Overcoming Your Limitations: 4 Steps

The New Year is upon us and if you are a goal setting kind of person then you know that just saying you will make changes does not necessarily mean it will happen. There are all kinds of things that can get in the way of our good intentions, most of all our mental excuses. Change in life is inevitable; actually it is the only thing we can guarantee to happen other than dying. The question is, do you shape your life according to your dreams and desires or do you just let life happen, like a free fall through time, dreaming of what you shoulda, coulda, woulda done, if only?

Making resolutions, setting goals, and making commitments are easy to do, but it is the ability to see them through to completion that is difficult and tests our human nature. The fact that self-sacrifice is called for is what makes overcoming our limitations and manifesting our dreams so challenging. It requires that we give up our comforts, our fears, and our long-standing habits, even the ones that are painful or threaten our well being in some ways. At least we know what to expect from them, but stepping out into the unknown? Sheeze, now that’s a scary place.

Limitations are not always visible to the eye at first glance. They take some investigation, like hidden chambers or weak character flaws that need to be confronted and coaxed out into the light. They begin in our mind as thoughts and translate into actions that hold us back from achieving our potential. Instead we settle for a kind of uncomfortable mediocrity, knowing in our hearts that if I could just take that first step…

1. Identify your limitations.

This requires coming to know yourself by observing your thoughts with integrity and scrutiny. By watching your thoughts you begin to notice, say, a tendency to procrastinate, to judge yourself harshly, to belittle yourself or to ignore what is best for you. Sitting in meditation helps with this process, as does writing thoughts down in a journal for future reference.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Camilla V.

10:30PM PDT on Jul 10, 2010

interesting, although I disagree with accepting limitations that makes one depressed feeling like a looser.

send a green star

Past Member .

7:47AM PST on Mar 8, 2010

Great article. Thank you for sharing.

Michelle R.

4:33PM PST on Mar 7, 2010

This article has been very helpful.Thank you.

Veni V.

7:40PM PST on Jan 29, 2010

i appreciate what the article is saying and i know that it can help me to overcome my many limitations. Though it is difficult to do i know that it is not impossible and that gives me hope. Thanks!

Elaine D.

3:48PM PST on Jan 25, 2010

good story

1:34AM PST on Jan 19, 2010

Thanks for sharing this!

Aleksandra S.

2:32PM PST on Jan 6, 2010

Thanks for the article!! :)

Michelle J.

10:10PM PST on Jan 5, 2010

Identify
Recognize
Accept
Honor

I've got it!

Kirsty R.

10:23PM PST on Jan 4, 2010

Thanks!

Lubna I.

4:17AM PST on Jan 4, 2010

thank you , but it's easier said than done! it needs a great deal of work and time to make peace with my own limitations after years and years of putting myself down and not accepting these limitations as a fact. it's not that easy a task