Fight 5 ambition busters

Dreams and goals are forces that propel people, and society, toward progress. Through them, new ways of thinking and great ideas are developed. Medical breakthroughs, the ability to fly aircrafts around the world and astronauts walking on the moon are a few examples of people accomplishing their dreams.

"Dreams are what fuel us to get to a really fulfilling sort of life. Dreams give us our energy. Dreams are what power us. Dreams are what make us happy," says Michele Caron, life coach and founder of www.MyLifeCoach.com. Despite dreams being so essential for reaching one's full potential and happiness, many are not working towards their ambitions because of perceived obstacles.

Are barriers stopping you from making your dreams come true? Caron identifies five common stumbling blocks, and advises how to overcome them.

1. What is possible and impossible
Personal beliefs can get in the way of your dreams if unfounded. "Unfortunately many beliefs may have come from others without us testing them out for ourselves," says Caron. Some examples include: "you have to have money to make money," "life isn't supposed to be fun" and "it isn't practical." While there may be truth in these limiting statements for some, that does not make them true for all people. "Your own beliefs about yourself and your capabilities would also fall under this category," says Caron. For example, "'I am too lazy,' 'I am not good at exams,' 'I would never be able to do it' and 'I am not smart enough.'"

Inhibiting effects: Inappropriate beliefs can result in people limiting themselves unnecessarily. Our first beliefs come from our parents, and then we are inundated with opinions from our peers and the media. Caron suggests some beliefs are helpful for a time but can outlive their usefulness: for instance, a parent telling their young child it is dangerous to go near the road. While we can learn from the experiences of others, it is important for self-fulfillment to reach a point at which you realize you are the best judge of what your limits should be.

How to know if you are stuck: "You dismiss your dream as impossible, improbable or impractical before you even start," says Caron, "or you keep taking actions toward your dream, but things never seem to work out."

Overcome the obstacle: Here are Caron's tips for forming and examining your personal beliefs:
• Write down your dream or goal, and then write out all of your beliefs and opinions that relate to it. Then ask yourself the following questions: Are you sure that they are true? Have you tested them yourself? Is each belief helping you be your best, or does it limit you in some way?
• Discard or change beliefs that are not empowering or do not support your dream.
• Spend time with people who are pursuing a similar dream, or even better, who have already reached it. They have the right kinds of beliefs.

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