What’s holding you back? Why haven’t you achieved your goals?

The answer is inside your head.

You haven’t achieved your goals because you don’t believe you can have what you want.

There’s a voice in your head that says you don’t deserve what you want. You aren’t smart enough, talented enough, or hungry enough.

That voice is your fear talking. It’s trying to protect you by causing you to play it safe.

You have three options.

The first option is to listen to that voice and learn from it. It might be right. Hear it out so you can fix what it says needs fixing.

If it says you don’t have enough skills or experience, make those your priority. Do what you have to do to get good enough, and say “thank you” to the voice for being honest with you and pointing the way forward.

The second option is to confront the voice and challenge it.

If the voice says you don’t have enough talent, look for evidence to the contrary. Think about your accomplishments in similar situations and remind yourself of just how capable you are.

Let the voice know you’re not picking up what it’s laying down.

The third option is to ignore the voice and do what it says you can’t do. Go ahead and prove it wrong.

As Vincent van Gogh once said, ‘If you hear a voice within you say “You cannot paint,” then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced.’