You’re feeling stuck. Is it your circumstances or are you the problem?
Here’s the truth behind why you stay in the struggle:
1. The Stories You Tell Yourself
We are the average of the five stories we tell ourselves most often. Think about it: what do you tell yourself daily? Is it, “I deserve this,” “I’m too stressed,” or “This one thing won’t hurt?” These stories shape your behavior, often without you even realizing it.
How to Break Free: The first step is awareness. Acknowledge the stories you tell yourself, then challenge them. Are they really true? Replace the old story with a more empowering one.
2. You’re Not Giving Your Brain Time to Help You Make Better Decisions
Your frontal lobe, the part of the brain responsible for reasoning and decision-making, needs more time to engage than your reactive, impulsive mind. Too often, we act quickly, fueled by emotion or habit, without giving ourselves space to make conscious choices.
How to Break Free: Stop multitasking, especially in key moments of decision-making. Start small: stop bringing your phone into the bathroom, or leave it out of your child’s room during bedtime. Create space for your brain to fully engage.
3. You’re Focusing on the Wrong Thing First
Most people don’t start with the lead domino—the one change that makes everything else easier. Instead, they focus on the wrong thing in the wrong order. Maybe you’re trying to fix your diet while ignoring the deeper belief that “I’m too busy to cook healthy meals.”
How to Break Free: Identify your personal lead domino. What’s the root belief or habit that, if addressed, would make everything else easier?
Breaking the Cycle
If you find yourself in these traps—chasing speed, picking the wrong strategies, or losing faith in yourself—there is hope. It all begins with a shift in mindset. Align your goals with what you’re willing to sustain, make decisions that fit your ideal life, and rebuild confidence by committing to long-term change.
About Elizabeth: Author, podcaster (1600+ shows and 20 million+ downloads) – specializing in helping women end the cycle of constantly pursuing change yet running into the same excuses and obstacles year after year
Social: instagram/elizabethbenton Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/primal-potential/id954984769