Here is the reason many of you are stuck. You contemplate and agonize, but your feelings of uncomfortableness have not yet caused you to take action. You live in a state of regret, constantly watching. You inwardly despise people when you see others that are doing what you are supposed to be doing. But actually, you’re hating on yourself.
You and your spouse are tired of your one more “brand new idea” for the 50th time this year. You are not the biggest loser, because you haven’t attempted anything. You are a fence hugger. That’s right. Someone that clings to shoulda, coulda, woulda!
- A fence hugger is obsessed with the paralysis of analysis.
- A fence hugger never tries anything, except sayings like “I’m gonna.”
- A fence hugger is too afraid to take step one.
- A fence hugger blames everyone else for their problems.
- A fence hugger is often consumed with anxiety about being stuck like chuck. 🙂 That’s not funny 🙁 It’s sad.
- A fence hugger is ________ (you fill in the blank).
- A fence hugger reads a post like this and doesn’t leave a comment.
Here is what you can do starting now.
- Improve your life
- Make the world a better place to live
- Put your business plan together
- Focus on what’s most important in life
- Keep moving forward
- Forgive
- Love
- Complete the task
- __________________ (you fill in the blank)
- Build your dreams
It takes determination when letting go of the obstacles that hold us back. Perseverance is a must when starting anything. As you pursue the path of becoming a person over profit, here are ten guiding principles that will help you in the discovery process:
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
- Acknowledge your weaknesses.
- Vision is priceless.
- Never use money (or the lack thereof) as an excuse NOT to do something.
- Have a plan, even if it is just one page. 🙂
- Be yourself.
- Go BIG.
- Never give up on your dreams.
- Use tools that help you stay agile.
- Prayer is a must.
What would you add? Leave a comment below.
Great post, Dewitt. A fence hugger never speaks their mind because they are afraid of what people may say. To move from this they need to know their values and who they are as a person. Once they know this, it is then that their unique voice that will begin to change things. Fence huggers never pick a side, but the problem with this is that fence huggers don’t make an impact.
In my experiences talking with people, I think fear or being overwhelmed with the enormity of a goal are more likely to cause inaction than sheer laziness (though I know those people, as well). For those readers who identify fear or being overwhelmed as their own nemesis standing in the way of a goal, here is what I suggest.
Stop looking at the ENTIRE goal or project right now. You’ve already envisioned to some degree what the FINAL GOAL looks like (e.g., losing 100 lbs, writing a book, finding the person you’re going to marry, starting a company, etc.); I know you’ve envisioned it, otherwise you wouldn’t be afraid or overwhelmed. So right now, let go of that “end game” vision and just ask yourself, “What is the very next tiny step I need to take in order to step away from this proverbial fence?”
For a weight-loss goal, maybe that very first tiny step is to identify and write down the ONE snack food that tends to get you. Just write it down, nothing more.
For the person who wants to write a book, maybe that first tiny step is to get on your laptop, open your word processor, and save a blank document called “My Book” (or your actual working title if you’ve thought that far) to your desktop where you will see it every day.
Once you’ve taken this seemingly insignificant step, you’ve moved away from the fence. The next goal is the same. From where you now stand, identify and do the next TINY step you can, all the while intentionally NOT letting yourself look too far down the road at the end goal.
For the weight-loss plan, once you’ve written down your trouble snack food, what’s next. Empty your cabinets or fridge of that item? Take a 5-minute walk up the road and back for exercise? You can do that! It’s not scary or overwhelming.
For the book writer, maybe it’s writing out a quick, one-paragraph jumbled mess of an idea of what your book will be about, with zero concern for editing. It’s words. It’s progress.
By taking these tiny steps, you create movement. You break inertia. And you gain momentum.
Once you are consistent and comfortable with making small steps, set your goal “chunks” a little higher. And then, as you do gain that momentum, try looking down the road at the end goal again, to envision how wonderful it will be when you get there! If it doesn’t seem so scary, keep it in sight as a motivator. If it’s still overwhelming, focus on the now and the next step only once more.
How could I NOT comment after your very last bullet of what a fence-sitter does 🙂
I would add that a fence sitter doesn’t let a critic hold him back from achieving his or her goals and dreams!
Great post. Thanks for sharing.