Our minds are like YouTube running in autoplay mode: they keep going on and on and on, flowing from one playlist to the other, shifting among categories of content, different styles, drifting far away to alternative worlds — until someone presses the pause button or closes the whole thing.
Similarly, our brain is continuously working, filling our head with endless thoughts of different types, content, and context. Some of which are positive, while others are negative. The underlying layer of what’s going on in our mind consists of our notions and beliefs about how the world works, and this eventually shapes the way we interpret reality.
The thing is, we tend to stick with the negative notions, beliefs, and thoughts. And this natural tendency of ours, meaning us sticking with the darker side of things, shapes the way we see ourselves and others. This is one reason we remain as we are, not being able to evolve and achieve what we want. It applies to all aspects of life; however, many people are more conscious about struggling with professional development.
At work, we might often encounter negative beliefs about ourselves. The king of darkness, the Darth Vader, the hidden critic of our views when it comes to working, is ‘I’m not good enough.’ It may appear in different forms, such as ‘I’m not worthy’, ‘I’m not appreciated’, and the like — different content, same context.
We are as good as we are. We are enough.
Enough for this very moment.
However, we can always get better. The earth keeps spinning, time is passing, and life is moving forward. Those who don’t evolve, not developing their skills and improving their abilities, remain behind.
I know I’m excellent as I am and at whatever I’m doing, yet I always push myself to get better, to improve, and evolve. I strive to get to the next version of myself. And it’s not easy at all. It requires me to work regularly and to deal with my own mental Darth Vader.
We are evolutionarily designed to stick to the negative thoughts more than the positive ones. In the early days of humankind, everything was about survival: we had to watch out for being eaten by predators, making sure we had enough food and water to survive. We had to make sure we were part of a tribe, or else death was ambushing us around the corner.
A lot has changed since those days: we have amazing technologies, impressive cities, and cool sneakers. But the way we think of ourselves and the world hasn’t significantly changed.
As I see it, we are still stuck in that ancient mental ‘survival mode’ in many aspects. We’re holding a mindset that tends to the negative side of things. It makes us stick with the familiar and avoid the unfamiliar. It prevents us from shifting our perspectives, doing things differently than we’re used to doing, and trying new stuff. We are holding on to the past, making the future a replay of the same music over and over again, YouTube running in autoplay mode.
It limits our creativity. It narrows our professional development.
It makes us remain within our comfort zones.
“This is just the way I am.”
Is that so?
We all live in the same world, but each one of us lives in a different reality. This subjective reality is a story we tell ourselves about the reality, meaning a personal interpretation of it. Having this tendency towards the negative side of things and replaying the past over and over again makes us tell ourselves a story that focuses on our faults and magnifies our weaknesses.
As a result, we are in a state of stagnancy. We’re stuck. We surrender to a voice that says, ‘Why bother?’
Often, we feel frustrated, but we do nothing to change things for the better.
We’re stuck in our comfort zone, complaining, yet not taking any actions, which leads us to be stuck deeper, get even more frustrated, and still do nothing to change that.
It’s an endless loop. I mean, it might be endless. At the same time, we can decide to break the circle and initiate a process of change. It’s about taking accountability for our own lives and changing the story we tell ourselves.
The primary thing that more effectively fosters a change is taking actions, small actions of little things at first. It’s a process of slow progress.
Step by step, action after action, we rewrite our own story, stop that same old replay loop, and play new, exciting music. Essentially, by doing these things, we build true self-confidence.
Bye-bye stagnation, welcome evolution.
“What we call our destiny is truly our character and that character can be altered. The knowledge that we are responsible for our actions and attitudes does not need to be discouraging, because it also means that we are free to change this destiny.” — Anaïs Nin
Climbing my own metaphoric mountain and, at the same time, watching others — friends, subordinates, colleagues, people I coached, having their struggles of being stuck in their comfort zone, makes me wonder: why do we barely tolerate the way things are and, at the same time, choose to do nothing at all to change that?
I’m captivated by this topic, continually diving deeper to learn more about it.
Does your personal and professional development satisfy your ambitions and wishes? What prevents you from fulfilling your dreams?
Anybody can take their abilities to the next level. The question is, what holds us back?
Does your professional development satisfy your ambitions and wishes? What prevents you from fulfilling yourself?
These days, I’m researching the topic of career development, part of which is a survey that aims to reveal what people are thinking of themselves in this context. Some questions are not straightforward and require deep thinking. However, your answers can help you understand why you’re thinking and acting the way you usually do.
I’d be grateful if you fill out this survey and promote it further: Career Development Survey.
Thanks, and I wish you the most evolving playlist ever!
