I don’t wait until the New Year to start thinking about my goals, in fact I am always looking at my goal, writing it, visualizing it and giving it more clarity each and every day because what we put our attention and energy on, grows. As we start to wind down our 2018, now isn’t the time to slack off on our goals like most people do. If we are serious about really going after what we want, it’s imperative to keep our vision alive. Yes, connecting with people is important over the holidays, but you don’t have to choose an all or nothing approach.

13 Spooky Things That Steal Your Joy and Turn Your Goals Into A Graveyard of Unfilled Dreams

In light of Halloween…and I love Halloween…I just wanted to highlight some common goal ghouls and goblins you may encounter. I believe, expanding your awareness and understanding what steals your mental energy and will to fight, will give you a fighting chance for you to see your dreams become your reality. Here are some common goal snatchers.

Ghosts of Past Failure

When you are focused on the past, what are you not focused on? That’s right…your future. Remember, I said whatever you focus your energy on, grows. I was listening to Mary Morrissey and Bob Proctor talk about The Law of Forgiveness. Mary said, holding on to resentment or anger toward someone for something they did in the past, is like holding a hot coal in your hand and expecting someone else to get burned. You are only hurting yourself. If you want to move forward, you have to let the old stories go and forgive. We also need to forgive ourselves for past mistakes we have made. If we keep dwelling on the past, stuck in anger, resentment and guilt, we only keep recreating reasons to feel more anger resentment and guilt. I would recommend writing letters to anyone you are holding this negative energy toward, including yourself, and express your forgiveness and even some things you are grateful for. Then, burn the letters, let it go and move forward.

Bad Witches, Energy Vampires and Monsters

These creatures can steal your joy and derail you and you may not even be aware of it. The bad witches can be subtle, smile in your face but secretly wish for you to fall. Know, that has nothing to do with you and recognize that people behave, react and respond based on their current level of awareness and belief system. That person, may be feeling jealous or perhaps they are dealing with some hurt or resentments. Just love them for who they are and keep moving. Energy vampires can be difficult because they can come across as really needing you. But they take off of your energy and you have nothing left for yourself. The more you give; the more they take and I find that it’s often not intentional. The kicker is, when you pull away to nurture yourself, you feel guilty for doing so and guilt is a negative emotion that will keep you stuck. Then of course, you have the obvious monsters, the goal smashers, who will stop at nothing to see you fail. My remedy to all of the about is to take care of yourself first by taking a few moments every morning and at short intervals throughout the day, to give yourself a time-out to think about your goals, quiet your mind and reenergize. When we are flying, the flight attendants always tell us to put on our oxygen masks first and THEN help others. We are really not being of service to others if our cup is empty; protect your energy and space. Another common problem that is in alignment with the energy vampires are the werewolves and running with the pack. Sometimes, we’ve been hanging out with the same people for so long and we take it for granted, that’s who we hang out with and that’s who we are. You are the composite of the 5 people you spend the most time with. Do you feel uplifted and energized when you are with the pack? Do they support you and your goals and do you uplift each other? If not, start looking to surround yourself with people who are accomplishing what you want to accomplish and pretty soon, you’ll find your results shifting in a positive direction. Creepy spiders, demons, bats and mummies can also stop us in our tracks, if we are not deliberate in our actions and connected to a goal that REALLY matters to us. Those creepy spiders are the distractions we face everyday and the excuses we make for not taking action. Take the time every morning or, better yet, the night before to write at least 3 actions steps you will take toward your goal so you stay focused. What are those things that pull us away from our focus most often? Those could be our demons, maybe overindulging on social media, TV, sleep, etc…If you find yourself overindulging in one area, try replacing it with something positive that will move you toward you goal. When we get distracted and don’t take action, that leaves space for the bats and mummies to influence our decision making. Bats are all of those silly fears that creep in when we are really growing and taking on goals we’ve never done before and the mummies show up in the form of our own silence. If your goals and wants are big enough and worthy of you, you will not be silenced.

Great Pumpkins and Paradigms

The last of the spooky things that steal your dreams center around our beliefs. These include our superstitions and the Great Pumpkin, and simply believing in things that aren’t real. Another word for that is paradigm. A paradigm is a multitude of habits or belief stored in our subconscious mind, that control our habitual behavior. The crazy thing is most of our behavior is habitual AND these paradigms have been passed down from generation to generation! Think about how many of the things you do or say, sound exactly like the things your ancestors have said or done. When you start letting your paradigms control you, you’ve officially become a zombie. Don’t worry, you can come back to the world of the living, simply by paying attention to your thoughts and actions and stop operating on autopilot.

Procrastination Goblin

The last creature is perhaps that scariest of all and not widely known…wait for it…It’s the procrastination Goblin!!!! eeeeeekkkkk!!! We are not taught how to make decisions in school, we ponder, collect more information, we prepare to prepare and are afraid to take action, so we don’t. Not making a decision, is a decision in and of itself; it’s called procrastination. I love this quote by Napoleon Hill in his book, “Think and Grow Rich,” because he sums this up quite nicely.

He wrote, “Analysis of several hundred people who had accumulated fortunes well beyond the million dollar mark, disclosed the fact that every one of them had the habit of REACHING DECISIONS PROMPTLY, and of changing these decisions SLOWLY, if, and when they were changed. People who fail to accumulate money, without exception, have the habit of reaching decisions, IF AT ALL, very slowly, and of changing these decisions quickly and often.”

If you tend to be indecisive, you can build this mental muscle and start small. For example, when you go out to dinner, give yourself 5 minutes to look over the menu and maybe hear the specials and make a decision. Don’t change it, resist the urge and keep practicing. Then move on to other things. If you stay focused and connected to your goals this holiday season, you will be well ahead of the game when the New Year rolls around and everyone else is just starting out. If you want to make quantum leaps in your results, connect with me on a free coaching call to get you pointed in the right direction.  

Laura Noel works with individuals, groups, and companies in reaching their potential and achieving their personal and professional goals. As a student and teacher of personal growth and leadership for over 27 years, Laura continues to develop her expertise through working with her mentor, Bob Proctor.

If you’re ready to stretch your thinking and mind in a way that opens you up to new possibilities, sign up for a free coaching session with Laura here.