One Foot on the Gas, and One on the Brake

Most people are constantly pulled in two directions. You want this, but you also want that.

Instead of deciding on one option, we keep entertaining both. Yes, "this" is better, but then, I can't have "that". The problem becomes larger until it consumes most of your thinking.

These contradictions are often goals or ideas of ourselves. For example, when we're trying to change our identities - when we're moving towards who we want to become.

I have many such contradictions: I'd like to go all-in on entrepreneurship; my life goal is to work for myself and be financially free. On the other hand, I love mastering a craft; I'd love to dive deep into coding and become a great developer (which can also lead to financial freedom). Third, I'd also like an easy life. Get up late, work until the afternoon, have drinks & meet friends afterward.

But these goals are mutually exclusive. I can't both chill and work hard.

It's not only the grand scheme of things. We also contradict ourselves in our everyday life.

Can you recall a time you should've been more happy? You were a bit happy, yes, but not sufficiently so. It was supposed to be more. Yet, you held yourself back; you refrained yourself. After all, something might still go wrong, and you aren't fully "there" yet.

These contradictions keep you from reaching any of your goals. They keep you from being (one of) the (opposing) person(s) you want to be.

I call this "having one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake". You can't move at full speed. You're holding back.

Alright. But what is the solution?

It's as simple as it sounds - lift that foot off the brake.

The first thing to understand is that it's not hard. Your mind pretends that it is so it can circle around the two opposing forces. But it isn't.

Try this for a week:

Give in. Lift that foot off the brake. Fuck the consequences. You might be working long hours. You might become tired. You might become sick. You might fail miserably. The business idea might lead to nothing.

All of that is fine, just for a single week. You can always change direction (I can already hear people screaming that it's not fine to be sick - no, it isn't, but neither is being irrationally afraid of it).

You'll have moments during the week where you feel your feet on both brake and gas. When you realize this, recall that just for this week, you're all gas (much like when you cooked a giant pot of chili you've been eating for 4 days straight).

Let me add that you don't have to go for the hard-working option. Go for the option that is the gas pedal. The option you actually want, not the brake.

Also, know that not fully managing to do so is fine. Even raising the brake a little bit will make you move faster.

I hope this helps, it often does for me.