April 2007- James and I prior to us both completely unpacking our respective personal baggage.
If you read my blog regularly, the name James Schleicher will sound familiar. James and I met through our college newspaper and quickly became friends. Post-college our friendship grew stronger thanks to similarities in our professional pursuits.
Recently while on the phone with each other we discovered even more common ground. In the past we both possessed personal baggage weighing us down. To treat our respective blog readers James and I decided to participate in a blog swap with the subject personal baggage. Without further ado I present to you a guest post from James Schleicher aka IBBJames.
What personal baggage are you still traveling with?
How is it effecting your decisions on a daily basis?
As high school students are graduating and heading off to college I am reminded of the “baggage” that was weighing me down as I arrived to college my freshman year.
In Richard Koch’s book The 80/20 Principle – The Secret to Achieving More with Less, he talks about how we try to add more things to our lives to make them better. However, many times it is the process of eliminating things in our lives that will produce the greatest results.
I believe we add more “things” to our lives mostly to cover up our weaknesses and fears. We’re always looking for some new “quick fix” that can make our troubles disappear. However, it is the process of facing our fears and our weaknesses that truly allows us to finally “unpack” the personal baggage that has been holding us back.
The goal of unpacking your personal baggage is to simply eliminate it.
I was an “average” student in high school and my only concern was qualifying for the State meet in cross country and track. For four years that was my entire reason for existing. Ultimately, I never qualified. I remember telling my mother, “I guess I’ll always be the ‘almost kid.’” I had defined myself as a person by the failures of my athletic goals.
As I went off to college and left high school behind it was the “almost kid” mentality I carried with me. I never stopped working tirelessly to achieve my athletic and academic goals; however, when I didn’t achieve my ultimate dreams it had become an expectation. I had blinded myself to any success I had achieved and the progress I had made.
May 2015- James and his wife Erica on Bermuda’s scenic beach. Not bad for the ‘Almost Kid!’
It was not until I had begun my career that I made a conscious decision that I was worthy of achieving my ultimate goals and dreams. I remember facing an almost impossible challenge at work as I was competing against a co-worker who had taken a significant lead on a goal I was chasing. It was at that moment I told myself, “Not this time. No more ‘almost kid.’” I eventually won and it was one of the greatest hurdles I’ve ever had to overcome. I finally unpacked my self-doubt and self-limitations. It has made all the difference ever since.
My challenge to you my friends is to make the conscious decision and proclaim to yourself that whatever personal baggage that has poisoned your expectations is no longer your reality.
Let it go and let yourself see opportunity where you once saw limitation.
Never let yourself keep you from your dreams. Dream big and win bigger.
I look forward to you unpacking the personal baggage that has held you back from what you are truly capable of.
Enjoy the day!
-ibbjames
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