Enjoying our success. Celebrating our wins. Gaining confidence. These are ALL good things. Falling into complacency once our goal is completed is NOT good at all.
So how do we avoid complacency and stay engaged in growth?
Life is fluid, moving at all times. It can’t be put on hold and certainly not stopped. And somewhere out there is a person, very similar to you, with a dream to be their best and reach their maximum potential. They’re working hard every single day to learn new skills, create something new that serves with high value and makes life better, easier, more helpful. They are hungry to do more and be more and many of them will succeed and raise the bar higher. Higher than where we currently are.
If we’re not careful, if we don’t stay committed to continued growth, we can easily become stagnant and bored which contributes to disconnect and dissatisfaction with life.
This holds equally true for our personal growth in self, relationships and spirit because living a life of joy isn’t an endpoint. It’s making choices that help us feel that joy every day. It’s also undeniable that our personal growth is absolutely and completely intertwined with our job, career or business. Being complacent and not moving forward to the new, undiscovered and unknown equals stagnation and stagnation affects our life in whole and is equivalent to withering on the vine all too soon.
“The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity; moving beyond it necessitates intuition, which in turn configures new perspectives and conquers fears.” ~ Dan Stevens
Bottom line on how to avoid complacency:
- Stay engaged to learning new things.
- Don’t aim for the closest or easiest benchmark.
- Face your fear of change because life never, ever stops changing!
- Try things that make you feel scared or nervous.
- Purposely change up your routine.
- Plan your days with direction, deadline and dedication.
Don’t be left behind with lack of knowledge or skill, become outdated, or out of touch with your industry. Search what is new in your field of interest. Discover needs that aren’t being met, quality advancements that provide more accuracy and efficiency, and are the future of your current work.
As far as our personal life goes, relationships, health (mental, physical, & emotional) and hobbies require TLC and stimulation to thrive. Expanding our perspective and behaviors helps to refresh and recharge our soul and offers more possibility of feeling bright and joyful.
Whether it be personal or professional goals, don’t aim for the minimum. If we aim low, we achieve low. Having our sights set on bigger possibilities brings out the best in our focus, motivation and commitment, and rewards us with abundance!
If change is what we fear, guess what? We need to get over it! Trying to stop life from changing is like trying to control the weather. It’s beyond our control and it will happen. Surrender with acceptance and show gratitude for the gift that life doesn’t remain the same, day in and day out. It would be boring. Waking every day to a life that we know in advance, that no matter what we do, it will remain the same is safe and no doubt, comfortable. But seriously? That sounds like “death” itself and more frightening that change could ever be. Let’s avoid this and promise to do our best to embrace change which offers us a life of vitality and progress.
Also, don’t avoid uncharted territory and instead welcome whatever makes us feel nervous or scared. Here is where the unpredictable lives and the unpredictable brings out the best of our resourcefulness, creativity, confidence and builds the belief in our ability to overcome challenges and obstacles. Let our feelings of nervousness trigger a feeling of excitement and an opportunity to learn and grow.
Some of our routines, like our AM or PM routine, are pivotal in getting us primed for productivity as well as our transition to end the day. It’s time to turn off our thinking caps and enjoy some human time. It’s vital to balance our busy days with relaxation and rejuvenation.
One thing I know is an absolute must for every day, without fail, is to live our day with direction, deadline and dedication. It doesn’t matter if we’re maintaining our current life course or exploring an untapped trajectory, we will fail without a plan. We will quickly become distracted. We will become unfocused. We will become lost in the weeds of unnecessary information. We will become stuck in unloving, unhealthy and unhappy behaviors that make every day an unwelcome chore that is greeted with dread and despair.
I hope you’ve gotten some ideas for avoiding complacency and realize its importance. But the bottom line is, if we’re not moving, we’re not thriving, and life is much more colorful and energetic and fun when we’re engaged in growth.
Let go and move with the current of your life!
Keep it Simple,
Just Teri
jtjustteri.wordpress.com 