5 Reasons Why We Abandon Our Dreams Too Soon

You see this abandoned building? Examine the structure of it.

It’s centuries old and is now thrown to waste. Completely forgotten about. It’s just another crappy building with no use. With a little imagination and a little creativity this could have been something truly great. This reflects as an example on many dreams that are left unfinished and rarely started.

What happened to your dreams? When was the last time you dreamed and imagined something you truly desired with a passion? What happened to that fearless kid who wanted to become something great when they grew up? You didn’t let anything stop you. Your imagination traveled everywhere and your dreams were the wildest. You were open to everything and nothing could get in your way.

As we begin to age, the imagination phase dies off. We dream but it’s rarely in color anymore. We desire to obtain things but we don’t fully go after them. Years begin to fly by as we settle and choose less. Then, we’re too “old” to do the job. We then lay our goals to rest and this is how dreams die too soon.

Too often, we abandon our dreams and never reach the full discovery of them. We give up before we even try.

Scientists say 92% of people don’t achieve their goals. This means only 8% of people go after what they truly want. This an extremely low percentage of people but sadly, it’s the truth.

“Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than the one with all the facts.” — Albert Einstein

1. Mentally we feel insufficient and feel like we don’t qualify for the job.

There are times when we feel like we are not enough or don’t have enough to go after our desired dreams. We may feel that we are too young or too old. We may base things on our values, beliefs, genders, cultures, or social norms. Environments can also play a big part in it as well. If we feel like we don’t come from much, we can easily limit ourselves. We’ll build this idea in our minds that ‘having more is better’ and ‘less’ is nothing.

As a child, I did not grow up in the nicest neighborhoods. Of course when I was younger it was not something I paid much attention to. I was playing with Barbie dolls in a large doll house, that was my paradise.

I lived in a poor environment that was filled with gangs, thieves, shootings, homeless people, and drug addicts consuming drugs on the sidewalk. I could easily limit myself and assume because I lived in a poor unhealthy environment that I wouldn’t become who I wanted to be. This was my environment but this was not who I was.

Circumstantial stuff can shape you but ultimately it can’t define you. I didn’t use my environment as an excuse to keep me from going after what I truly wanted. Feeling insufficient is a mindset. If you view yourself and everything around you as insignificant, nothing will ever be enough. (Even if you have the whole world handed to you).

Be conscious of your worth and know who you are. Know that you qualify for your dreams and you can reach for the stars if you want to.

Your biggest enemy can be you. So don’t beat yourself up through assumptions about yourself before you even try. If you keep telling yourself that you don’t qualify for something then you won’t reach your desired end goal. Self-doubt can keep you boxed into a state of fear and anxiety. Self-doubt will restrict you from aiming for something big.

If you’re still existing on this planet there’s a purpose written in your story. Don’t hold back and let your inner critic get the best of you. Don’t discredit your dreams by what you think you don’t qualify for based off of your circumstances. You have everything you need right here, right now. You have all the tools.

Don’t sabotage your future and don’t waste opportunities. Find something worth living for and create it. It is never too late or too early to focus on your dreams and go after them. The time is now.

2. We allow external opinions from other people to dictate our dreams.

When we share our dreams and goals with other people they don’t always have the same ideas and views we have set for ourselves. They will see things from a different perspective. Some people have our best interests and only want what’s best for us while others do not have our best interests and only want what’s worst for us. These are both considered to be positive and negative influences. You must depict between the two.

Positive influences can encourage you. Negative influences can limit you. Negative and positive influences can come from anyone. Whether they’re close to you or a stranger. You are influenced by who you surround yourself with.

We allow people to influence us and we give them the authority to rule over our lives. We allow external opinions to dictate our actions. We are told what to do and what not to do. We are told what not to be and who to be. We are convinced that if we don’t go after the “right” dreams we are considered failures and that every job is not considered a career but instead, a hobby. Other opinions can control our lives and we can manipulate ourselves into believing that these opinions are true.

Understand the difference between someone’s opinion and a fact. Take a moment to ask yourself who’s writing your story and who’s the one narrating it.

Everyone will not always understand the dreams you have placed within your heart. They can only see what’s on the outside exterior. That’s why I consider these to be external opinions because you know yourself more than anyone else does. Sometimes you’re the only person that understands. People won’t always be accepting of your decisions and the life choices you make. Don’t keep your dreams locked away because every person doesn’t agree with what you do. Do it because you agree with yourself.

3. The waiting phase feels like an eternity.

Waiting for something can sometimes feel like forever. It probably feels like what you want is never going to come. The goal feels out of your reach and sometimes patience may just not be enough to keep you pushing forward.

In the process of waiting it can cause boredom and you can easily revert to something that is short-term, a lot faster, a lot quicker, and easier. We expect instant results and fast growth. We want things right away and not 10–15 years from now. The thing is we’re not actually waiting, we’re slowly developing and growing in the process.

Rushing for quick fixes and instant results do not lead to a life of true fulfillment. Sure, you’ll feel temporarily satisfied but it will not last in the long run. Let life take its course.

One of the biggest reasons why we consider the waiting phase to be long is because we are comparing our journey to someone else’s journey. We’ll believe that we are not going as fast and that we are far behind in the race. You can always settle and choose something that’s more convenient or you can choose something worthy of waiting for. If we don’t understand the concept of having patience when things don’t go as we expect, we will fall short during this process every time.

This process can easily be mistaken as just awaiting the end result. In the process, you are working toward the end result. Achieve in the process and celebrate partial victories along the way.

Don’t quit on your dreams because they're not changing as fast as you hoped. If you want good things to happen then believe that good things take time. You are just touching the surface. You haven’t reached the greatest parts.

4. We are scared to fail.

I once read a fortune cookie that said “Most success springs from an obstacle or failure.” I believe this phrase to be accurate because reaching success is not a perfect journey filled with perfect moments and perfect results. Failure is included in success.

Sometimes failing feels like too much pressure for us. When we fail many times and we don’t get things right on the first try, we begin to feel discouraged. In life, we face daily struggles and it's not always something we want to go through. Sometimes it’s harder than we anticipated.

Depending on how you view failure, you will see it as a good thing or a bad thing. You’ll see it as an opportunity or as a threat. When you fail you understand what works and what doesn’t work. You learn and grow through trial and error. You find better ways to improve and make adjustments.

Don’t be afraid of failing, be afraid of not trying. Failure is a great risk to take but not trying at all is where our dreams will go to waste. No matter how hard it gets don’t give up when you’re under pressure. There is an incredibly great story on the other side of those failures you face.

Pull through and you’ll see.

5. We lack productivity.

Have you ever heard of the phrase dreams don’t work unless you do? Well, this is true too. When we are not disciplined with our dreams, we run into this problem. We refuse to perform the work and make adjustments that align with our dreams. Making adjustments could mean shifting our schedules and making more time for one thing and less time for another thing.

Not being productive can be rooted in many things physically, mentally, emotionally, internally, and externally. One reason we lack productivity is that we come up with excuses and insist that we don’t have the “time”. This saying often comes from being too busy and having a workload of different tasks 24/7. Productivity can also be lacked through distractions and performing bad habits that restrict us from our goals. If more bad habits are performed than good habits, we are less likely to go after what we want. Lacking consistency can also result in a decrease in productivity levels. It’s also based on our daily routines and how we perform them.

“We do not rise to the level of our goals. We fall to the level of our systems.” — James Clear

Throughout our lives, we will have to make ongoing changes that line up with our dreams. We will have to make sacrifices and adapt to different patterns. If you want to make a good habit stick I would highly recommend reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. He provides a series of ways to achieve habit formation and break away from the bad ones.

Also, you’re not always going to feel like being productive. On those days you don’t feel like it, don’t push yourself to work 10x harder but instead, achieve something very tiny because, in the end, you are still taking the initiative to be productive. You don’t have to start big to be big, start small and watch those small steps create something magnificent.

How hungry are you for your dreams? Because if you’re not hungry enough you won’t go after them. You can do whatever you put your mind to. Through blood, sweat, and tears, strive for what it is that you want out of life. If your mind is set on that you won’t let anything get in your way. Not even yourself.

Do what 92% of people don’t do. Make your dreams become your reality. Ask yourself who you want to be, where you want to be, and how will you get there. Don’t be afraid to dream big. We need more dreamers like you in this world.

Many people die with regrets because they never gave themselves the chance to live out their purpose. All their lives they were held back by themselves, their critics, bad habits, and fear. Is this something you’re willing to sacrifice for too?

Do what you love with a passion and make your first move.