Are you leaving opportunity on read?

Have you ever wanted to take that next step, or had an opportunity presented to you, and you get stuck, unable to figure out what you want or how to move it forward? Do you decide by not deciding? 

I've got good news and bad news for you, especially if you have a million reasons why you did nothing. Good news is you can overcome this behavior in a simple way. Bad news is you have to overcome your fear by actively being involved in changing avoidant behavior. 

If you have been following along with me for a while, you may know where I'm going with this. The answer is the same for the good and the bad news. Mindset management. YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE YOUR REALITY is not just a bumper sticker for intellectuals. It's true, our thoughts create the avoidance behaviors, but when redirected can also create the empowered ones.

So, how can we overcome our default and take opportunity off read? 

As always, the answer is simple, but seldom easy. It involves hacking your brain to create the result that you want, instead of letting your brain default to it's normal 2 year old self, left alone, running around the house with a sharp knife. 

Your brain is wired to keep you safe, defaulting to the way you've always managed thoughts and behaviors. So, opportunity comes up and your brain quickly assesses the situation and determines to respond in the usual way –– avoid/stay safe. This often leads to procrastination, which looks like overeating, overdrinking, overstreaming reality TV, etc. These all serve as distractions to avoid your feelings, and opportunity goes unanswered. 

If you want to be a badass and say fu*k off to avoidance, it's simple math, risk = reward. If you can interrupt your brain's default, you can create real and lasting change in your life by generating thoughts that motivate. There is actual scientific evidence of this. An article in Psychology Today states: 

"What we control, and where we really start to create our reality, is in how we perceive/interpret/think about the events in our life that generate our feelings about those events, and how we subsequently respond with our behavior. No one can choose your thoughts or actions; those are yours alone."

Thoughts that motivate lead to creation and counteract consumption. Case in point, I'm writing this instead of eating girl scout cookies and watching the entirety of Daisy Jones & the Six like my brain wanted to. You can learn to use your thoughts to create different actions than your default, thoughts that result in empowered feelings and the subsequent actions that take you from avoidance to doing the thing.

Now go find your opportunity and take if off read.