The Struggle is Not Real, It’s Imagined (Overcoming Mental Barriers)

Your greatest obstacles are the ones you create in your mind. 

Why is it that one moment we’ll have a passionate and inspiring idea that seems monumental, but 24 hours later we find that excitement fading away? Why do we set our intentions to accomplish projects by a certain time, only to become demotivated when it’s time to take the first step? Even simple household chores that we know we need to complete can become overwhelming when we’re faced with the thought of actually getting up and doing them. Why do we have thoughts and desires to achieve something greater for our lives, but justify not putting forth too much effort because we think it’s too great of an idea for us to pursue? What’s robbing us of our motivation? What’s stealing our energy?

Often, we attribute this to a lack of motivation, goal fatigue, procrastination, or a busy schedule. However, the real obstacles are more deeply buried in our minds than we realize. Unless we become aware of these mental hurdles, they will continue to serve as hidden barriers to our success.

Recognizing the Hidden Barriers

The reason we fail to take action is because we talk ourselves out of it. While tangible difficulties in life are unavoidable and uncontrollable, the greatest obstacles to your personal development and success are the internal barriers created by the criticizing conversations you have with yourself. These hidden barriers act as blind spots, causing you to doubt yourself, question your value, and prevent you from getting things done.

Let’s look at some examples: 

• The Inner Critic: The persistent voice in your mind that critiques your actions and yourself, often undermining your confidence and self-esteem. This constant self-doubt makes it difficult to take risks or try new things, as you fear failure and judgment.
  
• The Comparison Trap: Measuring your progress against others, leading to feelings of inadequacy, and ultimately causing you to abandon your goals.
  
• The Imposter Syndrome: Doubting your accomplishments and feeling undeserving and unworthy of your position, relationships, and successes. This leads you to believe that others view you as a fraud, causing you to avoid challenges or opportunities where you might be ‘exposed.’
  
• Analysis Paralysis: Scrutinizing situations to the point of inaction, often focusing on imperfections and flaws. This intense examination delays and prevents you from making decisions.
  
• The Shame Spiral: Responding to experiences like failure, negative feedback, and rejection with intense self-criticism and feelings of inadequacy, leading to overwhelming shame, emotional distress, and isolation. The effect of shame makes it difficult to try again or reach out for support.
  
• The Pride Prison: Creating such a strong barrier against acknowledging personal faults and showing vulnerability that you refuse to seek help, accept constructive criticism, or change your behavior, leading to denial of any wrongdoing. The unwillingness to admit faults or be vulnerable causes strained relationships, increased stress, and missed opportunities.

What do these hidden barriers have in common? They rob you of the inspiration you need to take action, and they cause you to disbelieve and deny your capabilities and readiness to pursue your goals. These mental hurdles cause you to have feelings of unworthiness, and make you question whether you deserve the life you aspire to live. 

When we interpret obstacles through a lens of negativity and self-doubt, we magnify their impact and create a mental environment where progress feels difficult, if not impossible. 

By learning to shift your perspective to focus on the positive aspects of yourself and your life, you gain the power to look beyond feelings of overwhelm and build the confidence to tackle mental obstacles head-on. Establishing the right atmosphere for your mind is key to making this happen. 

Creating an Environment Where Your Mind Can Thrive

1. Set Clear Intentions

Start by setting clear intentions for your life and goals. Visualize where you want to be and what you want to achieve. What would you do if you removed the limits from your life? What career would you have? What business would you start? Where would you travel? What book would you write? What would bring you joy? Write down those desires and place them somewhere you can see them every day for motivation. Remind yourself that your path is yours alone, and your goals are worth pursuing.

2. Create a Structured Plan

Establish a structured plan to pursue your goals by breaking them down into manageable steps. This provides a roadmap for action and helps combat overwhelming feelings that lead to complacency. Take a goal you want to accomplish by next year and ask yourself, “What’s one action I can take every month to reach this goal?” Then identify one action you can take each week to make progress toward your monthly goal. Finally, pinpoint a small action you can take each day to continue making progress. Set realistic deadlines and milestones to keep yourself accountable and track your progress.

3. Nurture a Growth Mindset

View obstacles as opportunities to learn and grow. Problems are not stop signs; they are moments for you to develop into the resilient person you need to be to achieve your goals. Replace “Why is this happening to me?” with “What is this trying to teach me?” The more you practice framing situations positively, the more confident you’ll become in facing difficulties head-on.

4. Leverage Your Strengths

Identify your strengths and make use of your unique talents and resources to propel you towards your goals. Recognize your inherent value and abilities by journaling and reflecting on your previous accomplishments. What can you do right now with the skills you currently have? Consider the ways you’ve successfully applied your strengths in the past and think about how you can leverage them for your current goals.  

5. Value Your Unique Journey

Embrace the diversity of experiences and paths to success. Understand that everyone’s journey is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving goals. Celebrate who you are and find joy in the qualities that make you unique. You’re the only person in human history who can do what you do; there is no competition. Replace comparison with appreciation for the growth that has taken place in your life and what you’ve already accomplished.

6. Take Ownership of Your Path

Take ownership of your actions and decisions, recognizing the power of intentional living. Forgive yourself; you’ve messed up in the past and you will mess up again. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone is failing. Behind every successful person are many unsuccessful experiences. Focus on progress over perfection, and realize that you are in control of yourself. If you want to see change in your life, you can make that change happen right now. 

7. Build Supportive Connections

Many of us are silently fighting the exact same battles because we assume we have to deal with difficulties on our own. There are people in your life who have experienced the destination you desire to reach. Surround yourself with supportive individuals who believe in your potential and encourage your growth. Seek out mentors, friends, or community members who inspire and motivate you. Share your aspirations with others and lean on their support during challenging times.

Your quality of life is directly influenced by the quality of your thoughts. Recognizing and addressing these barriers is essential for reclaiming your motivation, and soon, you’ll realize that your ability to get things done is already built inside of you.