What Would You Do If You Knew Your Success Was Inevitable?

The secret emotion that’s blocking your dreams.

It might surprise you to hear that you already know the secret to success. After all, those who’ve achieved the life of their dreams are more than willing to share the strategies they used to get there. So even though we have all this information, why does it often feel like there’s still a giant roadblock in the way?

It’s the question I found myself asking not too long ago. In theory, it seemed simple enough. I’d pinned down my vision, accepted I’d need a strong dose of resilience, and even had the plans mapped out already. Yet day after day, this recipe didn’t seem to initiate movement.

Naturally, I began to doubt myself. ‘What if this isn’t the right path after all?’ ‘Maybe I just haven’t found what I’m truly passionate about yet.’ ‘Surely if it was right, it wouldn’t feel this difficult.’

The issue is that I was coming from a place of logic. And there’s an emotion in all of us that’s far more powerful than that.

Revealing the truth

Although I could imagine achieving my ambition, I simply didn’t know when, or if, it would happen.

Wait, if?

That’s right. Whatever you‘re dreaming about or working on right now, there’s a chance it won’t ever work out as you hope. Terrifying isn’t it?

Whether we admit it or not, we all have this fear deep down inside. And secretly it prevents us from fully dedicating ourselves.

We don’t push because we’re afraid success might not happen.

I was afraid to commit, to sacrifice, to focus — because I couldn’t know for certain that it would lead me to where I was hoping it would. All my procrastination and excuses were only ways to avoid my fear of failure.

But obtaining the life of your dreams requires taking a leap of faith, recognising it might fail, and doing it anyway.

One trap to avoid at all costs

Okay so you’ll never be sure if your goals will come to fruition, but equally, you can’t say they definitely won’t. As long as you have days left on this earth, there’s every possibility that it will happen.

Unless you don’t try.

What would you do if you knew your success was inevitable?

When I asked myself this question, I suddenly felt a wave of confidence I’d not experienced before. I didn’t even consider holding back.

No doubt if you knew your big break was certain, you’d find that missing motivation you were scrambling for in an instant. Why? Because you’d no longer worry about the possibility of admitting defeat or having to start again with something new.

The problem is, when we put plans on hold or hesitate to go all-in until we feel this certainty, we guarantee our success will be limited.

The only way to be in with a chance is to keep going. And with that, stay mindful that the more you persevere with it, the more likely it is to spark into existence.

A method for motivation

Ever noticed how positive reinforcement happens day-to-day? When we feel our goals are progressing and see signs that plans are moving in the right direction, it energises us to move forward.

It works because these milestones provide mini-emotional rewards which show our efforts are bringing the vision closer to becoming reality.

When these indicators were lacking, I’d lose confidence. I’d slow right down and maybe even stop trying altogether. Though if that happens now, I can recognise it’s simply the fear creeping in again.

To combat it I use the progress principle, which explains that steady movements forward can be the most motivating of all. Aiming for some progress, however minor, helps us maintain a positive reinforcement loop, which encourages us to stay optimistic and motivated.

Recognise every success, however small. Pay attention to how you feel when you achieve another chunk of progress. Create a visual representation of what you’ve accomplished so far — whether it’s a list, a calendar, or a tracker you add to every few days.

Make sure it’s focused on success so far, not how far there is left to go. And on the days you feel doubt, you can feel inspired by how much you’ve built already.

How to control procrastination

When we realise that fear is a reaction to an uncertain future, we can limit it by reminding ourselves that we’re in control. With this in mind, every time I have the opportunity to direct energy to my plans or procrastinate — I remind myself that it’s my choice to pursue this direction.

As humans, we’re inclined to be risk-averse. As soon as we consider turning our ideas into action, we have to confront the reality that the path we’re pursuing is unpredictable. Understandably, our instinct does everything it can to prevent us from feeling that fear emotion.

This is what makes distractions so convenient. They give us an excuse to step away from a game we know we might not win, without feeling responsible for our lack of progress.

Of course, these moments of temptation are inevitable. So each time it happens, make the choice again. One phrase I use myself is ‘if this isn’t what you want, you can walk away at any time’.

When you repeat the decision, you retain your sense of autonomy. It works because when you feel in charge of your destiny, you reduce the feelings of helplessness that come from facing the unknown.

You don’t have to, you choose to. When you keep pushing even in the face of fear, it loses its control over you.

Make progress attainable

Even though I’d accepted it was worth the odds, naturally, I still felt demoralised from time to time. Although I had the practical steps to reach the destination, what I didn’t have was certainty about how long I’d have to carry them out.

It’s important to be clear on what your desired result is. Intentions are especially susceptible because they tend to be intangible, which doesn’t help you measure progress or define what achievement feels like.

Instead of the aspiration being ‘when I have enough money to quit my job and write a book’, try something concrete like ‘when I reach x amount of savings in the bank’.

Or, rather than ‘when my side project is a success’, try specifics such as ‘when my side project has x number of paying customers’.

When your targets look like this, every penny you save or customer you gain brings you within reach of the ultimate accomplishment. While you might not know precisely when that day will arrive, you’ll have the milestones to reassure you that you’re on the way.

The takeaway

A great piece of advice I heard recently was ‘remember that even doing what you love, there will still be days when it doesn’t feel simple’. And that’s okay, we just have to keep going. Similarly with fear, keeping these points in mind can help us make progress even on the days we don’t feel so confident.

• You are not incapable of achieving your ambitions, what you’re feeling is fear of failure.
• Failure is possible if you try, but certain if you don’t.
• Progress fuels confidence, which fuels motivation. Recognise all progress, however minor it might feel at the time.
• When distractions arise, remember you’re in this because you choose to be. Plus, making small decisions about how to get there will help you regain a sense of control.
• Set tangible goals with regular increments, so you can continually measure how far you’ve come.

And when 10 days, 10 customers or $10 turn into 10,000, remember to allow yourself to reflect on those moments you almost gave up — when fear threatened to halt you in your tracks. Because each time you keep pushing forward regardless of your doubts, you move another step closer to turning your dreams into reality.