Aspirations VS security

It's easy to fall into the safety trap. You may not be doing exactly what you want, but at least you know where you stand. Especially if you have other people depending on you, have financial obligations or want to maintain a lifestyle.

The routine of predictability offers you comfort, you get used to your circumstances even if they don't quite satisfy you. Is your job an obligation that causes you anxiety and tension? Do you feel pressured to meet goals and objectives that mean little to you? And yet you are afraid of losing the security you have achieved?

Maybe you don't like the people you work with or you feel underutilized or that they undervalue your abilities. But you continue because having a safety net is important. You fall into a repetitive cycle where you strive to accomplish what you have to, or reach a goal that will only perpetuate the cycle. With almost no time to think about the emotional consequences of that attitude.

Security has become one of the most cherished values for people even if it means sacrificing their freedom in certain areas or giving up their aspirations. To progress it is necessary to get out of our comfort zone.

Finding your aspirations

Aspirations are part of your vision of the future. It is that intense desire to achieve something you consider very important. To achieve your aspirations you must consciously visualize the reality you want for yourself and ask yourself: What do you need to achieve it? When? How? With what resources and money? What skills do I need? Who does my decision affect? What consequences will it have for me? What will I do when I achieve my aspiration?

Everyone fantasizes about fulfilling their dreams but not everyone is really prepared to go after them. They are not aware of what is involved, the work it takes. The hardest decisions are the ones that require us to question our beliefs and modify our patterns of thinking and behavior. If we are not able to pay the price it may be that we don't really need to.

Sometimes you know what your dream is from a young age but most of the time it changes or you can't see clearly what you want. If you are not clear about what your aspirations are one way to get closer is to ask yourself what you definitely don't want for yourself. Take out one by one all those variables that do not interest you or that bother you, and see what you would not give up.

Try to isolate only what you need, your real goals, what you expect from the future. When this exercise is done, there are not many options left that truly satisfy you. It is a matter of recognizing your possibilities and your limitations, your talents and resources. And to discover the opportunities and threats of the environment. Once we are clear about what drives us in life and our priorities, it is easier to make the decisions that are right for us.

Aspirations are necessary for self-fulfillment. If you do not fulfill your aspirations you will probably end up fulfilling those of other people who are more conscious, but above all more persevering than you.

If you feel discouraged or depressed and that you are going nowhere with your life, it's probably because you are. You are sacrificing your dreams for security. You can work on your aspirations while fulfilling your obligations. They don't have to be a constraint, nothing worthwhile comes easy and the sooner you get on with it, the sooner you'll see results.

Main obstacles when following an aspiration

It is important to always remember that we have freedom of choice, which comes with a price but if we have aspirations it is necessary to fill ourselves with courage and take the first step to turn them into life purposes. They do not have to be radical decisions, but we must make an effort to progress not only economically or professionally, but also as a person.

Among the main brakes to follow the aspirations are:

• Fear of failure.

• Being a perfectionist.

• Fear of being judged.

• Fear of public exposure.

• Risk aversion.