Too much of a good thing isn’t good for you. Sometimes there’s just too much ‘happy’ ‘warm and fuzzies’ and ‘positive thinking.’ Other times there’s just too much negativity. Let’s look at some self improvement clichés that can help you during those tough times. 

1. Get out of your comfort zone 
This might be true, but it’s easier said than done. You get why someone might back out of something because suddenly they realize they don’t feel like they are ready. Instead, look at things from a different point of view. If you are feeling anxious or scared those are signs you need to do this. Ease your self doubt. 

2. Follow your dreams
You’ve probably been told more than once to just ‘follow your dreams.’ The problem is it’s easy to say follow your dreams, but to actually do it takes a lot of work. To make matters worse, the self-help industry overvalue the idea of following your dreams, so much that we feel like if we aren’t following our dreams we are doing something wrong – not true. Vision boards, meditation, the Law of Attraction – all buzz words. The bottom line – follow your dreams if you want to and if you don’t want to that’s okay. If you choose to follow your dreams, you need a plan and realistic milestones. 

3. Get over your fears
Yet another thing that’s easier said than done. Admit it – letting go of your fears is downright scary. The best way to try to conquer your fear is to understand your fear, allow yourself to feel afraid, but do it anyway. Fear is designed to alert you. It stops you from jumping off a perfectly good bridge. When you find the root of your fear, you can determine whether that fear is rational or not. Not all fears are bad. Fearing poisonous snakes is a good fear, but being paralyzed because you fear them is something you can overcome. 

4. Quit your job
You can find rags to riches stories everywhere – someone quits their job and it’s the best thing they ever did. They find wealth and happiness that otherwise would have eluded them. But don’t forget there’s plenty of ‘truth stretching,’ that often goes on here. Quit your job if it makes sense. Quitting your job without thinking it through is just plain stupid. You will very quickly miss your paycheck. Instead, learn to block out the negative aspects. Remember – we all need a paycheck to survive, so unless you have plenty of savings you’d better hang on to your job for now. 

The next time one of these popular clichés finds its way to you, before you are too quick to jump on the bandwagon make sure you think it through and determine it’s the best plan of attack for your self improvement goals.