Can you relate to this? You have a goal, dream or a vision of success for your career, business or life. Your desire is for this vision to be achieved in the coming months or over a concrete period of time. The desire for achievement is strong but something is not quite right. Your vision of success is not happening the way you thought it would or think it should. You are also looking at the year quickly float by and you’re wondering how if ever you will succeed. Progress has either become stalled or stuck and it is becoming frustrating to say the least.

If this is the way you are feeling, my question is this: Could you standing in your own way?

The quote by Dr. Myles Munroe on why many people get stuck on the journey toward achievement is most fitting. He said, “Most people live in mediocrity – a region bounded on the north by compromise, on the south by indecision, on the east by past thinking, and on the west by lack of vision.” In essence, success and achievement of dreams, goals and vision has less to do with outside forces and more to do with our own thoughts and actions.

Assuming you have the vision and desire for your own success, what are the obstacles that you can place in your own way? In a course I teach, there are 12 obstacles one must to overcome when working toward success and fulfilment of a dream and/or vision. Below are three:

1. You are not specific about exactly you want to achieve

People fail because they don’t know what they want to succeed in. We all want success but what does it specifically look like? I remember a conversation I had with a gentleman who asked me what success looked like to me. I said “I want to travel the world teaching and speaking.” He further asked me “Where exactly in the world will you go? What countries? What states?” His demand for specifics for my vision immediately made me sit and write out the answers to those questions. When I was done, my general vision was converted into a very clear plan with exactly where I saw myself speaking and teaching during my life. I sincerely thanked him for causing me to think so vividly. Much of our frustration and depression comes from not making any progress toward achieving our dreams – even when we know we’re working hard. This inability to reach our dreams occurs when we don’t aim at a specific target. Are you truly specific about what you want to accomplish? Do you have a crystal clear cut view of what you want to achieve? What target are you aiming at?

2. You live with indecision

Many people want to succeed but can’t make up their minds on what they want to do. Indecisiveness is a huge dream-killer. With so many options to take and opinions to consider people rarely stop to listen to their own voice in order to make a solid decision on what they will do. This “analysis paralysis” is due to many factors: uncertainty, fear of failure, or worry about other people’s opinions are just a few. Unfortunately, the problem comes when we don’t realize that weeks, months and years are passing by. While we are still trying to decide, nothing is getting done. I love the saying and repeat it often, “when a decision is made, confusions ends.’’ Are you living that way? What decisions are you not making that will take you closer to your vision, goals and dreams?

3. You try to do everything at once

Trying to do too much is a common obstacle people face, myself included. For people with this challenge, the problem is not about getting started, it’s about starting too many things and not completing any. When this happens overwhelm or burnout can take place. Most people make the mistake of believing that staying busy is a status symbol in life. Busyness is good only if it equals progress and you are heading toward a specific destination. If you fall into this category, here is a simple but important truth that you must face: You were not born or created to do everything. I repeat: You were not born or created to do everything. When we aim at everything, we usually hit nothing. For high achievers including entrepreneurs, executives and driven professionals, it is very easy to become consumed with multiple projects to manage, needs to address, tasks to complete, and problems to solve. However, you run the risk of being ineffective when trying to do to so many things at once. Having a specific goal or vision will help with distinguishing what you should focus on and what you should leave for someone else or some other time. What is on your plate? Can you clearly connect your activities to your path/vision? Your answer should dictate your actions.

Everything in your life should be inspired and fuelled by your dreams and the vision you see for yourself. If you are not fulfilled or satisfied with the direction your career, business or life is heading, make time to identify the obstacles you may be putting in your own way. For information on this course and others, contact me.

• Keshelle Davis is a trainer, speaker and entrepreneur who works with individuals and teams to achieve the right skill set and mindset necessary to reach their fullest potential, boost their productivity and put money in their pockets. Her roles include executive director of the Chamber Institute, the education arm of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce; president of Creative Wealth Bahamas and founder of several organizations. Keshelle was listed as The Nassau Guardian’s Top 40 under 40 for the 40th anniversary celebrations of The Bahamas. Contact Keshelle at keshelle@keshelledavis.com.