“Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.”   Rumi

The biggest barriers to growth are usually the ones you've put there yourself. Think about it: How many of your limits are actually beliefs you’ve inherited from others or self-doubts that you've just accepted as truth?

If you ever find yourself hesitating to pursue something meaningful or talking yourself out of wanting more, you know exactly what I mean. You’re protecting an outdated version of yourself, even though you’re ready to move on.

You don’t have to comply with narratives that hold you back. Starting now, you can decide who you become!

In my last newsletter, I referred to that stuck mindset as “Level One thinking.” It’s settling for safety instead of challenge and letting your old assumptions dictate what you try.

Below, I’m sharing six steps meant to guide you to the next level. Each one marks a stage in breaking free from self-imposed limits. They aren’t linear, and you may have to return to some more than once, but together, they move you toward Level Two and beyond.

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Six questions to dismantle what’s holding you back

What are your beliefs, and where do they come from?

Step 1: Know yourself. It’s the first of my Five Dimensions of Conscious Leadership, and it comes first here because unexamined beliefs shape what you think is possible. Where do your 'should's and 'can’t’s come from? Family stories, social expectations, or early experiences? Keep what still serves you and let the rest go.

Read → Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones. Early in the book, Jones recalled how his aunt caught rats to feed his family in Depression-era Chicago. He measured every misstep and triumph against those early hardships, using them as his reference point. Understanding your starting point gives meaning to the path ahead.

Short on time? "Life Lessons from Netflix's 'Quincy'" pulls out his best advice: keep learning, take responsibility when you’re wrong, and set targets outside your comfort zone.
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Who are you going to choose to be?

Step 2: Set your intention. Picture the kind of person you want to be, your core values, the energy you emit, and the impact you want people to feel in your presence. Let that be your inner compass. Use it to transform how you move, lead, and make every decision that follows.

Watch → Dr. Joe Dispenza, “Defining Intention.” Dispenza shares a simple practice: visualize what you want, feel the emotion of already having it, then act from that place. I’ve said this before: Holding on to something you don't want is holding on to nothing. Clear the mental clutter, and you create space for what’s truly meant for you.
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Are you rejecting yourself before anyone else gets a chance to?

Step 3: Pick the goal that scares you. Now that you're clear on who you want to evolve into, pursue targets that match your vision. Your goals reveal what you believe you deserve. If you aim small to avoid falling short, you’re rejecting yourself before the world even has a chance.

Try → Debbie Millman’s “10-Year Plan for a Remarkable Life.” This well-loved exercise asks you to imagine one ideal day ten years from now—what you’d wear, who you’re with, and how you’d live—assuming everything went right. I’ve done it myself, and it works. The power is in letting yourself dream without edits or fear.
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Can you honor your commitment on the days it feels the hardest?

Step 4: Practice discipline. Elite performers are satisfied knowing they've given their absolute best. They set a personal standard and consistently meet it, regardless of mood, energy, or approval. Steady and deliberate, that’s how intention becomes action.

Read → Winning by Tim Grover. Grover trained Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and knows firsthand how champions think. They never negotiate with themselves about doing the work. I’ve always admired that kind of relentlessness. Winning and Grover’s interviews are essential readings in self-discipline and sustained excellence.
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If no one was watching, would you stay on course?

Step 5: Hold yourself accountable. External oversight helps, but you can’t grow sufficiently without monitoring your own progress. Build simple systems that ensure you’re keeping your promises, like weekly self-reviews, peer check-ins, or other reportable metrics.

Watch → “Nietzsche – Follow No One, Trust Yourself.” Using the story of a mentor who insists his students learn to think for themselves, this video explores why following others, even wise teachers, can prevent you from developing your own judgment. It demonstrates earning your own trust, proving you can depend on yourself to follow through and ultimately hold yourself accountable.
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Do you believe you deserve what you're working toward?

Step 6: Believe you're worthy. You can master any technique or strategy, but if you don't believe you deserve success, you'll undermine yourself. Without that sense of worthiness, you create reasons to delay, research more, or perfect your approach, anything to avoid actually claiming what's yours. Catch yourself doing this, show yourself compassion, and move forward anyway.

Read → "The Power of Believing in Yourself" from Psychology Today. This piece shows how confidence in your abilities predicts success better than general self-esteem. To build a sense of worthiness, remember your past successes, break down big goals into learnable abilities, and let steady action prove you're worthy of what you want.
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🎯 Final Thoughts

Self-imposed limits can feel like facts when you’ve lived with them long enough. At some point, the question shifts from Can I? to Will I?, and you can’t answer with analysis - only action.

Reclaim your agency. Reject the stories you’ve been telling that no longer fit who you are TODAY!

Talent is not the difference between Level One and Level Two. Courage is.

Choose goals that come from your own voice, then move toward them even before you feel fully ready. You have to stop waiting for something outside of yourself to shift.

Sending love and light,

Ginny