Hey hey hey everyone!
I was talking to my good friend Verrel yesterday about aiming high and setting huge goals. The more I thought about our conversation, the more I realized something really important: none of the big things I’ve achieved in my life have been possible without first BELIEVING they were possible. For instance:
Getting into shape
Imagine a lanky, thin 15 or 16 year old who could barely run a kilometer – that was me. I really wanted to become more athletic, even though all the odds were seemingly against me. I started by making myself believe that I was an amazing runner. Every time I’d feel like stopping during a run, I’d tell myself that I could push just another 100 meters, that I had it in me, that it was possible. I combined this mindset with training, and the result? I was able to push my running distance further and further – until I actually became the good runner I’d led myself to believe I was. By following the same process in the gym – believing that I was a great weightlifter and putting in the effort – I’ve since become the athletic person that my 16 year old self wanted to be.
Becoming a better student
Okay, so this may be the most drastic transformation of all. I used to be an EXTREMELY average student at the start of high school, and honestly, had neither the motivation nor the self-belief to change this. Then, one day, my biology teacher handed me back a test I bombed. Along with it came a comment like this: “Dvij, I’m disappointed. I know you can do better” (shout-out to any of my classmates who remember this). Those words hit me HARD. Partly because I had let my teacher down, but more importantly, because there was someone who believed I could be an excellent student, when even I didn’t. I decided that if somebody else was ready to believe in my abilities, I’d give it shot too. With a very important set of mock exams approaching, I acted like a diligent student and studied hard. Unsurprisingly, my grades went up, but surprisingly, they went up WAY more than I thought they could. This encouraged me so much that since that day, I’ve never given up on myself academically.
Overcoming social anxiety
Would you believe it if I said I used to struggle to talk to anyone apart from family and close friends? I was really afraid of putting myself out there and engaging with people, to the point where I’d actively avoid social situations. I didn’t like it at all, so midway through high school, I decided to face my fear, even if it’d make me very uncomfortable. I visualized what it’d be like to be able to say everything on my mind, talk to whoever I wanted, and enjoy myself around others. I chose to believe it was possible, and for the next 2 years, set out to face my social fears with this in mind. It took work, effort, and some discomfort, but I finally overcame my social anxiety. Although I’m not fully the person I visualized yet, I’m so much closer today. More importantly, though, I now absolutely believe I can become even better.
Over to you
Look, I promise you that I’m nobody special. But if the weak, socially anxious, mediocre student was able to transform himself into the person writing this post today, you ABSOLUTELY can achieve anything if you believe it’s possible. The formula really is very simple; visualize the life you want to have, believe it’s possible, and work hard for it. Choose to act like your dream self NOW, and with enough work, you will soon become that person in the outside world too. It may not be the easiest process, but I can guarantee that it’s 100% worth it.
I’d love to hear what goals y’all are setting for yourself in the comments below! Thanks for reading and until next time 🙂
(Image credit: Photo by Modestas Urbonas on Unsplash)
