Human Minds (Part 2)

Welcome Back !! 

Now its time to ponder your mind and digest the food for thought that you had been munching, after reading the last post. I hope you've created a list of things which you have on your wishlist, but due to some or the other reason, have not been able to achieve / accomplish the same. 

Statutory Warning : I do not "guarantee" that this will work for you, but what I can say, is that I have found the following set of ideas very effective in application. Of course , all this is a collection of thoughts and ideas gathered after reading a vast number of forums and books. 

Here it is .... 

• Step 1 : A definitive analysis of non action
  Try to analyse why you did not act upon the idea. List down the various circumstances that were stopping you from implementing the idea. Here's an example : 
  
  
  Idea I didn't act upon :  
  I wanted to buy a plot of land for myself, but couldn't. 
  
  
  Reasons / Justifications I gave myself :
  I would not be able to afford the loan EMI's.
  I didn't have enough cash to pay the down-payment.
  I have other financial priorities.
  Land dealings have a lot of legal headaches.
  
  
  
  
• Step 2 : Deep dive into the reasons / justifications
  Look upon the reasons and justifications. How real are they ? how reasonable is the reason / justification ?  Try to find out what you could have done differently which could have resulted in your reason / justification to be frivolous. Here's an answer to the above example.
  
  
  A Proactive approach towards the reasons / justifications
  I would not be able to afford the loan EMI's.
  I didn't have enough cash to pay the down-payment.
  I have other financial priorities. - 
  
  
  What is your driver which is holding you back from paying off your EMI's ? You guessed it right, its your current monthly / annual income. While most of us are tied to our jobs, we can definately explore an alternate income route. It can be either you switching to a higher paying job, or doing a part time business (not conflicting with your current job) and trying to earn the extra buck. Of course, this would mean that no more day long hangouts with friends, very few picnics and trips, and a lot of personal sacrifice. But what it would also mean, is that you are moving one step closer to your end objective.
  
  
   It also indicates a liquidity crunch. You would need to save more, cut down on un-necessary expenditure and save money to ensure you have a sufficient pool of money to pay the down payment. Chalk out a clear distinctive line between "necessities" and "luxuries". You would find that the workable solution was right there in front of you, while you were giving yourself the reasons.
  
  
  Land dealings have a lot of legal headaches - 
  Its obvious. Thats a lame reason you have given to justify the three reasons above it. As you cannot find a solution, its a human tendency to highlight a negative point in an idea and label it as a "reason". 

The Concept - Comfort Zone factor - 

This is something which we all go through. The "Comfort Zone" factor. This is where the human mindset comes into play. Ever since we were born, human instinct and learning always makes you react to a situation and choose the most comfortable way out of the situation. 

If its too cold, you would immediate put on a sweater, if its too hot, you would switch on the AC. If you fear you'd get hurt, you'll avoid doing certain things. We instinctively choose the path in which we will not have to go through the hardship, even if this involves loosing the very thing we are chasing.

People do not want to appear for a tough exam, as they feel they are not "capable" of it. What derives that reason is the fear of failure, as they lack the willingness to work hard, go out of their comfort zone and study for that exam. 

This is exactly what you do, when you come across an idea. You would weigh it down, if you feel that you might have to work out of the way to achieve that idea, no matter how beneficial the idea might be. Its natural. Its what we all have been taught, right from the time we were born. We are like caged lions, who seek their solace in the comfort of the cell in a zoo, and do not want to go to the forest and explore our ideas. There is a difference. The lion in the zoo does not have a choice. We do.

Look at people who have been very successful in life. More often or not, you will find that they have gone out of their so called "Comfort Zone" because they had the passion to chase the idea, which many ridiculed as "unreasonable" or "not worth taking the risk".

All in all .... if you have the will to win, you certainly will !