5 Crucial Ways You Hinder Your Own Self-Growth Without Even Realizing It

1. You remain a victim in the story of your own life.

We all have something we’ve overcome. A struggle, a challenge, a moment that tested our own inner strength. We each face these times, and yet, it’s what we do with them that can impact us the most. It’s easy to become hardened by life, to feel jaded and insecure, and to let resentment fester within our being.

There is nothing about forgiveness that is effortless.

But to remain a victim and to constantly think about how you’ve been wronged in life only stops you from moving forward and releasing these mental and emotional blocks.

2. You don’t allow yourself to chase the things you really want.

There are ways we envision our life turning out on various personal and professional levels. And within each decision, each choice, we’re choosing how to navigate the path to our own greatness. But what about the times when other people fill your head with doubt, when they tell you you can’t doing something? And what about the times when you tell yourself you’re not worthy, not good enough? Well, that’s when we lose sight what of the things we want, and we get off track.

Too often we get too stuck in our heads and focus on the inner stories we tell ourselves formed from other people’s words to guide our decisions. Staying grounded and realistic in your dreams is essential, of course, but every moment you listen to that self-doubt within your head, or you let someone convince you that you shouldn’t chase after the things you want in life, you’re limiting your potential and hindering the opportunity to see where your biggest dreams could take you.

3. You let yourself feel inhibited by the way you view life.

When you’re the kind of person who is naturally curious and open-minded about the world and the way your life could go, the possibilities really become endless. You see yourself going in a number of directions depending on different things that happen, people you connect with, goals you achieve.

The problem with being open to the possibilities is that we can find the endlessness limiting within itself. It can be overwhelming to think about all the lives you could live and when you’re in a state of indecision, it’s hard not to let the anxiety fester.

4. You don’t express yourself in the moments that are the most crucial.

Communicating our needs can be one of the hardest, yet most important parts, of thriving in any type of relationship. To feel heard, to feel understood, is a simple desire we all hold within ourselves, and yet, it’s easily one of the most difficult things to achieve.

We hold ourselves back from fulfilling our potential in our connections when we fail to speak out and express our needs and desires to the other person we want those things from. It’s true that not every person is going to be open and receptive to what you have to say, but without making the conscious effort you’re already limiting your growth in the possibilities of what could be.

5. You go against your gut instinct.

Our gut instinct is one of the most simple and sophisticated forms of communication our body has with us but too often we ignore everything within our being that aims to guide us in a certain direction.

And what happens when we do this? We look back at the signs, at the moments when we doubted the steps we were taking, and we wonder why we ever doubted ourselves.

When you hone in on your gut instinct and let yourself trust what your body is telling you, you’ll often find you’re able to understand yourself on a much higher level.