How to Stop Limiting Your Opportunities in Life
Learn from past experience but don't let it stranglehold you., Learn to overcome avoidance., Try new things one at a time., Don't put yourself down., Don't project into the future., Be open to suggestions, requests, ideas., Follow things up., Once a...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Learn from past experience but don't let it stranglehold you.
Applying past experience can cause us to err in our present judgment, however, when we don't adjust the context of what is happening now.
Take the good lessons about practicing caution and weigh up that need for being cautious with the need to keep trying new things. -
Step 2: Learn to overcome avoidance.
When you avoid situations and events, you avoid the risks inherent in undertaking an activity or meeting new people.
You also avoid the potential for discovery and great opportunities.
Avoidance is a safety mechanism built up from past experiences, current fears, and presumed rather than actual outcomes.
It takes a lot of work to overcome avoidance as a habit but the first step is to recognize that you do this, and to start working on not relying on avoidance as a habit. , Don't overwhelm yourself by taking on too many new experiences at once.
Test things out slowly and reward yourself for each small step that you take.
When you remove the pressure, you will find it easier to gradually take up new opportunities. , When you insist that other people can do something better than you, or that you're just not able to do something because you're too young, too old, too fat, too thin, too pretty, too ugly, too smart, too dumb, etc., you automatically limit your belief that you can do something.
Once that happens, you work really hard at confirming your negative impression and in turn, put yourself and your abilities down.
The better course of action is to believe that you're capable and to at least "give it a go."
The worst that can happen is that something won't work, and that you'll fail in that endeavor.
That is called learning and experience.
We derive more information from our failures than we give them credit for.
Keep trying; if you realize that the new opportunity really isn't for you, at least you gave it a go.
But don't give up before you've even started by imagining the future holds failure. , Rather than rejecting these immediately, tell people you'll think these things through.
Let them permeate your mind and rest in there for a while; find the ways that you can see yourself involved in the new opportunities that will make the most of your interests and abilities.
Go back to the person and explain how you'd like to be involved; that way, they know you're keen and where you will fit best.
If they don't like your idea of involvement, at least you tried and made yourself clear. , Never sit around thinking that someone will notice your talents, beauty, cleverness, abilities, etc.
The reality is that you need to get out there and promote yourself so that you're on people's radar.
When you get a lead, be sure to follow it up and remind people about your potential. , Keep a date with yourself to come out of that shell and push yourself beyond your safety limits.
Go on, you can do it! -
Step 3: Try new things one at a time.
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Step 4: Don't put yourself down.
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Step 5: Don't project into the future.
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Step 6: Be open to suggestions
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Step 7: requests
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Step 8: ideas.
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Step 9: Follow things up.
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Step 10: Once a year
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Step 11: do something that scares/thrills/really excites you.
Detailed Guide
Applying past experience can cause us to err in our present judgment, however, when we don't adjust the context of what is happening now.
Take the good lessons about practicing caution and weigh up that need for being cautious with the need to keep trying new things.
When you avoid situations and events, you avoid the risks inherent in undertaking an activity or meeting new people.
You also avoid the potential for discovery and great opportunities.
Avoidance is a safety mechanism built up from past experiences, current fears, and presumed rather than actual outcomes.
It takes a lot of work to overcome avoidance as a habit but the first step is to recognize that you do this, and to start working on not relying on avoidance as a habit. , Don't overwhelm yourself by taking on too many new experiences at once.
Test things out slowly and reward yourself for each small step that you take.
When you remove the pressure, you will find it easier to gradually take up new opportunities. , When you insist that other people can do something better than you, or that you're just not able to do something because you're too young, too old, too fat, too thin, too pretty, too ugly, too smart, too dumb, etc., you automatically limit your belief that you can do something.
Once that happens, you work really hard at confirming your negative impression and in turn, put yourself and your abilities down.
The better course of action is to believe that you're capable and to at least "give it a go."
The worst that can happen is that something won't work, and that you'll fail in that endeavor.
That is called learning and experience.
We derive more information from our failures than we give them credit for.
Keep trying; if you realize that the new opportunity really isn't for you, at least you gave it a go.
But don't give up before you've even started by imagining the future holds failure. , Rather than rejecting these immediately, tell people you'll think these things through.
Let them permeate your mind and rest in there for a while; find the ways that you can see yourself involved in the new opportunities that will make the most of your interests and abilities.
Go back to the person and explain how you'd like to be involved; that way, they know you're keen and where you will fit best.
If they don't like your idea of involvement, at least you tried and made yourself clear. , Never sit around thinking that someone will notice your talents, beauty, cleverness, abilities, etc.
The reality is that you need to get out there and promote yourself so that you're on people's radar.
When you get a lead, be sure to follow it up and remind people about your potential. , Keep a date with yourself to come out of that shell and push yourself beyond your safety limits.
Go on, you can do it!
About the Author
Deborah Gibson
Experienced content creator specializing in lifestyle guides and tutorials.
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