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7 Obstacles Stopping You From Getting Things Done

You want to be productive. You want to carpe diem. You want to knock things out of the park.
However, something is stopping you. In fact, there are a few things that are stopping you, but
you can’t quite put your finger on what those things are. What’s going on?
The good news is that you’re not alone. Most startup entrepreneurs experience personal
challenges that hold them hostage and impede their progress. These challenges can begin to
shape your mindset about entrepreneurship and your personal success. If you can’t get a grip on
what’s frustrating you, scaring you or making you lead with trepidation, chances are, your
business could suffer.
Re-shaping your mindset about entrepreneurship takes fortitude and will-power. There will be
days when business looks dim and it’ll make you question your capabilities as an entrepreneur.
And of course, there will be really amazing days that seem like you have the Midas touch and
everything works out perfectly. Either way, adjusting and adapting to these moments requires a
mindset that no matter what, you will win.
There are some common traits that entrepreneurs hold on to that make running a business seem
like a battle. The key to becoming victorious over the mindset battle is to know what these traits
are and how to avoid their negative consequences.
Here are seven things you need to get over in order to get things done:

1. Fear

It’s not surprising that fear is probably the top thing that’s stopping you from getting things done.
From fear of failure to fear of success (yes, it’s a real thing), this small but mighty four-letter-
word can turn all of your dreams into a heaping pile of nothingness–if you let it. In order to get
over your fears, you have to face them.
Figure out why you’re afraid of moving forward. Could it be finances, opinions of others, bad past experiences, or not enough preparation that’s creating a barrier between you and your success? Whatever it is, be honest with yourself about what you’re afraid of and come up with a plan to put the fear to rest.

2.The “Right” Time

If you’re waiting for your alarm clock to alert you when it’s the “right time” to pursue your
business, then you’re snoozing on your entrepreneurial goals. The best solution to finding the
“right time” to make things happen is to just start now.
There’ll be some bumps, bruises, setbacks and accomplishments that require you to re-evaluate some things. However, you’ll never know what you’re capable of until you start doing it. So get started!

3. Money in the Bank

It’s always a great idea to have some money stashed away for a rainy day. However, life happens
and sometimes you’ll just have to rub two coins together to make things work. There are so
many things you can do while you’re saving up towards your business’s goals.
You can journal your ideas, do some research, take advantage of free stuff (learning opportunities, software,
contests, networking, etc.) and more. Your goal is to get as much exposure and practice with your ideas that by the time you’ve reached your monetary goals, you’re ready to go full-steam ahead.
And if you’re one of those super-risk-taking entrepreneurs (like myself) who practice
​bootstrapping, you can actually get a lot accomplished with a little bit of cash—if you’re smart,
strategic and not afraid of the occasional negative balance. Money is a great asset, but it

shouldn’t be something that holds you back from getting things done.

4. The Naysayers

Silencing your critics is tough. Everyone has an opinion about what you should or shouldn’t be
doing with your business. Only trust the advice or information from people with similar
experiences.
More importantly than that, trust your gut. Entrepreneurial instinct will help you get
past the smoke and mirrors of the advice of others. The truth is, not everyone in your circle (yep,
that includes family, friends and colleagues) wants you to win. You’ll have to develop tough skin
and you’ll have to trust yourself a lot more.
Naysayers will encourage you to give up or quit while you’re ahead. You could wind up taking their advice—especially if it’s from someone close to you. Then you’ll never know about your potential or get to soak up the satisfaction of
proving them wrong. Learn how to silence the negative chatter and protect your entrepreneurial
vision.

5. Self-sabotage

Silencing external critics is one thing, but when it comes to silencing your inner critic, that’s a
horse of a different color. There will be times when you have an idea, a suggestion or a vision for
doing something and you’ll find a way to talk yourself out of it. From negative self-talk like “I
can’t do that!” and “Who am I kidding? This is silly.”, you can be your own worst enemy.
Do yourself a favor and get out of your own way. Self-sabotage is a surefire way to see your dreams
go up in flames. When you hear yourself sabotaging your success, take a moment to seek
positivity and change the disruptive behavior. Remember, your challenges are meant to make you
better and stronger.

6. Bad Habits

We know that habits are hard to break, but bad habits aren’t only difficult, they’re detrimental to
your success. Whatever your business bad habits are (unreliability, procrastinating,
over analyzing, being unorganized, etc.), tell yourself that today is quitting day.
Once you recognize the habit, you have two choices: let the habit kick your butt or kick the habit to the curb. You’re a smart entrepreneur. You know what decision that you need to make. Give those
bad habits the boot.

7. Not Following Through

You’ve gotten a great opportunity. You’ve made it to the next step. You’ve beat the odds. You can
see the finish line. And now it’s your chance to do the final steps and—you do nothing.
Say what?
Poor follow-through skills can cause you to fail every time. It can be linked to fear of
failure or fear of success. It can also be linked to improper training or not wanting to be
victorious.
Either way, if you don’t follow through, then you don’t reach the finish line and see
what your results are. Ambition is great, but it’s nothing without follow-through. So whatever
“open items” you have on the table, see to it that you complete them and check them off of your
list. Don’t disappoint yourself or anyone else because you didn’t finish the job. Get it done!
Are any (or all) of these seven habits the reason why you’re not getting stuff done? Evaluate
what’s going on and move these things out of the way. You’ve got a lot to do in this lifetime.
These seven things shouldn’t be any of them.
Shannon Baylor-Henderson
Contributor: Shannon Baylor-Henderson is a content connoisseur who writes everything from business documents to fictional stories via her small business, ImShannon.com. When she’s not writing, she’s binge watching reality TV, lip syncing and dancing to ’90’s music or hanging out with her family and her Labrador pup. She’s the author of three books, a coffee snob and an entrepreneur with a trunk load of business ideas. Check out her commentary on Twitter @imshannondotcom

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Find Your Way · Grow Your Business · Productivity · Your Mindset
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http://imshannon.com

Contributor: Shannon Baylor-Henderson is a content connoisseur who writes everything from business documents to fictional stories via her small business, ImShannon.com. When she’s not writing, she’s binge watching reality TV, lip syncing and dancing to ’90’s music or hanging out with her family and her Labrador pup. She’s the author of three books, a coffee snob and an entrepreneur with a trunk load of business ideas. Check out her commentary on Twitter @imshannondotcom

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