Have you ever wondered why, a lot of times, you just can’t
seem to make progress in life despite the fact that you know so much about what
it takes to succeed? There just seems to be a gap between what you know and
what you actually do. I call this The Gap Between Knowledge and Action.
Over the years, I have gotten many enquiries through my
motivational campaign ‘The Ignition Talks’, from people who feel frustrated and
unable to progress in life. Quite a few indicated that they have read a lot of
different personal development and motivational materials over the years and
acquired a wealth of knowledge in this way. But, for some reason, they just
couldn’t get past reading or listening to such materials to actually living the
life they desired.
Often this was accompanied by a sense of frustration and the
feeling that perhaps such things just don’t work, or at least not for them.
That is usually how we get to feel when there is a gap between our knowledge
and our actions. It’s when you know what to do and how to do it, but you just can’t
get to actually doing it.
I have attended and listened to many seminars myself over
the years. In many cases they were great seminars, giving really useful
information. But I noticed that in all likelihood, most people attending the
seminar would put the seminar materials on their shelves afterwards and pretty
much not act on the information, even though at the time they received it they
were very enthusiastic and excited about it. But somehow, as the days go by the
routines of daily life get in the way and the initial zeal just dies out.
It was in a coaching session that I came to realize what
exactly that gap was. I found out that the missing ingredient is usually Clarity.
Or rather, I should say, it is lack of clarity that keeps us stuck in a
certain pattern. By lack of clarity I mean three basic things:
Your
fears
- Feeling Powerless
- Lack of Focus
- Feeling Powerless
- Lack of Focus
Your Fears
By far the biggest obstacle to taking action is your fears.
These may be fears that you are aware of, but quite often it is fears that you
may not even be consciously aware of. For example, like many people you might
like to start a business and have a lot of business ideas in this regard, but
maybe you find yourself unable to take the next step. Something holds you back.
Until you recognise and deal with that issue you may find yourself stuck.
I know of a person who had such a problem. She had gone into
business several times and nothing seemed to have worked out. During one
coaching session, she discovered what was holding her back.
You see, this lady’s parents had divorced when she was very
young. After the divorce, she lived with her mother who was not wealthy. Her
father, on the other hand, was wealthy and would get her expensive gifts and
generally provide for her materially. Well, through coaching, she discovered
that she was actually sabotaging her chances of success because to her, being
wealthy meant being like her Dad. She felt that by being wealthy she would be
betraying her mother who was not wealthy. So although outwardly and logically
she was in business to make money, inwardly, she was afraid to make money,
because she felt it would make her like her like the person she did not want to
be, that is, her father.
It is important to be clear on what your fears are. They are
by far the biggest obstacle that you have to deal with in order to move ahead
and succeed. The example I have given also illustrates that knowing the origins
of our fears is very important in dealing with them.
You may know what your fears are, but may not be clear on
the reason you feel that way. The answer usually lies in the origin of the
fear. Coaching and counseling can help you dig deeper and understand yourself
better with respect to your fears.
Feeling Powerless
The second obstacle is Powerlessness. Powerlessness occurs
when you are living in a state of low power. In this state you will find that
you generally feel less energetic, blame yourself or others, you are judgmental
of self and, at times, even angry. The best way I would describe this state is
the feeling of having a weight on your shoulder, or a feeling of heaviness in
your chest or heart, particularly when you think about your future and your
plans. It can be such a drag and every step can take so much effort.
Part of the answer to dropping this weight lies in learning
to let go of the negative things in your life. Once you do, you are able to
move ahead to a state of higher power. When you are in a state of higher power
you let go of blame, judgment, anger and negativity. You drop that weight from
off your shoulders or loosen those bands that are constricting your heart and
mind.
Then you begin to feel refreshed and light. It becomes
easier to move ahead without the clutter of negativity. In a state of higher
power, wisdom and intuition are more accessible to you. The process of letting
go of such judgments, blame and negativity need not be a lengthy or difficult
one. It just needs to be focused and deliberate. Again, coaching can be very
useful in this area. There are even some self-coaching tools, such as the Brain
Walk, that can help you in this regard. Using the Brain Walk once a day for
five to ten minutes, for example, you can energize yourself and get yourself in
a state of higher power easily. Another thing that can help you to get to a
state of higher power is your spirituality. We often neglect prayer and reading
God’s Word, but they are the easiest and cheapest means of getting rid of
negativity, blame and judgment of self and others. Meditate on God’s word and
pray earnestly. The Bible says the “effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous
man availeth much.” It will avail you the power you need and give you the
courage to move forward without fear and heaviness.
Lack of Focus
Once you have recognized and let go of your fears and are in
a state of higher power, you need to add Focus in order to move from knowledge
to action. By focus, I mean your vision in life. What is it that you want to do
with your life?
Part of the reason that knowledge you have is not being put
to use may be that there is nothing for you to focus it on. There is nothing
pulling you in a certain direction. So today if I tell you about investing in
real estate you will be really excited about it, and tomorrow if I tell you
about multilevel marketing you will be really excited about that too. The
result is that you be pulled in many directions and end up remaining stationary
despite your unfocused efforts.
Acting consistently and towards the right purpose is
important. Work out your vision. Work out your purpose. Be clear on what you
want in life. Once you do it becomes easy to say no to things that will not add
value to you. It becomes easier to say no to distractions and you will then
know what knowledge you need to acquire and concentrate on in order to reach
your destination.
If you want to get what everyone is getting, do what
everyone is doing.
I have chosen this topic because it is something that is
very dear to me and something I have made a personal philosophy and which I
endeavor to live by.
Abuta Ogeto is an Actuary and Motivational Speaker
