I would like to talk about something that goes hand in hand with last week’s No Alphabet Planning. Today I am talking about SETTLING. When we have a plan and do not pursue it, we are settling for less. We stop pursuing Plan A and settle for many reasons: pressure, self-doubt, what others make us believe about ourselves, etc.

But the biggest reason – we settle because we are afraid. People underestimate the power of fear. For example, those who are tight with their money are fearful they might not have enough. Hoarders are fearful because one day there might be a need for that one item they throw away. We underestimate the power of fear.

Then there are those who have opportunity, but instead decide to settle because it is comfortable. Don’t settle because it is the comfortable thing to do. Many people do this because they are afraid of stepping out of that comfort zone to take a chance. Granted, there is always going to be risk, but risk – or action – is either gainful or educational. It might seem easier at first to settle, but this causes a person to deteriorate from the inside.

You know you are settling when that red flag comes up: There is a gut feeling to not go through with it. If something deep down doesn’t feel right and you pursue it anyway, you are settling.

But just because you may have settled before, it does not mean that you are stuck. You can take action to make things different. Do not confuse settling with being stuck at an end. You have just temporarily stopped pursuing what it is you want.

Where there are those should pursue what they want and end up settling, there is also another side. On the other side you can see people who do not know how to settle. These people want to be champion or top dog. It’s a complex balance that has two sides.

If Plan A is your vision, don’t make room for a Plan B, C, or Z. Don’t settle instead of putting in the work or the persistence and end up asking “am I settling for this?”

ACTION CHALLENGE: Be aware of when you are settling. Think of instances in the past when you settled and remember that feeling so when you face the chance of settling in the future – you can recognize it. Remember, action is either gainful or educational.

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