3 Beliefs That Stop You From Achieving Your Goals

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Setting goals can be hard, and achieving them can be even harder. What’s worse—it’s easy to talk ourselves out of pursuing certain goals that we think are too lofty, and to sabotage our own efforts without realizing. 

If you’ve struggled time and time again to achieve your goals (health-related or otherwise), one of these three beliefs could be holding you back. Here’s how to ditch them ASAP. 

1. You think you have to be perfect to start.

Perfectionism is toxic in general, but especially when you’re trying to reach your goals. As Karith Foster, author of You Can Be Happy Or Perfect puts it: 

 
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“Perfection is a lie that is not real and doesn't exist. Yet, for some asinine reason we’ve all tried to reach it, consciously or subconsciously—believing that if we simply work smarter, harder, better we can achieve perfection. The constant striving for this false ideal destroys our confidence, robs us of peace and ultimately keeps us from happiness. If that doesn't scream toxic I don't know what does.”

I’ve worked with numerous clients throughout my career who felt that they couldn’t start working towards their goals until they were perfect. For example, some clients felt like they had to lose weight before they could go to the gym to work out—despite the fact that they were going to the gym with the intention of using exercise to lose weight. Do you see how circular that logic is? Don’t wait until you’re perfect, or even ready, for that matter. Start working towards your goals wherever you are, and use whatever you’ve got. 

2. You lack gratitude and confidence. 

When we start the journey towards a goal, we tend to forget about gratitude and confidence. We head into battle without truly believing that we can achieve whatever we’re after, and we take for granted the fact that we are able to try. 

If your goal is to run a 5k, remind yourself at the start of the process (and all throughout it) how lucky you are to set that goal. You can move your body without pain or limits. You presumably have the resources and time to chase that goal. You woke up today. For all of this, we should feel grateful.

Once that gratitude washes over you, let it also fuel your confidence. Write down affirmations each morning and night. Tell the naysaying voice in your head to pipe down. Gratitude and confidence are incredibly powerful emotions, and we have complete control over both of them. If you can cultivate and harvest them, your goals are no match for you. 

3. You don’t know (or aren’t embracing) your worth. 

As women, we’re often led to believe that we aren’t enough as we are, or that we aren’t worth something we want. You may feel that way when you start chasing any goal, and that belief is sabotaging your success. Let me tell you this: You are worth it. Whatever your goal is, whoever you want to be, whatever sacrifice or growth is required to get there, you are worth it. The more we can recognize and exude our self-worth, the more likely we are to achieve our goals. 

In reading this article, I hope that you got to take a step back and reevaluate your outlook towards the setting and pursuit of your goals. Over the years I’ve learned that we are the only ones who can make us change, and that anything can hold us back if we let it. 

For more on these topics, I encourage you to check out the resources and articles below, and also request to join our Pure Joy Wellness Private Facebook Group. 

I can’t wait to see you crush your goals. 

Xo,

Renata