You have incredible potential for success today and every day. But something might be holding you back from doing just that. In this article, we will look at five possible thought-based habits that are holding you back from finding success and how to overcome each of them so you can reach your destiny.
5 Thought Patterns That Hold People Back From Success (And How to Overcome Them)
We all have a dream, and sometimes it seems so out of reach that we give up trying. But, you can reach your dream and we will help you do that by removing the things holding you back. According to Dr. Wayne Sotile, founder of the Center for Physician Resilience in Davidson, North Carolina, and author of Letting Go of What’s Holding You Back, being able to assess yourself honestly is crucial to let go of what is holding you back.
You will need to take a serious, objective look at your life and be willing to admit that you are playing a role in keeping yourself from being successful. Once you can admit that you are partly at fault for not accomplishing all that you are capable of, you’ll be on your way to killing it and checking things off your wish/bucket/dream list.
1. Fear of failure
Think about a time when you fell flat on your face in failure. Think about the emotions you felt; shame, frustration, disappointment, etc. These emotions are now blocking you from trying again. The negative emotional response to failure is one that we remember, and we do not want to experience that again. This experience creates an aversion to trying in the future because we fear these same negative emotions.
2. Fear of success
Although this seems counterintuitive, some people fear success as much as failure. The reason could be that being successful changes your image of yourself, and change can be scary. For example, if someone is working on writing a book and they become a published and acclaimed author, they may now feel pressure to continue producing great writing. The pressure that they imagine will come as a result of their success is one thing that will hold them back from being successful.
3. Being distracted from your priorities
Dr. Sotile says that we spend too much time on things that are not getting us where we want to go, and overcoming this is a matter of focusing on the bigger picture and dedicating more time to that goal. Dr. Sotile suggests that at least 20% of your day should be focused on the most meaningful aspect of your work. This helps you build positive feelings about your efforts, reinforcing you to want to do even more of that type of work.
4. Fear of uncertainty
There are a lot of ‘what ifs’ involved in being amazing. What if people don’t like me for being amazing? What if other people don’t recognize my talent? Will I offend people with my ideas? We’ve already covered the ‘What if I fail?’ and ‘What if I succeed?’ questions so this category of what is holding you back covers everything else you’re worried about.
It’s going to be hard to be successful if you are worried about what other people will think of you. People will always have an opinion, but you can’t allow that to stand in your way when you have a dream to accomplish before your time on Earth ends. You don’t want to be on your deathbed saying, ‘At least I didn’t offend anyone.’
Instead, focus on your faith in what you feel compelled to accomplish. There is a reason you have the desire to do it. Block out the rest and go find success.
Related article: 5 Ways To Get Out of A Bad Mood In Less Than 5 Minutes
5. Inactivity
Let’s face it. It’s hard to be successful while sitting on your butt on the couch in front of the TV. Very few accomplishments have been done from this position, so it’s important to keep from holding yourself back by getting up and moving. Taking a single step in the direction of your dreams creates a forward momentum that propels you toward finding success.
One example of a thing that is holding you back, is your lack of action to prevent disease and get healthy. Researchers in the North Carolina Medical Journal looked at workplace health promotion programs. They say, ‘Preventable illnesses make up approximately 70% of the total burden of disease and their associated costs. Half of all deaths in the United States are caused by modifiable behavioral risk factors and behavior patterns.
You can find success by only starting ONE of these things at a time. It’s a process, but please believe that we have just as much faith that YOU CAN…
