What I Thought My Problem Was… vs What Was Actually Holding Me Back

I used to think I just wasn’t motivated enough.

I told myself things like:

– “I’m not consistent.”

– “I don’t have time.”

– “I keep procrastinating.”

– “Maybe I’m just not disciplined like others.”

But over time, I’ve learned that those weren’t the real problems. They were just symptoms, surface-level noise that distracted me from what was actually going on underneath.

What I Thought Was the Problem:

I thought I was lazy.

I thought I needed better time management, more willpower, or a stricter routine.

I thought I needed to push myself harder.

But when I slowed down and really looked within, I realized the truth was deeper.

What Was Actually Holding Me Back:

1. Fear — Not of Failing, But of What Happens If I Succeed

What if I got what I wanted and then lost it?

What if people expected more from me?

What if I couldn’t live up to the version of myself I was chasing?

Sometimes, fear doesn’t come as panic,it comes as delay. Disguised as “I’m not ready yet.”

2. Old Stories That I Didn’t Realize I Still Believed

Stories like: – “People like me don’t succeed.”

– “It’s too late for me to start.”

– “I always mess things up anyway.”

These beliefs were planted somewhere in my past  by others, by failure, or by fear but I had unknowingly made them my truth.

3. Pursuing Goals That Weren’t Truly Mine

At some point, I lost touch with what I really wanted.

I was chasing things that looked good on paper — not things that felt aligned in my soul.

That disconnect? It drained me. Even when I was working hard, I felt empty.

Unprocessed Emotions

I didn’t realize how much emotional clutter I was carrying — past regrets, fear of judgment, the weight of comparison.

You can’t build a future when you're still emotionally living in the past.

And no planner, productivity tool, or motivational quote can fix what a heavy heart is carrying.

So Why Wasn’t I Reaching My Goals?

Because I was solving the wrong problem.

I was trying to fix an emotional block with a to-do list.

I was treating symptoms.not the root.

What Helped Me Shift

I started asking deeper questions:

What am I really afraid of?

Whose expectations am I trying to meet?

Am I building a life that’s true to me, or a version of me I thought I had to be?

And slowly, things began to shift.

Sometimes it’s not that we’re unmotivated.

We’re just emotionally tired, spiritually misaligned, or carrying pain we haven’t named yet.

And the moment we stop blaming ourselves for “not trying hard enough” and instead start listening to what’s really going on inside is the moment we begin to move forward.

One honest answer at a time.