Aspirational Hoarders (GWTW594)

Hello, my name is Chris Martin, and I have a confession to make: I am a hoarder. But not in the way you might be thinking. I am an aspirational hoarder. I collect all of the labels of who I want to be and what I want to do. From the earliest dreams to the weird, early-morning fantasies of living off the land, I don’t want to eliminate anything that could define who I am. So, I call myself a multi-hyphenate and feel better about the fact that I can’t let go of the past or accept that some dreams have run their course. Fortunately, I don’t think I’m the only one.

Symptoms of Aspirational Hoarderism:

  1. The belief that you can be something without doing anything.
  2. Delayed decision-making.
  3. Fear of failure.
  4. Need for perfection and certainty.
  5. Over-emphasis on what others will think or say.

Six Ways to Overcome Aspirational Hoarderism:

  1. Clear out the past to make way for the future.
  2. Take the smallest step…in any direction.
  3. Identify all the ways you are hoarding aspirations: knowledge, desire, identity, content, tools, connections.
  4. Commit to the process of creation; true identity is earned through action.
  5. Remember: the path to success is littered with mistakes, duds, failures, missteps, and accidents; and none of this is sexy enough for social media.
  6. Find your own way that makes sense for the life you want to live, the goals you want to achieve, your values, and the vision for your future.

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