A Guide To Getting Out of Your Own Way

Read time: 3.5 minutes

When I started my YouTube channel in 2014, I wanted to grow an audience that was just as interested in what I was passionate about. But the self-doubt I felt was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

And pushing past this was the biggest hurdle I had to overcome, but I didn't know how. And because of that, I kept getting in my own way.

Just a few years ago, in 2019 and 2020, I discovered how to get out of my own way. And to my surprise, my audience started to grow. But not only that, my business began to thrive, my confidence improved, and I began to believe (with unshakable faith) in the vision I had for my life.

So regardless if you are interested in starting a YouTube channel, building a business, or neither. Getting out of your own way is still a hurdle you'll want to overcome so you can thrive in everything you do.

And today, I want to show you how to do that.

Stop trying to conquer self-doubt:

The first thing I did back in 2019 was change my perspective towards self-doubt. The fact we sometimes doubt ourselves (or that others may doubt us) is part of being human. And trying to eliminate self-doubt is more work than it's worth.

For me, I realized that the odds of dialing my self-doubt back to zero, were none.

• Yes, I worked on my mindset
• Yes, I squashed my limiting beliefs
• Yes, I outwrestled my inner critic
• Yes, I resisted letting others define or label me

And even after all of this effort, I still had small moments of self-doubt.

This taught me that self-doubt isn't something you can eliminate; it's something you manage.

So rather than focusing my energy on "conquering self-doubt." I instead filtered my attention on two things.

1. Skill acquisition: Am I learning the skills necessary to get better?
2. Unshakable faith: Do I believe my effort and learnings are moving the needle?

If you find yourself facing a similar battle with self-doubt, I challenge you to change your perspective as I did and focus on the two things that matter. Everything else will take care of itself.

Take risks with wisdom:

One of the easiest ways to remain in your own way is to be risk averse, and that's how I am by nature. But I've made it my running goal to take risks with wisdom.

This doesn't mean I've become irrational to get out of my own way.

Nor am I suggesting you do the same.

However, here's what I am saying.

Despite feeling ill-prepared for the obstacles ahead, challenge yourself by taking a risk, but do so with wisdom.

One of the craziest life lessons I've learned since turning 30 this past January is this:

You become powerful when you realize most risks are much worse in imagination than reality.

I hope you take this and learn from it sooner than I did.

Just pull the trigger:

There will always be a reason why you shouldn't do something or are hesitant to start. The most popular excuses focus on:

• Fear of Failure: What if things don't work out
• Fear of Judgement: What will people think if they see me doing xyz
• Lack of knowledge: I don't know how to do that or where to start

As it turns out, all three of these were key ingredients in my life. But I was determined not to let them get in the way nor keep me in my own way.

If I can impart some wisdom to you today, it would be this:

"Don't let education or fear get in the way of getting started."

Here's something most people you know won't admit…

I've learned more about living a minimalist lifestyle, growing a YouTube channel, and building a business (doing meaningful work) from doing those things, than I have from any book I've read or video I've watched.

Takeaway: Pull the trigger and learn as you go.

That's it for today!

I hope you found this issue helpful.

Keep growing on your journey, and I'll see you next week.
 

Whenever you're ready, here's how I can help you:

If you're looking for clarity and traction on your journey, I'd recommend starting with an affordable course:

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