For a time in the military I thought it was fear that was keeping me from advancing to the peak of the military ranks. Was I ready for more responsibility beyond leading troops? Would I fail at the task?
No, it wasn’t that. I enjoyed helping shape some of America’s best and brightest in the ways of military tactics and resupply. So what was it? What kept me in a proverbial cocoon? Safe from the outside world, but longing to start anew.
Complacency. That’s right. Someone who was so used to continually advancing up the ranks got comfortable. Too comfortable in a safe position. A safe job and paycheck. Scared to fail.
But that was the wrong way to think about things. See, failure honestly is all psychological. Failing is going to happen in life. We should fail and learn from the mistakes. But we can’t call ourselves a failure and stay that way.
We are more worried about how we will be perceived if we fail. And that’s understandable, but not acceptable. How I look right now is not what I would be worried about. Failing is inevitable, but complacency is not.
I would be more worried about being in the same spot next year having not made any traction on my goals. That I haven’t achieved something and moved on to the next thing on my list.
See complacency will do that to you. It will tell you that you are fine exactly where you are. That we are only taking a break to figure out our next move. We have accomplished a lot and we are just waiting for others to catch up.
Try again. That excuse is not going to work. Because complacency will rob you of your creativity. You livelihood. No, you need to look complacent behaviors in the face and tell them that they are not welcome.
See we have talked about this before on this blog. Brainstorming ideas. Coming up with priorities and then setting clear goals. But a lot of times looking at this list can bring that supposed emotion of fear again. And that’s ok.
But we are not going to be complacent. Remember when I talked about the Lee Method? Well, it doesn’t only apply to work. Take your top six goals and apply that method to your life goals. Write me back and let me know if it worked for you, too. I have no doubt that it will if you are honest with yourself.
We are going to break the curse, though. We are not going to be here in the same spot next year. We will have moved on to a new position or job. We will have started our own side business or became an entrepreneur. The possibilities are endless.
But your life is not. We have to start living like we have only one life. Not another one to come back to and finish everything we didn’t the first time. Live this one.
What is your why? Knowing why you want to succeed will make you channel that energy that you feel and use it to get started again.
So no more talking. Let’s work on doing. No more complacency. Let’s work on accomplishing our dreams.
And yes, I snapped out of it. I finally got the job I wanted, started this blog and am now retiring. My focus is this blog and helping all of you.
What have you been complacent on and are ready to accomplish today?
-alv
The Becoming Better Project 
Thank you for the encouragement. I strongly agree on this post. We will fail once, twice or even more than that, but that shouldn’t hinder us from trying. I see people who just started a new business fail and they immediately give up, which is wrong — “And that’s understandable, but not acceptable.” . Maybe they don’t have enough passion to fuel their drive. Even if you share words of encouragement to them, they won’t listen. I hope the people who needs encouragement would read this post because it is really helpful.
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Mizuki, thank you so much. And you are absolutely right. It’s ok to stumble a little, but we have to keep going for the things we want. Perseverance is the key!
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Great post! I definitely let fear hold me back from pursuing things I love. I get so worried about what others will think if I don’t follow through or if I fail. In reality, most people are so worried about their own stuff they aren’t even paying attention to us, right?
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Thanks Jill! Yea, I wrote another post about validation, too. We can’t be worried about what others are thinking and doing. Everyone is going through something so we have to keep going confidently towards our dreams. Thanks for reading Jill. 🙂
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Nowadays it’s so easy to become complacent. Before I became a stay at home mom, my focus was on my career and making a name for myself. However, when I became a stay at home mom, I lost my drive to succeed and was comfortable playing it safe. I became so preoccupied with how hard it would be to re-enter the workforce that I all but abandoned my dreams. Luckily, some recent successes and a much needed pep talk from a friend got me back on track. Complacency really is a dangerous thing.
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Good for you Yanique! Much success to you in the future!!
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I’ve been out of corporate America for one year. Until last year, I was working my way up the ladder, loving the feeling of strength and accomplishment. I was laid off last October (can’t believe it’s been a year) and relaxed for a few months but then needed to do something. Hence my new business…I am putting myself out on a limb doing something I’ve never done before.
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Our journeys sound so much alike. I retired, but I knew that it was only a matter of time before the ax came. I just didn’t have a love for it anymore. Trying my hand and the corporate, but at the same time building a side business. It’s a work in progress!! 🙂
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Very empowering:)
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Thank you Nena! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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