Beware! Are These Giants Blocking Your Success?

Success looks a little different for all of us depending on who we define it. Maybe it’s reaching a goal or building a thriving business. It might also be completing a certification or taking your sales to the next level. Perhaps success for you is about juggling life and work in a more cohesive way or leading your organization in a way that allows you to exceed your targets. For some it might be simply obeying God and taking a risk. There are all sorts of possibilities!

We typically don’t consider achieving something easy a success. Success is reserved for the challenges that are a stretch and a little out of reach or challenges that require you to work hard, take risks, and grow in order to achieve them.

As you begin your journey towards your dream or goal, your hopes are high! It’s invigorating! It occupies your thoughts and ignites your creativity. You eagerly press forward…until you bump into a giant: an obstacle parked in your path. Then frustration, disappointment, and doubt creep in and your enthusiasm begins to fade. Maybe even brings you to a halt.

When everything feels hard, your resolve fizzles and your dream or goal gets fuzzy. You want to give up! That’s when you know you’ve encountered a giant! Something immense and intimidating. In order to continue on your path to success, you’ve got to face your giants.

Are any of these giants blocking your success?

1. The Bad Beliefs Giant

This giant is quickly identified by his negativity – he never has anything positive or encouraging to say! Are the words of the Giant of Bad Beliefs ringing in your ears? Words like…

• I can’t
• It’s impossible
• I am not smart enough
• It will never work
• I’m too late
• There’s not enough to go around
• I don’t have enough time, money, skills, talents, degrees, or resources
• I am too young or too old

Face the Giant of Bad Beliefs by dwelling on the Truth! Meditate on your identity in Christ – who He says you are and what He wants to accomplish through you! Trust Him! Remember, when you are weak, He is STRONG! (2 Corinthians 12:9) And nothing is impossible for God! (Luke 1:7) He doesn’t plant ambitions in your heart only to leave you hanging. He want to accomplish your dreams and goals together!

2. The Lack of Limits Giant

This giant keeps you frantically busy and over-committed that it’s hard to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way – the very opportunities that would enable you to successfully accomplish your goal or dream. You know you have encountered the Lack of Limits Giant when you:

• Have a hard time saying no
• Find yourself racing from one obligation to another
• Keep disappointing people because you are not able to keep your word
• The important stuff keeps falling through the cracks
• Are perpetually multi-tasking
• Notice clutter is collecting all around you
• Find yourself repeatedly underestimating the time it takes to get things done
• Feel overwhelmed
• Fail to meet deadlines
• Are continuously late

Stand up to the Lack of Limits Giant by establishing very clear priorities and setting boundaries. In order to achieve success, you will have to zero in on what’s most important and eliminate some tasks and responsibilities that are good, but not right for this season. Working with a coach is an excellent way to establish clear priorities, healthy boundaries, and a strategy to help you function at your best!

3. The Hustle and Hurry Giant

This giant tricks you- he’ll run you ragged! He tells you that your dream must happen now. He taunts you to rush the process, to make it happen before someone else beats you to it. You know you have met up with the Hustle and Hurry Giant when you:

• Find yourself making mistakes and poor choices because you are rushing
• Keep overlooking critical details
• Find it hard to relax, enjoy life, and rest
• Feel anxious
• Start forcing your plan to work or striving
• Skip time with God
• Aren’t taking time to reflect and evaluate how you are progressing

Take on the Hustle and Hurry Giant by slowing down, really slowing down! Spend quality time with God. You might be surprised the words of wisdom He shares with you to help you as you journey towards your goal. Slowing down is not easy! You’ll have to trust God and believe that He is at work on your behalf and that His timing is perfect. He wants you to rest and let Him do the heavy lifting! (Matthew 11:30)

Set aside time to regularly reflect an examine what’s working, what’s not working, and what needs to change!

4. The Bad Company Giant

Your own bad beliefs work against you (Giant #1) and so do the critical or negative words of others if you let them replay in your mind. You know you’ve encountered the Bad Company Giant when you:

• Feel compelled to please others
• Start believing the negativity others are saying
• Are tempted to abandon your dream for someone else’s dream
• Doubt your dream in light of what others think

Just like you need to focus on Truth with your own thoughts, you also need to focus on Truth when facing The Bad Company Giant. It’s tough – sometimes the people you love the most are people that don’t have your best interests at heart. You are always loved and delighted in by God. He’s the best company to keep! Listen to what He says about you!

5. The Old Habit Giant

This giant is extra sneaky. Slipping into auto pilot and reverting to your old habits will hinder you. Sometimes it’s hard to know when you are under the spell of the Old Habit Giant, but here are some clues:

• Can’t seem to make any progress – you are stuck
• You find yourself repeating old patterns or having counter-productive reactions
• You haven’t tried new ways of doing something in a long time
• Challenges are something you avoid

In order to overcome the Old Habit Giant, you are going to have to get intentional and be more mindful! See what you can accomplish on your own, but if you are serious about doing what needs to be done to be successful, enlist the help of a coach. Until you unravel the beliefs and fears that are driving your old habits you will keep drifting back to your old ways.

It takes quality habits to successfully reach goals and dreams. If you are ready to work on your habits, here are 12 habits you might consider adopting!

6. The Fear Giant

This giant is fierce! He’s a dream killer. He’s not satisfied until you are paralyzed and stuck. A warning: he may be “Your Monster” disguised as a giant. And if he’s not successful wearing that disguise, he has other giants on his team. You know you are dealing with the Fear Giant when you:

• Find yourself sabotaging your success
• Fearing any of the following: failure, success, commitment, looking bad, opinions of others, etc.
• Find yourself talking or planning, but not taking action
• Make excuses or blame others for your lack of progress
• Are perpetually getting “triggered” by others

Once you realize that the Fear Giant or your Fear Monster is at work, it’s easier to spot his antics. Curious about your Fear Monster? Here’s something to help!

Giants appear too big to subdue. The way around them seems risky. Retreating seems safer and yet, if you do retreat, you will never get where you want to be. The best way to take down your giants is to come face-to-face with them. As real and powerful as they seem, they are an extension of your own mindset. Reframe the giants and put them in the context of Truth. Find scripture to dwell on.

Defeating your giants is not a solo job. You can’t do it on your own. Instead surrender and allow God to fight for you. You will need to make changes, and change is not easy, so bring in reinforcements – trusted friends, family members, or a coach to help you conquer your giants. Often times they are able to see what you’ve been missing all along!

Be aware! Giants often return when you least expect it. You must be on the lookout!

Each time you take down a giant, your courage and confidence grows. Your focus is greater and you are closer to your version of success.

What giants have been taunting you?

© Can Stock Photo Inc. / zurijeta