WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.080 Welcome to Milestone Moments, the show where 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.960 we explore the journeys that lead to success. 00:00:06.599 --> 00:00:10.220 I'm Sheila Slick, your host and founder of Five 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:13.859 Milestones. In every episode, we will bring you 00:00:13.859 --> 00:00:17.100 insights from the minds of entrepreneurs, leaders 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:20.820 and experts who will share not just their expertise, 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:24.120 but the milestone moments that have reshaped 00:00:24.120 --> 00:00:27.059 their journeys and led to significant achievements. 00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:30.379 So if you're looking for motivation, you're in 00:00:30.379 --> 00:00:33.560 the right place. Subscribe now and discover the 00:00:33.560 --> 00:00:41.500 milestones that mark the path to success. Hi, 00:00:41.579 --> 00:00:43.939 welcome back to another episode of Milestone 00:00:43.939 --> 00:00:46.640 Moments in Business and Leadership. I'm Sheila 00:00:46.640 --> 00:00:49.600 Slick, your host. And today we're talking about 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:52.159 something that impacts us all, whether we're 00:00:52.159 --> 00:00:54.740 in the middle of our business journey or just 00:00:54.740 --> 00:00:57.390 starting out. and I'm talking about barriers 00:00:57.390 --> 00:01:01.170 to growth. We all have big dreams, and some of 00:01:01.170 --> 00:01:03.990 us have those huge game -changing visions, while 00:01:03.990 --> 00:01:06.890 others might have smaller, more immediate goals. 00:01:07.170 --> 00:01:10.129 But let me ask you something. Why is it that 00:01:10.129 --> 00:01:12.650 sometimes, despite working hard and putting in 00:01:12.650 --> 00:01:15.829 the effort, we don't seem to get any closer to 00:01:15.829 --> 00:01:19.409 achieving those dreams? It can feel like you're 00:01:19.409 --> 00:01:21.989 running on a treadmill sometimes, moving but 00:01:21.989 --> 00:01:26.120 not really going anywhere. So why? Well, let 00:01:26.120 --> 00:01:28.439 me tell you something that I learned the hard 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:31.640 way. We often build invisible barriers to our 00:01:31.640 --> 00:01:35.180 own growth. And they're not always obvious. They 00:01:35.180 --> 00:01:37.799 don't come with flashing lights or loud alarms, 00:01:38.019 --> 00:01:41.040 but they're there. And until we're aware of them, 00:01:41.219 --> 00:01:45.299 they hold us back. So today, I want to talk about 00:01:45.299 --> 00:01:48.719 the power of awareness and how identifying these 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:51.700 barriers is the first step to breaking through 00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:55.180 them. The truth is, if you can't see it, You 00:01:55.180 --> 00:01:59.299 can't change it. So let's talk about how you 00:01:59.299 --> 00:02:02.299 can develop the power of awareness and start 00:02:02.299 --> 00:02:06.000 identifying your own personal barriers to growth. 00:02:07.420 --> 00:02:10.900 Let's get clear on what I mean by barriers. These 00:02:10.900 --> 00:02:13.719 aren't always the big obvious roadblocks that 00:02:13.719 --> 00:02:17.080 we think about. Sometimes they're subtle. Sometimes 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:19.560 they'll creep up in ways and we don't always 00:02:19.560 --> 00:02:23.219 notice. you might find yourself justifying why 00:02:23.219 --> 00:02:25.740 you haven't made progress. And you might find 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:28.520 yourself saying things like, I'm doing everything 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:31.860 I can. I'm working so hard. Why isn't it working? 00:02:32.259 --> 00:02:35.759 And I know this because I've been there. A few 00:02:35.759 --> 00:02:38.560 years ago, I had found myself stuck in this cycle 00:02:38.560 --> 00:02:41.900 of working harder and harder, but I wasn't really 00:02:41.900 --> 00:02:44.419 seeing the results that I wanted. And I kept 00:02:44.419 --> 00:02:46.979 telling myself, if I just push harder, things 00:02:46.979 --> 00:02:50.490 are just going to click. But deep inside, I knew 00:02:50.490 --> 00:02:53.750 that something was off. It wasn't about my effort. 00:02:53.849 --> 00:02:57.050 It was about something deeper. And when I took 00:02:57.050 --> 00:02:59.689 a step back and I really looked at my situation, 00:03:00.009 --> 00:03:04.449 I realized that that barrier was fear. And that 00:03:04.449 --> 00:03:08.250 fear is fear of failure, fear of being judged, 00:03:08.490 --> 00:03:12.099 fear of not being enough. And this kind of self 00:03:12.099 --> 00:03:16.219 -sabotage isn't rare. It is so common. In fact, 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:19.280 that most of us don't even recognize when it 00:03:19.280 --> 00:03:22.360 is happening. So what's the first step? Well, 00:03:22.580 --> 00:03:24.879 the first step is to be honest with yourself. 00:03:25.139 --> 00:03:29.039 And that's not easy, but it is absolutely necessary 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:33.120 if you're wanting to grow. So let's break down 00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:36.439 some of the most common barriers to growth that 00:03:36.439 --> 00:03:39.330 I've come across, both in my own journey. with 00:03:39.330 --> 00:03:41.849 the people that I've coached, and through my 00:03:41.849 --> 00:03:44.530 education. And these are the ones that sneak 00:03:44.530 --> 00:03:47.110 in and hold us back when we least expect it. 00:03:47.250 --> 00:03:52.169 And the number one most common barrier to growth 00:03:52.169 --> 00:03:56.030 is fear of failure. We have that one big fear, 00:03:56.169 --> 00:04:01.210 fear of failure. And this one keeps so many people 00:04:01.210 --> 00:04:05.389 stuck. We start to believe that if we fail, it's 00:04:05.389 --> 00:04:08.340 the end. that we'll be judged, we'll be criticized, 00:04:08.379 --> 00:04:12.280 or that we just aren't cut out for success. So 00:04:12.280 --> 00:04:16.339 we avoid that risk and we play it safe. But the 00:04:16.339 --> 00:04:19.959 truth behind that is that avoiding failure doesn't 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:23.279 help you grow. In fact, it's what's keeping you 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.259 from trying new things, from taking chances, 00:04:26.339 --> 00:04:30.480 and from learning. I've passed on many different 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.839 opportunities because I was terrified of failure. 00:04:34.300 --> 00:04:38.220 But when I finally embraced it and realized it 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:40.360 was a necessary part of the process, everything 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:44.459 changed. Failure isn't an enemy. It's a teacher. 00:04:44.899 --> 00:04:49.860 So what do you have to lose? Perfectionism is 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:54.000 the number two. I'm sure you've heard this one 00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:56.899 before. I can't start until it's perfect. If 00:04:56.899 --> 00:04:59.459 you're constantly waiting for the perfect moment 00:04:59.459 --> 00:05:02.720 or setting these impossibly high standards for 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:06.300 yourself, You'll stay stuck. Perfectionism keeps 00:05:06.300 --> 00:05:09.540 you from making progress. We've all done it. 00:05:09.579 --> 00:05:12.500 I've done it countless times. I've delayed decisions 00:05:12.500 --> 00:05:15.579 and projects because I was worried that they 00:05:15.579 --> 00:05:18.740 weren't perfect. But when I eventually realized 00:05:18.740 --> 00:05:21.360 that progress is more important than perfection, 00:05:21.740 --> 00:05:25.620 I began to move forward. And when you move forward, 00:05:25.759 --> 00:05:29.639 you're growing. Number three, a third barrier 00:05:29.639 --> 00:05:33.939 is a lack of self -belief. Maybe you doubt yourself 00:05:33.939 --> 00:05:36.339 or you feel like you're not ready for the next 00:05:36.339 --> 00:05:38.920 step. And if you don't believe in yourself, how 00:05:38.920 --> 00:05:42.199 can you expect anyone else to? This kind of thinking 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:46.139 keeps you afraid. It keeps you small. But you'll 00:05:46.139 --> 00:05:48.699 never stretch beyond your limits if you stay 00:05:48.699 --> 00:05:52.379 in that comfort zone. I have had so many moments 00:05:52.379 --> 00:05:56.339 when I felt like an imposter. Like I wasn't capable 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:59.259 as the people around me. Even with this podcast. 00:06:00.839 --> 00:06:04.120 I lacked the self -belief that I could be the 00:06:04.120 --> 00:06:07.800 host of a podcast. But self -belief isn't something 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:09.879 that you're born with. It's something that you 00:06:09.879 --> 00:06:12.819 cultivate. And once you believe in yourself, 00:06:13.100 --> 00:06:17.500 everything begins to shift. And sometimes what 00:06:17.500 --> 00:06:21.079 is holding us back is when we get too comfortable. 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:24.899 We settle into a routine and we stop challenging 00:06:24.899 --> 00:06:28.810 ourselves. We stop growing. Comfort feels great 00:06:28.810 --> 00:06:31.230 in the moment, but in the long run, what it does 00:06:31.230 --> 00:06:35.910 is it leads to stagnation. Growth requires discomfort. 00:06:35.970 --> 00:06:39.470 It requires stepping out of our comfort zone. 00:06:40.410 --> 00:06:42.949 For me, I've gotten comfortable in my routine 00:06:42.949 --> 00:06:47.449 many times. I've also stepped out of my comfort 00:06:47.449 --> 00:06:51.569 zone many times. And it wasn't until I pushed 00:06:51.569 --> 00:06:55.050 myself out of my comfort zone that I began to 00:06:55.050 --> 00:06:58.839 see. real growth again, or results that I didn't 00:06:58.839 --> 00:07:02.540 expect. They went above and beyond my expectations. 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:07.240 And then there's always the external influences, 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:10.819 other people's opinions, societal expectations, 00:07:10.879 --> 00:07:14.759 and that pressure to fit in. Those can all create 00:07:14.759 --> 00:07:17.920 barriers. It's so easy to let other people's 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:22.519 judgments shape our decisions. And this pressure 00:07:22.519 --> 00:07:26.810 sometimes makes you want to follow what everyone 00:07:26.810 --> 00:07:29.170 else is doing instead of paving your own path 00:07:29.170 --> 00:07:32.709 but when you realize that if you keep letting 00:07:32.709 --> 00:07:36.269 the outside influences dictate your choices then 00:07:36.269 --> 00:07:39.730 you'll never truly be yourself and breaking free 00:07:39.730 --> 00:07:44.529 from that pressure is a game changer so now that 00:07:44.529 --> 00:07:48.129 you know what some of these common barriers are 00:07:48.129 --> 00:07:52.089 let's talk about how you can cultivate that power 00:07:52.089 --> 00:07:56.699 of self -awareness How do you start seeing what's 00:07:56.699 --> 00:08:00.300 actually holding you back? Well, the first step 00:08:00.300 --> 00:08:04.459 is self -reflection. You start by taking the 00:08:04.459 --> 00:08:07.720 time regularly to check in with yourself. And 00:08:07.720 --> 00:08:09.959 you can do that through journaling, meditation, 00:08:10.319 --> 00:08:14.199 or just sitting down with your thoughts. Ask 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:16.579 yourself, what is holding me back right now? 00:08:16.699 --> 00:08:20.420 Where do I feel stuck? What fears am I facing? 00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:25.620 Two. So now that we've talked about some of the 00:08:25.620 --> 00:08:28.459 most common barriers, let's talk about how you 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:32.460 can cultivate that power of self -awareness. 00:08:32.500 --> 00:08:35.740 How do you start seeing what's actually holding 00:08:35.740 --> 00:08:40.980 you back? Well, I'm going to give you five different 00:08:40.980 --> 00:08:44.659 ways to do that. And number one, start with self 00:08:44.659 --> 00:08:48.120 -reflection. And that means taking time to regularly 00:08:48.120 --> 00:08:52.470 sit down, check in with yourself. Or you can 00:08:52.470 --> 00:08:56.669 journal. You can meditate. But sitting down with 00:08:56.669 --> 00:09:00.330 your thoughts can reveal a lot. Ask yourself, 00:09:00.730 --> 00:09:03.409 what am I feeling right now? What is holding 00:09:03.409 --> 00:09:06.070 me back right now? Where am I feeling stuck? 00:09:06.389 --> 00:09:12.149 What fears am I facing? The second thing you 00:09:12.149 --> 00:09:15.809 can do is get feedback from others. Sometimes 00:09:15.809 --> 00:09:19.129 you can't see your own blind spots. So get feedback. 00:09:19.230 --> 00:09:22.960 Ask a mentor, a coach. or even a friend who will 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:26.379 be honest with you. And that can help you identify 00:09:26.379 --> 00:09:30.519 barriers you might not have noticed. Number three 00:09:30.519 --> 00:09:34.639 is to practice mindfulness. By practicing mindfulness, 00:09:34.740 --> 00:09:37.240 you're becoming more aware of your thoughts and 00:09:37.240 --> 00:09:40.460 your emotions in real time. And this helps you 00:09:40.460 --> 00:09:44.639 catch these limiting beliefs as they arise. And 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:47.379 at the same time, they can help you shift your 00:09:47.379 --> 00:09:51.940 mindset before they take hold. Number four. Set 00:09:51.940 --> 00:09:56.919 intentions and review regularly. Set clear intentions 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:59.779 for your growth and then review your progress 00:09:59.779 --> 00:10:03.259 regularly. This helps you stay on track and course. 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:06.320 You can even correct if new barriers pop up. 00:10:06.740 --> 00:10:12.559 And five, create actionable steps. Once you've 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:16.000 identified your barriers, take actionable steps 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:19.289 to overcome them. Whether it's taking a small 00:10:19.289 --> 00:10:22.909 risk every week or completing a project without 00:10:22.909 --> 00:10:26.649 aiming for perfection, create those steps, those 00:10:26.649 --> 00:10:32.090 milestones that will move you forward. Awareness 00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:34.889 is the first step. Once you see the barriers, 00:10:35.230 --> 00:10:37.889 you can start to break through them. So take 00:10:37.889 --> 00:10:40.769 a moment and reflect on what's holding you back 00:10:40.769 --> 00:10:43.710 and then make a plan to move forward. Thanks 00:10:43.710 --> 00:10:46.840 for tuning in today. If this episode resonated 00:10:46.840 --> 00:10:49.580 with you, I'd love for you to share it with someone 00:10:49.580 --> 00:10:52.340 who might need to hear it. And don't forget to 00:10:52.340 --> 00:10:55.539 subscribe for more moments of insights into business 00:10:55.539 --> 00:10:59.059 leadership and personal growth. The link is in 00:10:59.059 --> 00:11:02.500 the description. Until next time.