What’s Holding You Back? 

Getting out of your own way is, like many worthwhile endeavors, easier said than done. It takes commitment, self-awareness, tenacity and deliberate action; knowledge is not enough. As Pablo Picasso once said, “Action is the foundational key to all success.” So, it’s that knowledge, coupled with action, that fuels momentum and creates change. 

I recently had the honor of speaking on this topic at two conferences, and it seems to have resonated with the group of business owners, executives, and corporate staffers in attendance at each event. The premise is simple: We all experience a variety of barriers, both external and self- imposed, that impede those pursuits and achievements we dream of. Of course, our dreams are unique to each of us and no two are exactly alike. Yet they have commonalities that transcend gender, age, income, education, culture and geography. And the process from dream to action to results can be interrupted, detoured and fragmented for anyone — regardless of their circumstances. 

Luckily, just the opposite is also true. Your circumstances don’t dictate your outcomes. What does create those outcomes is simple: knowledge + action = results. This simple formula is what drives success. Whether success means getting all your laundry done this week or launching a hot new brand, we define our own success, and just like us, it comes in many shapes and sizes. 

With that, let’s look at a few examples of common issues that can get in your way.