What stops us

What stops us

I am sure much is preventing you from living as adventurously as you'd like to be doing (and if not, why the heck are you still reading?).

There are probably two distinct aspects to the barriers. One will be practical, perhaps a lack of either time or money. The second aspect is more intangible. These are the mental barriers inside our heads. This might be something you're shy to admit. You may have not even acknowledged it yet. But I'm convinced that every one of us struggles with them. If I had to guess, I reckon you feel like an imposter or worry what people think or are saddled with guilt for being selfish. (They're my usual three, anyway! I have plenty more where they come from if you need more…) 

I wrote extensively about overcoming the obstructions that get in the way of literal adventures (travel and expeditions) in my books Microadventures and Grand Adventures. Whilst researching them, I asked my website readers what they struggled with. From around 2,000 responses, the most frequent issues were time, money, family and commitments, fear, pressure, or having nobody to go with.

I was fascinated that not one person mentioned the hurdles of falling down a crevasse or getting eaten by a tiger. The greatest hindrances to everyone's adventures all lay before their journeys began. 

So whatever you dream of attempting, it is wise to push the problems you may face later on to one side. That does not mean ignoring them. Just park them for now in order to give your mind as much space as possible to be brave about getting started. Allow yourself a long run up before tackling distant dramas. The most pressing obstacles are concerned with getting you on your way. If you don't solve those first, nothing will happen. 

The next chapters will help you try to identify the bumps in your own road. They will remind you that you are probably not the only one facing them. And then they will help you choose whether to solve the problem or opt for another route. 

The first task is for you to work out what is stopping you from living more adventurously. After all, this is a self-help book…

Only by answering this honestly and thoughtfully is there any point continuing to read this book and be able to take the first steps towards making good things happen.

OVER TO YOU: 

• What practical barriers stand in your way?
• What mental barriers have you built up?
• Which concerns can be shunted further down the line?

Think of the most significant thing blocking you from living adventurously. 

Now ask these questions, known as the Dickens Process:

1. What has that barrier cost you in your life so far? 
2. What is that barrier costing you right now?
3. What will that barrier cost you 10 years from now if it persists?

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