Living in a 21st century world where we are constantly connected and bombarded with life updates from our family and friends on social media sites, we presume we are surrounded by gap-year backpackers and career go-getters; but is this really the case?

A recent study has found otherwise. New research has revealed that even though we are big dreamers, and set the bar high with our ultimate goals in life, what we actually believe we’ll set our minds to and achieve is significantly lagging.

A survey of 2,000 Brits has found that more than a third (36%) of people want to learn a new language but less than 1 in 5 (19%) believe they will actually do it in their lifetime. The second most popular aim was to achieve an ideal weight with 34% wanting to do this, but under a quarter (22%) felt they had the belief to
do so.

The major factor holding us back from ticking off everything on our bucket lists seems to be our own self belief — the driving force behind our productivity and, ultimately, our happiness. One inspirational person, who went on her own pursuit of happiness, is Christine Meerman-Cooper. As part of the E-Lites ‘Believe You Can’ campaign, she took on the unforgiving terrain of the Alaskan tundra, and trekked for 12 days in sub-zero temperatures to raise money for her Malamute Husky charity. This wasn’t your average arctic adventure; Christine crossed over 100 miles via Alaskan Malamute sled!

So, are we really a nation who likes to simply blow hot air? Christine is advocating for more adventure and projects like the ‘Believe You Can’ scheme, which helps the average Brit achieve their dreams, no matter how small or large they are.