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Abstract: The article explores several key psychological and emotional barriers that can prevent individuals and organizations from achieving their goals, even when they know what needs to be done. These include lack of sustained motivation, fear of failure, perfectionism, and lack of self-belief. Drawing on research and practical examples, the article discusses how leaders and individuals can overcome these inner obstacles through strategies like aligning goals with deeper intrinsic meaning, cultivating a learning-oriented culture, managing perfectionist tendencies, and building self-efficacy. By recognizing and addressing these psychological factors, the article argues that people and teams can learn to persistently pursue their objectives, learn from setbacks, and ultimately realize their full potential.
While goal setting is an important habit for achieving success, simply setting goals is not enough. Countless people struggle to achieve their goals due to psychological and emotional challenges that get in the way. Why do we sometimes fail to follow through even when we know what we need to do?
Today we will explore some of the hidden barriers that can stop us from realizing our potential and achieving what is important to us. Drawing on relevant research as well as practical examples, I will discuss how to overcome obstacles such as lack of motivation, fear of failure, perfectionism, and lack of self-belief. Recognizing and addressing these inner blocks can help both individuals and organizations persist through challenges to accomplish their objectives.
Lack of Motivation
A key reason we fail to achieve our goals is lack of sustained motivation. Motivation refers to the drivers that energize and direct our behavior towards an end goal (Ryan & Deci, 2000). While intrinsic motivation comes from within, extrinsic motivation is driven by rewards and external demands. Research shows that intrinsic motivation tends to be more effective for goal achievement in the long run (Deci & Ryan, 1985). When our goals are not intrinsically meaningful or stimulating, it is easy to lose motivation over time as the initial enthusiasm fades.
For example, one manufacturing company set an ambitious production target but failed to motivate employees by the meaning or purpose behind the goal. Workers saw it as an arbitrary demand from management with no perceived benefit. As a result, effort declined steadily over the year as motivation waned. Leaders need to connect goals to deeper human needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness to foster sustained intrinsic drive (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Strategies like involving employees in goal setting, celebrating progress along the way, and communicating the "why" can re-ignite passion.
Fear of Failure
Another major reason for not reaching our objectives is fearing failure or negative consequences if we fall short. However, some level of risk-taking is necessary to achieve anything meaningful. Perfectionism and fear of failure often stem from deep-seated beliefs about our self-worth being tied to performance outcomes (Blankstein et al., 1992). When we define ourselves by what we accomplish, failure can feel devastating to our sense of identity and self-esteem.
For instance, many entrepreneurs give up promising business ideas because of crippling anxiety about potential setbacks. Alternative perspectives that view failure as a normal part of the learning process can help manage this fear (Timmons & Spinelli, 2012). Leaders must cultivate a culture where mistakes are seen as opportunities rather than weaknesses. Goals should emphasize progress over unrealistic expectations of flawless execution. Companies like Google have recognized the benefits of "failing fast" to encourage innovation and calculated risk-taking (Edmondson, 2011).
Perfectionism
Closely related to fear of failure is perfectionism, where nothing short of flawless performance is deemed acceptable. However, striving for unrealistic standards of excellence can undermine motivation and progress towards goals (Hewitt & Flett, 1991). Perfectionists persistently worry about potential mistakes and miss opportunities while aiming for unattainable levels of achievement.
As an example, one account manager at a software company was unable to close a major deal for over six months due concerns about every minor detail being perfect. But achievement often requires action rather than endless preparation. Letting perfectionism run unbridled can paralyze any forward movement. Learning to focus on "good enough" progress over flawlessness, asking for feedback sooner, and accepting imperfect efforts as learning experiences are healthier approaches (Slaney & Ashby, 1996). Having compassion for ourselves as works in progress also counteracts all-or-nothing thinking.
Lack of Self-Belief
Even with clear goals and efforts underway, a lack of self-efficacy or belief in our own capabilities to succeed can hold us back from attaining what is possible (Bandura, 1997). When we doubt our abilities to overcome challenges, it creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. Low self-confidence impacts performance through decreased motivation, persistence, and resilience in the face of setbacks.
For instance, at a leading technology company, one team observed their most capable engineer struggling with a difficult project simply due to lack of self-belief. Repeatedly telling herself "I can't do this" impacted her problem-solving approach and output. Leaders played a key role in building her confidence through encouragement, technical coaching, and positive framing of past successes (Bandura & Locke, 2003). Self-belief is not inherent but developed through experiences of mastery, modeling, and social persuasion. Setting smaller, achievable goals along the way and celebrating wins helps bolster our sense of capabilities over the long run.
Overcoming Lack of Motivation
As discussed earlier, lack of sustained intrinsic motivation is a major psychological reason goals go unfulfilled. Below are some effective approaches leaders and individuals can take:
Involve stakeholders in collaborative goal setting to create buy-in and ownership over directions and targets.
Communicate the "why" behind goals by linking objectives to core human and organizational values or missions to stimulate deeper passion and meaning.
Celebrate meaningful progress and milestones along the way through recognition, rewards, or rituals to maintain enthusiasm.
Reframe challenges or repetitive work as opportunities for mastery and competence development rather than burdensome tasks.
Provide autonomy through choice, control, and flexibility over how goals are achieved where possible to foster feelings of self-determination.
For example, at a non-profit organization, participation of frontline volunteers in strategic planning led to setting goals personally meaningful to staff like mentoring at-risk youth. Communications then emphasized how these objectives advanced the mission. Regular appreciation events and leader calls highlighting impact reinforced intrinsic reasons for persevering despite challenges. Motivation and retention significantly improved as a result.
Overcoming Fear of Failure
To effectively manage fear of failure and encourage calculated risk-taking:
Promote a learning-oriented culture where failures represent valuable lessons rather than weaknesses or punishable mistakes.
Set specific, measurable targets but evaluate based more on efforts/progress than perfectionistic outcomes alone.
Lead by example through transparent sharing of your own failures and times you took risks despite uncertainty.
Provide supportive coaching/mentoring focused on resilience, alternative perspectives, and reframing setbacks positively.
Celebrate experimentation and willingness to try bold innovations, even if all attempts do not succeed initially.
For instance, at a global innovation firm, leaders normalized discussions of past errors, emphasizing insights gained. Employees felt free pitching ideas knowing proposals carried no stigma if unfruitful. Failures were reframed from liabilities into learning opportunities. This fostered a dynamic, creative culture where teams iteratively solved problems through calculated risks and transparent learning from mistakes.
Overcoming Perfectionism
The following approaches can help manage excessive perfectionism to avoid paralysis:
Set specific, action-oriented goals with clear timelines focused on progress over flawlessness.
Ask for concrete, actionable feedback early and often from trusted sources rather than endless self-critique.
Focus on implementing good solutions now versus waiting for a perfect answer later through incremental experimentation.
Self-monitor for all-or-nothing thinking patterns that define worth based on outcomes alone versus effort.
Counter negative self-talk with more balanced, supportive internal dialog focused on the learning aspects of imperfection.
At a manufacturing plant, one quality assurance manager realized perfectionism was delaying new product launches. She shifted her team's targets to launching faster through quicker prototyping/testing cycles focused on functionality versus cosmetics. Accepting initial glitches as part of the process freed them to get products to eager customers sooner and refine iteratively based on real-world use. This "good enough" shift boosted speed, satisfaction, and revenues.
Building Self-Efficacy
Believing in ourselves and our capabilities to succeed through challenges is key to goal achievement. Leaders can proactively build self-efficacy in the following ways:
Set smaller, achievable sub-goals with clear timeframes to experience "wins" along the journey.
Focus feedback and performance discussions on effort/improvement versus just outcomes to bolster self-belief.
Model and encourage reframing of setbacks through growth mindsets that see ability as developable versus fixed traits.
Provide calibration buddies, mentoring, and social persuasion to help reframe negative self-talk in positive terms.
At a construction firm, leaders noticed one foreman's doubts undermining his talented crew. Through coaching, he started breaking projects into phases, celebrating milestones, and catching himself when feeling discouraged. Technical guidance boosted his confidence, as did a mindset shift toward problems as opportunities to expand his skills. Motivation and performance soared once he gained faith in his growing abilities.
Conclusion
While external factors certainly impact goal achievement, psychological barriers within our control also derail accomplishments through lack of motivation, fear, perfectionism and doubt. However, with awareness of these inner blocks and evidence-based strategies, leaders and individuals hold powerful means for overcoming self-limiting mindsets and channeling human potential. Applying approaches discussed around goal-setting, culture-shaping, self-management and team-building equips both organizations and people to persist through challenges, learn from failures, and accomplish what truly matters through sustainable passion, courage and self-belief.
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York, NY: W H Freeman/Times Books/ Henry Holt & Co.
Bandura, A., & Locke, E. A. (2003). Negative self-efficacy and goal effects revisited. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(1), 87–99.
Blankstein, K. R., Flett, G. L., & Koledin, S. (1992). The Brief College Student Life-Events Scale: Development, internal consistency, and concurrent validity. Journal of College Student Development, 33(4), 331–335.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York: Plenum Press.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268.
Edmondson, A. C. (2011). Strategies for learning from failure. Harvard Business Review, 89(4), 48–55.
Hewitt, P. L., & Flett, G. L. (1991). Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(3), 456–470.
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.
Slaney, R. B., & Ashby, J. S. (1996). Perfectionists: Study of a criterion group. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74(4), 393–398.
Timmons, J. A., & Spinelli, S. (2012). New venture creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st century (9th ed.). Burr Ridge, IL: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2025). The Inner Struggle: Overcoming Psychological Barriers to Achieving Your Goals. Human Capital Leadership Review, 17(3). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.17.3.4
