Traps- Pitfalls that Paralyze You.

Have you ever lost or had your confidence shaken by something? I have recently and I have felt stuck and hesitant to move forward. I think it's safe to say we all have in some capacity.

Winning creates a positive cycle in our lives. When we win, we gain confidence. The more confidence we have, the more likely we are to take action when it’s needed. There is the confidence/competence loop that states when you have more confidence in something gained from learning or experience, that it directly improves our confidence. This action can lead to winning.

However, losing can also create a cycle in our lives—a negative one.

Losses, especially when they pile up, can lead to insecurity. When we are insecure, we doubt ourselves. It causes us to hesitate when making decisions.

Even if we know what we should do, we are reluctant to do it. When such a gap is created and isn’t overcome, success becomes nearly impossible.

Traps to avoid:

The Mistake Trap: “I’m afraid of doing something wrong.” Losses hold us back.

The Fatigue Trap: “I’m tired today.” Losses wear us out.

The Comparison Trap: “Someone else is better qualified than I am.” Losses cause us to feel inferior to others.

The Timing Trap: “This isn’t the right time.” Losses make us hesitate.

The Inspiration Trap: “I don’t feel like doing it right now.” Losses demotivate us.

The Rationalization Trap: “Maybe it’s really not that important.” Losses allow us to lose perspective.

The Perfection Trap: “There’s a best way to do it and I have to find it before I start.” Losses cause us to question ourselves.

The Expectation Trap: “I thought it would be easy, but it isn’t.” Losses highlight the difficulties.

The Fairness Trap: “I shouldn’t have to be the one to do this.” Losses cause us to ask, “Why me?”

The Public Opinion Trap: “If I fail, what will others think?” Losses paralyze us.

The Self-Image Trap: “If I fail at this, it means I am a failure.” Losses negatively affect how we see ourselves.

Be careful when comparing ourselves to others, because we rarely do so on a level playing field.

We either compare our best, including our good intentions, to someone else’s worst, or we compare our worst to someone else’s best.

Source: "Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn” -John Maxwell