The Hidden Barrier to Progress

Ep: 214

How is it that some people always seem to continue to progress and achieve more of the life they want? 

It’s because they know the truth about creating change, and they don’t allow circumstances to hold them back from the lives they want.

Today on The Bridge to Fulfillment®, Blake shares some of the hidden barriers to progress that many high achievers experience when they seek change, but don’t seem to move in the direction they say they want to go.

In this episode, you’ll learn the most common reasons people stay stuck, and the two biggest barriers to change. Blake shares a story of how she was tested when she sought a change in her career, and how she fought the fear and stepped into the unknown.

If you feel like you’re at a crossroads in your life and you’re ready for change, then it’s important to know what to expect. 

When the test comes…will you be ready?

What You’ll Learn:

  • One common misconception high achievers make (1:06)
  • A personal story about making change happen, if it’s what you really want (2:56)
  • What to remember when circumstance don’t seem ripe for change (6:15)
  • The only two things that can actually slow your momentum (7:51)
  • Keep this in mind when you’re at a crossroads (8:40)

Favorite Quotes:

  1. When you’re looking to make a change in your life,  recognize that challenges like a lack of time, these things will come. But you need to keep taking action despite them. – Blake
  2. Every time we get to that crossroads in our life and we say we want something, we will be tested. Those circumstances will show up to ask us ‘Do you really want it?’ – Blake
  3. The longer you stay in the path you’re misaligned with, the more and more risk you create. – Blake
  4. Some unfortunate circumstance or challenge will come your way to test you and say, ‘Are you willing to recognize that the fear is a lie, and step forward anyway?’ – Blake

Additional Resources: 

Rather than hoping the grass will be greener, identify what the RIGHT next step is.
We can help you do just that.

Get clarity on where you are on your journey to career fulfillment, where you’re headed, optional paths to get there, and the right next step to take.

Start your complimentary, Personalized Career Fulfillment Plan by going to www.thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan

Want free resources to set your job search up for success? You can get them by going to: https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/mistakes

For other programs and opportunities to work with Blake, go to www.BlakeSchofield.com

Transcript

Blake Schofield 00:05
Hi, I’m Blake Schofield, founder and CEO of The Bridge to Fulfillment®, mom to three, USA Today top 10 professional coach, and former corporate executive who got tired of sacrificing my life for a comfortable paycheck. My mission is to expand women’s perspectives and empower them to achieve greater impact at home and work without sacrifice. This is The Bridge to Fulfillment®.

Blake Schofield 00:38
Have you ever wondered how some people just continue to create progress and more of the life that they want consistently? Today, I’m going to share with you the hidden barrier to progress, that most of us that are high achievers, those that set goals and really want to create more for their lives. Myths that actually are the very things that keep us stuck and keep us from actually achieving what we want. You know, one of the things that I’ve noticed is, every time we get to a place in our life or career where we want to create changes, we often think that it’s lack of time, or our circumstances that are the barrier. And what I want you to know is if you would let those things stand in your way, you actually will get stuck in inertia, right inertia where I’m not moving, or I’m stuck in the same pattern over and over again. And so one of the goals to this process, when you’re looking to make change in your life, is to recognize that challenges lack of time, things will come. But you need to keep taking action, despite them.

Blake Schofield 01:46
I’m going to share with you a little story about a big inflection point in my career in life, what it taught me and how I seen that pattern show up over and over and over again. So anytime we want to create change for our lives, what I see is we consistently get tested with circumstances that really challenge us to see if what we’re saying we want is really true. I saw this actually, all the time, when I was a merchant in corporate America, I would finally decide some brand or some pieces of business hadn’t worked for years, and I was gonna get out of it. And then miraculously, it would have a comeback at the very end. And I would laugh. And I’d be like, Why? Why when I finally decided to get rid of you have you gotten better?

Blake Schofield 02:29
Have you ever experienced anything like that yourself, we made a decision about a relationship or a thing that was no longer working. And then all of a sudden it seemed to improve? Well, I’m going to tell you about my personal story, a time when I made a really large shift in my life and how I saw this come to fruition in the same way. And like I said, I’ve now seen this over and over and over again, not just in my life, but in my clients lives, friends and family’s life. So, you know, back in late 2016, early 2017, I really decided that I was done making changes, hoping they would be better moving cross country for a job. And I really was going to step away from my 18 year corporate retail career and do something different. And I’ll never forget this moment, because I had made that decision, I was moving down the path to create that change. And I was riding the BART train into San Francisco, and I got an email from somebody at JC Penney, I worked at JC Penney for seven years. And it was for a vice president role within special sizes, which was 100% my wheelhouse and a market I knew honestly is better than almost anybody. And it was an opportunity to come take this vice president job. Now five years ago, that was my dream job.

Blake Schofield 03:48
And I had already decided I was moving from California back to Dallas. And it was a very interesting thing to be tempted with this job I had always wanted in a location I was already moving to. And I had this option, I could go the path I was planning on going paying for my own expenses to move back home, which was well over 10 grand, starting a business of which I didn’t know if I would be successful or how long it would take me to, you know, begin to make a livable income. Or I could take this job and they would pay for my relocation and I could have the finances that I wanted. But ultimately I knew I didn’t want that job. I knew how stressful that job would be. I knew what I would sacrifice and I worried that I wouldn’t really be able to create the right path for myself and for what I wanted because I would be consumed with that role. And I was being tested in that moment. Do I really want the thing I’m saying do I really want balance in my life? Am I willing to step forward into the unknown to go after what I want? Or am I willing to accept this thing that make it better financially, but I knew was not right for me.

Blake Schofield 05:04
And I kind of laughed and I recognize, oh, this is that same pattern that used to happen to me all of the time when I decided to get rid of a brand or a business or a vendor. And I just went no, because even though the money would be great, I know I won’t be happy. And I know it will create so many other problems for me. And so I turned down that job. And after I turned down that job, believe it or not, I saw more momentum and more peace of mind about the path that I had chosen than I had before.

Blake Schofield 05:32
So why do I share this with you? Because it was a moment sort of ingrained in my brain of like, oh, yeah, this happens. Every time we get to that crossroads in our life. And we say, we want something we will be tested the universe, God, whatever. Those circumstances will show up to ask us Do you really want it. And so often in this journey, I’ve now experienced this over and over again, is I’ve consistently made big movements forward into the unknown for my life, for my career, for my business. And I’ve recognized it with my clients as well. Often my clients say the hardest part is joining the program. Because you’re faced with fear, doubt, anxiety, the unknown. And often, you are faced with circumstances that come your way that are less than ideal. How have I seen that come to fruition, anywhere from things like all of a sudden, literally massive things break in your house, bad car accidents, a horrible health scare, I’ve had clients get diagnosed with cancer or other things, deaths have happened in families, husbands have lost jobs. I have seen so many things come when we’re all being tested for that change.

Blake Schofield 06:51
And here’s what I can tell you. If you allow those circumstances to keep you doing the same thing you’re doing, you will either get stuck in that pattern, or right, it’ll just be this constant repeat. And the challenge is we think that we’re safe where we are. But I consistently know and I’ve seen and hopefully, is you’ve been listening long enough, you understand what I’ve come to understand, which is the longer you stay in the path you’re misaligned with the more and more risk you create. And so the people who truly create the lives that they want, who create the change that they want, recognize that time nor circumstances are really the thing that stops us.

Blake Schofield 07:29
But it can be tricky. Because again, those challenges will come your way. And it’s easy to look at those and go oh, well, maybe it’s not the right time, or oh, maybe I need to wait. And here’s what I consistently know to be true. The people that succeed keep moving forward, even if that means a slight adaptation, or maybe a little slower at first than they expected. Because here’s the truth, there are really only two things that truly stop us from creating what we want in life. Number one is fear. And fear will disguise itself as all types of things, due diligence, trying to make sure we’re prepared. So we can show up as best as possible. Believing that there will be a perfect time getting stuck into black or white, all or nothing thinking will only this option or this option are the possibilities for my life. It’s a very, very tricky thing. So we have to know and be aware. That’s fear. That’s fear of the unknown. And the second thing that will stop us is lack of commitment.

Blake Schofield 08:31
Again, because we’ll be tested, are you really committed when you say you want to create change, and you no longer want to tolerate this in your life, is that really true. And so when you find yourself at a crossroads, or a place where you really want to create change in your life, I hope that you remember this, you will likely be tested. Some unfortunate circumstance or challenge will come your way to test you and say, Are you willing to recognize that the fear is a lie, and step forward anyway, knowing that if you stay where you are, you’re actually at risk. And not only are you at greater risk, but you have no possibility of getting what you want? And secondly, are you committed? Are you really committed to making that change? And once you say yes, the circumstances aren’t ideal, but I’m not going to let that stop me from getting what I want. You will start having the wind at your back and you’ll start really getting momentum, just like they talked about in physics, right, an object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest. And it takes a heck of a lot more work to get moving again.

Blake Schofield 09:40
Change in and of itself requires us looking at life and life circumstances differently than likely we’ve looked at before that old saying you can’t get different solutions using the same thinking that got you there is so true. By beginning to recognize our circumstances are never the reason we don’t create change. myth, fear and lack of commitment are, we can begin to really understand what are the things we need to look at to create that change in our life. Because when we allow circumstances to dictate the timing of the change we want to make in our lives or our actions, we are literally allowing those circumstances to continue to happen in our lives. And those that succeed will find a way forward, even when it’s messy, even when challenges come their way. It’s a muscle that can actually be built over time. Each time you keep moving forward. Thanks so much for joining me today. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead and until next time, see you soon.

Thanks for joining me today. Rather than hope the grass will be greener, identify what the right next step is. We can help you do just that. Get clarity on where you are in your journey to career fulfillment, where you’re headed, optimal paths to get there, and the right next step to take. Start your complimentary personalized career fulfillment plan at https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan . Again, you can get your personalized career fulfillment plan at https://thebridgetofulfillment.com/plan Thanks again for joining and have a great week ahead!