Boyanka Radeva's Blog/Portfolio

What do you need to be personally productive and successful?

Clarity of purpose
Knowledge
Skills
Ideas
A plan
Action
Project/Time management
Measurement against goals
Optimization
Motivation

29 Personal Constraint Demons

I’m not a life coach and I don’t play one on TV. I have worked with and observed a lot of business folks over the years though and I am a people-watcher. See if any of these personal constraints resonate with you:

Analysis Paralysis - One I suffer with a great deal so I put it first just so you know we all have constraints to clear. I over-think. A lot.
Waiting for the right time - It will never be the perfect time, just do something!
Fear of commitment - It’s not just relationships people fear to commit to, it could be a deadline or even your own goals.
(In)Decision Anxiety - Decisions make people afraid, and then having made the decision there are another set of emotional waves to contend with. Take small decisions, get practice and work up to the bigger ones.
Low confidence - This can result in not breaking out of comfort zone, keeping you locked into your current situation, not risking opportunities or failing to open up to new people. You will find the more you do the more confidence you will have. Confidence is like a muscle, it grows stronger with exercise.
Perfectionism - Nobody is perfect, but many people try to be. Be prepared to get things as good as you can get within the time and resources you are allowed.
Sense of entitlement - The world doesn’t owe you a single thing. If you want something, deserve it.
Jealousy - Related to the previous item, rather than looking at what everyone else has with greedy, coveting eyes, build your own success. You know you are a jealous type if you look at other people’s stats and feel bad.
Over competitive - It surprises people sometimes how much success depends on cooperating with others, and it shocks me sometimes how some people do not believe in Win-Win situations. You can be a success without coming first or beating your enemies. Don’t make enemies - Forge alliances
Imagination - If you don’t have imagination you have a big disadvantage. Either develop your own creativity or team with someone who has. Creativity is vital now more than ever.
Laziness - This can be a boon or a bane. Laziness is an excellent quality in a programmer, because lazy programmers automate and find easy solutions, but a lazy person is unlikely to put in the effort when you most depend on them.
Procrastination - A very common problem and overcoming it often comes down to taking small, decisive actions early and often.
Defeat - Have you ever met someone who packs in at the first sign of problems? Or even gives up before they start because of all the problems they predict? Part of being a success is using defeat as a learning process, trying to route about potential failure, but most of all, not being afraid of it. If you do one thing for your kids, teach them self-esteem and to embrace problems as a chance to learn.
Paranoia - Regardless of what you think, the world is probably not conspiring against you. And even if it is, it wouldn’t help to believe it.
Cash control - I have worked with people who spend money like crazy without a moments thought, even when their companies were laying off staff at a scary rate. Someone needs to be a grown-up where money is concerned, if that can’t be you, partner with someone who can.
Personality - Have you noticed the people with the most obnoxious personalities are often the people who are least willing to accept criticism? Yes, people should take you as you are and not try to change you, but at the same time it is worth moderating the more extreme or irritating habits, opinions or behaviors in order to just get along. Work on your communication skills, negotiation skills, and practice in speaking or social situations.
Organization - If your desk and diary looks like the local landfill then you need to get organized or find someone to organize you.
Blurred focus - Having a million opportunities or projects to juggle can be exciting but you need to focus on one thing at a time to give each task your best. Prioritize, and trim ruthlessly.
Drowning in Information - In the information age it is easy to be lulled into thinking your problems stem from not enough information. One thing I think this century will tell us is information is wonderful, but too much is as bad as not enough. Balance learning with action.
Burdens - Don’t let your responsibilities, important as they are, carry so much weight you have little time or energy for anything else.
Distractions - Related to #20, if you are constantly distracted your tasks will take twice as long to complete. Turn off the phone and email, lock your door, if necessary.
Isolation - Although in #21 I said lock your door, no person is an island, we need other people, at appropriate times!
Vanity - If you care too much about what people think then you will get nowhere because you will be afraid of taking steps that impact your “image”. Be willing to make a public mess. Most of the successful people throughout history have goofed big and often!
Ignorance - Unfortunately a lot of people who are ignorant are too ignorant to recognize it.
Status quo - “Because it has always been done this way” is the very worst justification. Challenge the status quo and only keep that which demonstrably works.
Power rush - Be very suspicious of anyone who pursues power, they are often dangerous. If you are looking to increase your control or power, look very deep to understand why. Partner with collaborators rather than control freaks.
Management by spreadsheet - People are not numbers to move around on a spreadsheet. Look beyond digits and understand that you get the best out of people by treating them with humanity.
Management by to-do list - Systems, unlike this list, rarely work in a 1, 2, 3 fashion. Work in parallel, see the dependencies and mitigate the risks.
Focus on the negative - I left this last just to show that while my entire list is negative, it is best to turn negatives into positives! Look through this list, see if any might apply to you, then work on dissolving this constraint from your own life.