing about that thing I want to do. So to somehow face my fears, I have to prepare for it and increase my knowledge in that particular area I am eyeing. So I did. And making my dreams bigger than my fears also made the difference!
3. Discouragements – We listen to a lot of people’s negative ideas around us. In the morning, the news contain negative ideas. Our workmates, or even our family would have something negative to share with us. That’s normal. That’s human. However, we have the responsibility and the choice to surround ourselves as well with goal driven positive people. After all, we are the average of the 5 persons we are always with. If we’re always with demotivated, complaining bunch of people, then we become better demotivated and complaining individual. Discouragements have killed more dreams than failure ever did. The next time others try to discourage you, or even yourself, always remember that you are a child of God.

We all have different stories of being stuck. I still get stuck from time to time. If being stuck is inevitable, then why not get stuck at something you love doing?

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” – 1 Peter 5:7

5 Tips on our Way to Success

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” – Joseph Kennedy, Sr.

We’ve all been somehow through a lot of things lately – some value adding & some which are not. But in the course of which – I’ve found some tips to make it a bit easier to carry on specially for those who have been given a lot of tests of faith lately.

Let me share with you these 5 tips which I consider worth remembering:

1. Find a reason why…

When I was a kid, I was really into computer games like Mario bros. and the likes. After some time, after I’ve seemingly mastered the ins and outs of the games I play, I found them boring as they seemed like just an endless routine. I noticed that I have had the same perspective and brought it at work. I have no reason why I am doing this and that – and it all didn’t make sense to me. Not until I knew why I was there & knew why I was on the job. After realizing that I have a great purpose in life, it became easier for me to do things even those which I find hard to do at first. Truly, if we know the reason why we should do the things we ought to do, the how of doing them will just follow.

“How do I begin writing?”, “How do I succeed in my career?”, “How do I start a business?”. Yes, the hows are important but anyone with a deep enough why & reason will be able to bear almost any how. Start asking yourself, “Why am I doing this? Why do I have to do what I am doing?”

2. Trust in the process…

I love what Martin Luther King said, “You don’t have to see the whole staircase yet, you just have to take the first step.”  Some of us get discouraged when things get tougher than we have imagined. Our faith gets shaken when things do not turn out to be what we have expected. One time, I was really thinking that what if all of us know that we will be successful in the endeavor we are in 5 years after? Will we quit on pursuing our dreams after some piles of setbacks? Or would we continue & put up the fight and make things happen? Sometimes, we just have to have faith and then believe!

3. Love what you’re doing.

Back then, oh how I love playing my favorite computer game – Mercenary Online. And the results were beyond extraordinary! I noticed that whenever I put my heart to a game I really love, finishing and excelling in-game are a lot easier than having to drag myself to a game I don’t like.

When I was in the CPA review, I kept asking myself, “But what if I really don’t love that thing I do?” or “I really don’t have the heart for that specific subject.”?

I discovered that while it is true that we have to love what we do to be able to master it, sometimes we have to master it first and then we come to love it naturally.

4. Overcome the barriers…

One of my mentors told me that when we ask for something from God, He doesn’t give it right away as it is. If we ask for strength, God will not give it to us right there and then but He will give us tests of faith wherein we’ll have the strength we’re asking for. There will be dream thieves. There will be naysayers. Still, at the end of the day, choosing to be bigger than our problems is still our choice to make. After all, what is there to be afraid of when what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger? 🙂

5. eXpect to succeed!

After all is said and done, expect to win because you deserve to win! Forget about your past failures because they don’t define who you are at the core. Failure is an event and definitely not a person.  Believe in the power of your dreams! If I have dwelled in the past, I wouldn’t have been able to be half of where I am today. I wouldn’t have even made it through the CPA board exams if I’ve always looked on my failed quizzes and exams. I wouldn’t have dreamed larger if I always saw myself as I was and not who I could become.

Success, my friends, is not anymore a question of “can you?” specially if you are in the right opportunity because others have already did it. It is definitely a solid rock question of “will you?”  🙂

So, when will you? 🙂

#FTLOX

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I’m so excited for the coming years to come! Last January 2014, I have ventured into something that I know nothing about and I was really afraid of the worst things which might happen. But thank God for that wonderful opportunity! Now, every day, I am always reminded that, indeed, if we want something we’ve never had, we must be willing to do something we’ve never done. 🙂

P.s. Feel free to leave a comment below.

With love,

June 🙂