The Top 5 Roadblocks to Growth and Success
By Dr. Keith M. Waggoner
In over 30 years of coaching leaders, high-performers, and everyday warriors, I’ve seen the same five roadblocks repeatedly stop people from achieving the life they were born to live. These barriers don’t just show up once—they’re recurring saboteurs. But here’s the good news: once you identify them, you can overcome them. Let’s explore these five roadblocks and the power to break through them.
- Fear: The Paralysis of Progress
Fear is ancient. It was hardwired into us to keep us alive. But today, fear isn’t about saber-toothed tigers—it’s about uncertainty, failure, and judgment. And it still paralyzes us.
According to research by the National Institute of Mental Health, fear activates the amygdala and shuts down the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and logic. That means when you’re afraid, your ability to think clearly and move forward is literally impaired.
Many of my clients fear the unknown, and worse, they fear failure. But here’s the truth: failure is feedback. If you’re not willing to fail, you’re not really willing to grow.
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” – Joseph Campbell
- Limiting Beliefs: The Invisible Prison
Your beliefs are like the software running in the background of your brain. If that software is faulty, your entire operating system underperforms.
Dr. Carol Dweck’s research on fixed vs. growth mindsets shows how deeply beliefs impact performance. People who believe their abilities are static avoid challenges and give up easily. On the other hand, those with a growth mindset see obstacles as opportunities.
Limiting beliefs sound like this:
- “I’m just not good at speaking.”
- “I wasn’t born with business sense.”
- “People like me don’t win.”
These lies masquerade as facts. But once you identify them and challenge them with truth, they lose their power.
ACTION STEP: Write down one belief that has limited you. Ask yourself: What if the opposite were true?
- Bad Habits: Automatic Actions That Sabotage
Habits are repeated behaviors that become subconscious over time. If you want different results, you need different habits. Period.
Charles Duhigg’s work in The Power of Habit reveals the loop of Cue → Routine → Reward. Most people try to change the behavior without changing the cue or the reward. That’s why they relapse.
You must replace bad habits with empowering rituals. Whether it’s your morning routine, how you handle stress, or how you talk to your spouse—your habits are either working for you or against you.
As I often say to my clients: “You don’t rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
- Failure to Plan and Schedule: The Trap of Busyness
We don’t plan to fail—but many people do fail to plan. And without a plan, your dreams remain fantasies.
Dr. Gail Matthews from Dominican University found that people who write down their goals and schedule their tasks are 42% more likely to achieve them. Planning turns intention into strategy. Scheduling turns dreams into dates.
Here’s the brutal truth: If it’s not in your calendar, it doesn’t exist.
High performers block time for thinking, learning, and growing. If you’re always reacting, you’re not leading—you’re surviving.
- Honest Self-Assessment: Facing Your Needs and Weaknesses
The hardest thing to do? Look in the mirror and tell yourself the truth.
We all want to feel competent. But without humility, growth dies. Psychologist Tasha Eurich found in her research that only 10-15% of people are truly self-aware, even though most believe they are.
When you’re finally honest about your skills, gaps, and needs—that’s when transformation begins. You can’t fix what you’re unwilling to face.
True strength starts with humility. Ask yourself:
- Where am I pretending to have it all together?
- What skills or truths am I avoiding?
The moment you stop lying to yourself is the moment your life begins to change.
Conclusion: The Fast Track to Breakthrough? Coaching.
Every elite performer has a coach. Athletes. Executives. Creatives. Even Tony Robbins—the master of transformation—has coaches.
Why? Because clarity, accountability, and strategy are the fast pass to transformation. Coaching pulls you out of the weeds and shows you the map.
If you’re ready to overcome these five roadblocks in your own life, I invite you to step into something greater.
💥 This is your time.
📅 I’m offering a Second Quarter Coaching Special for 2025—but only for a limited time.
If you’re ready to make this your breakthrough year, reach out now.
Let’s crush fear, shatter limiting beliefs, replace bad habits, get strategic, and unlock the real you.
You were made for more.