What are Your Roadblocks to Success?
Do you have trouble getting started? I know I do and judging from the number of people that I talk to about their future plans that just never seem to materialize, I’d guess that this is a common problem. Leadership coach, John Maxwell says, “If you want to win, you’ve got to start.” Seems pretty obvious doesn’t it? So what’s the hold up? While getting started is an action step, many times it is our internal critical voice that keeps us from taking that first step. Here are four mindsets that can be roadblocks to getting started:
• Not giving yourself permission to take imperfect action: If you haven’t yet set a goal it’s hard to achieve a goal and often the hold up is an unwillingness to move forward and risk failure. We may be afraid of making a mistake or going in the wrong direction. However spinning our wheels trying to determine the perfect path won’t get us anywhere but frustrated with the lack of progress. Action creates clarity as we evaluate the results.
• Not giving yourself permission to be seen for who you truly are: Do you know what you want but are you afraid to ask for it? Maybe you secretly have a desire but are afraid if others know about it, you will be turned down, rejected or embarrassed if you don’t achieve it. You may be actually cheating yourself on this one. The world is often more willing to help us achieve than we give it credit for.
• Not giving yourself permission to be vulnerable and take risks: Just as fear of failure can paralyze us, so can fear of success. What if you don’t really know what to do, how to act, how to perform? What if you are overwhelmed with the responsibility of success, the amount of time and energy that it requires? Imposter syndrome can limit us here. We may say, “What if I succeed and they expect me to know everything and then find out I don’t?” We fail to recognize the flexibility, the power and the control that we have in any given situation.
• We don’t give ourselves permission to invest in ourselves: We know what we want but we don’t know the steps, the path, and the way to achieve it. There is always someone who has gone before us in all that we do. We need to find a role model, a mentor, a coach and connect with them to discover guide us along the way.
Roadblocks can be cleared and the road paved for success. Give yourself permission to take imperfect action, to be seen for who you, to be vulnerable and to invest in yourself. Don’t let fear, lack of focus or lack of knowledge keep you from making the necessary steps to achieve your goal.
Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand-new ending. Carl Bard
