We all have goals in life. We want to achieve something, be somebody, or do something great. However, sometimes we find ourselves unable to take the necessary action to make those things happen. Why is that? What prevents us from achieving our goals? This blog post will discuss several things that prevent us from taking action and achieving our dreams.

What's holding you back?

To achieve our goals in life and get anything we want, we have to take action. But, unfortunately, we sometimes feel lazy and have difficulties making the initial step. Several things put a damper on our spirits, and we must identify and overcome them to get anywhere in life.

1. Self-limiting beliefs

How often do you find yourself in a situation where you decide to start doing something only to falter later due to a voice inside your head that says you can't do it? Things like "I can only do this much," "I don't have the skill to do this," or "I don't have time for this" are all self-defeating thoughts that prevent you from taking action. Some of these beliefs are assumed constraints in that we think we are only capable of doing something to a specific limit when in fact, we can go beyond it. These limiting thoughts might have formed in our minds due to past experiences. So whenever we encounter or have to do something that reminds us of these not-so-good experiences, we hold back.

Limiting beliefs weaken our self-confidence and prevent us from moving forward. The solution is simple. One must acknowledge such thoughts but not give in to them and start doing something anyway. The reality is that it is normal for a human being to experience such thoughts. Acknowledge them but start taking action anyway, no matter how small it is.

2. Fear

There are all kinds of fear, limiting what we can do. For example, fear of failure, success, rejection, or any specific type of phobia can prevent us from acting on our lives. There can be many reasons why we are afraid of something. Sometimes, we can be so paranoid that it leads to catastrophizing, where we get paralyzed from thinking about worst-case scenarios in the future, which might not happen.

Like limiting beliefs, one must acknowledge fears as the first step to overcoming them. Once you do, gradually take steps to overcome what you are afraid of, taking some time. You might also need to step out of your comfort zone to perform the necessary action to progress. Finally, understand that your fear might only be a fantasy. Try to think of what can go right instead of wrong and focus on the positive things.

3. Lack of accountability

When no one checks on you to see if you are doing your job or meeting your goals, it becomes easier to slack off and head to procrastination mode. So if you want to start acting now, tell other people about your goals next time. It can be a friend, coworker, or family member. Even better, you can try working with a life coach, as making others accountable is one of their specialties. When you tell others about your goals, it's like making a promise to someone. You don't want it broken. The moment you fail to take action or commit to your goals, you will lose face in front of the person you told your goals. In turn, you become more motivated to take action and do something to achieve what you want in your life.

4. Lack of commitment

When there's hardly anything motivating you to do something, and you can't find its value in your life, it becomes more challenging to take action and stay committed to something. Taking on long-term goals can drain all your energy, time, and resources to achieve them. So if you don't have the proper mindset and plans to achieve such goals, it becomes more challenging to stay committed. One might resort to instant gratification instead or engage in distractions. Fortunately, there are various ways to stay committed to something, and you can try incorporating any of them into your life and see what works. If you have a reason to do something and know how to manage your emotions and plan how to do things, commitment becomes more manageable, and taking action will come afterward.

5. Environment

The environment in taking action refers to the people around you. It can be challenging to start working when surrounded by people who put you down, unsupportive peers, or pessimistic people. These types of people can make you feel bad and make you stressed, leaving you discouraged and therefore incapable of taking action. As much as possible, don't fall victim to these kinds of people and try to change your work environment. Work together with people that can inspire and support you, and talk to them. A positive working environment can boost your self-esteem and help you get started more instead of waiting or doing nothing at all.

6. Problems and challenges

Problems and challenges are part of any undertaking, especially when tackling big goals that take a long time to accomplish. One must be aware that they are part of life. You can't just wish for them to go away. They can exist in many forms, such as:

• Lacking the skill and knowledge to do something
• Limited financial resources
• People that are hard to get along with
• Uncontrollable things such as weather and accidents
• Health deficiencies
• Lack of proper equipment to do things
• Emotional difficulties

With setbacks, you must not wait until things get worse before you start solving them. The more you prolong them, the more you will have a hard time taking action if too many things are overwhelming you already. If you know that something is acting as a roadblock to you from taking action, you must act to remove it first so the course for making progress will open up to you. You can always ask for help from other people and learn things through the many available resources, such as the Internet.

Start taking action now.

Dreaming about big things is okay, but without any actions to make them a reality, they will stay there as an idea in a cloud. Anybody can have a good idea, but following it up with hard work to achieve it is challenging for most people. However, the whole process can start with simple action, and that initial step will be responsible for creating the many possibilities you can attain, including success. All the good ideas that you have will only stay in your head if you don't start taking any action at the present moment.