Heres the biggest thing holding you back

Heres the biggest thing holding you backHeres the biggest thing holding you backAs I was doing research for the book Im currently writing, I came across this quote from an anonymous NASA employeeI am here today to cross the swamp, not to fight all the alligators.The quote resonated with me because we often do the opposite. We fight the alligators, instead of crossing the swamp.The swamp is a scary, uncertain place. We may never reach the other side. In many cases, we dont even know why were in the swamp in the first place and whats awaiting on the other side. Were afraid of who we might become if we cross it.But we know how to fight those alligators, so we fight them. We spend ur time doing what we know best- tackling our emails, attending endless meetings- instead of finishing that paper or launching that product.Its not like fighting alligators is completely unjustified. Theyre there after all. Theymightpresent a danger to us. As the alligators scream their 100 decibel sirens for a ttention, we feel compelled to fight them. Rather than being proactive, we spend most of our days- and our lives- playing defense.All this churnfeelsproductive, but its not. Were slaying the alligators, but the shore isnt any closer. Were winning each battle, but were losing the war. Each of us is a modern Don Quixote tilting at windmills.Whats worse, a new alligator appears as quickly as another disappears. Each email we send generates even more emails. Each Facebook message, tweet, and Instagram post gives us a reason to return.We have a choice.We can keep fighting alligators and waiting for a magical springboard to show up and catapult us to the other side (Spoiler There are no magical springboards).Or we can ignore the alligators, focus on the important instead of the urgent, and cross that swamp, inch by grueling inch.Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned law professor and bestselling author.Click hereto download a free copy of his e-book, The Contrarian Handbook 8 Principles for Innovating Your Thinking. Along with your free e-book, youll get the Weekly Contrarian - a newsletter that challenges conventional wisdom and changes the way we look at the world (plus access to exclusive content for subscribers only).Thisarticlefirst appeared onOzanVarol.com.