11/18/2025
Sometimes we wonder what is holding us back and why we aren't making progress, and it can seem like we're kind of stuck.
When we take a step back from the daily grind and all the noise out there in the world, and contemplate what's happening in our lives, there seems to be one common denominator in all of our life choices - ourselves. It's not our boss, our significant other, our kids, our co-workers, or our peers. It boils down to each individual's decisions about what they are going to do with themselves. Yes, we have outside pressures, but the one thing we all have is our decision about what we're going to do with ourselves in any given circumstance.
What tends to hold us back?
We do.
We hold ourselves back with inaction, delayed action, self-doubt, lack of self-control, not understanding what we truly want or why it's important to us, and lack of focus on those things.
A simple ABCDEF formula can help us see the path to making the progress we want to see in our lives.
It goes like this:
Act - on the things that make the most difference.
Believe - in your ability to do it.
Control - yourself and your actions.
Define - "What it is that's important" to you and your "Why this is important."
Embrace - your motivation or "why" by reflecting on it daily.
Focus - on your Goals, Dreams, and Aspiration.
These things don't necessarily go in order from A-F. But by using these six actions together we start to see things coming into view for us. Starting with Defining what's important to us and why gives us clarity and vision. Then we use all of these actions together.
If you're experiencing a setback in progress in your life, check these 6 things and see if one of them is in your way.
Comment below and share how one of these may be the key to supporting your progress or any other framework that helps propel you forward.
