10 Blocks to Success

So you’ve tried everything you know of to help you achieve your dream. You’ve watched ‘The Secret’, you’ve read all the self-help books, and done everything they’ve suggested, the visualisations, the affirmations, created a vision board and more, and still you feel no nearer to achieving your desired outcome. Maybe you’re even ready to give up. What more can you do?

It seems to me that there are common themes that recur when we fail to achieve our dreams. Blocks, if you like, that stop us from achieving our goals and which will always prevent our success if we have them. Most of these blocks are subconscious. We may not even know we have them. They just fester away in the back of our minds, undoing all the good work we may do from reading, visualising, affirming etc. Have a read through the list below and ask yourself if any one or more of them may apply to you.

1. Deservability – The number one block we put on ourselves is deservability. We simply don’t believe that we deserve to get whatever it is that we desire. We’re just ‘not good enough’. Self-esteem and confidence come into this category too. If you feel deep down inside, that you haven’t the confidence to pull off whatever you’re dreaming of, it’ll never happen.

2. Doubt – We don’t believe it can really happen for us. We’re afraid to be disappointed when it all goes wrong (as it usually does.) We doubt not only ourselves, but the Universe too.

3. Expectation – We actually ‘expect’ things to go wrong. We believe that because things haven’t come right for us before, they won’t this time.

4. Belief – Could this really happen for you? Or do good things only happen to others?

5. Safety – Often we block ourselves because we won’t feel ‘safe’ if we achieve our dreams. Who would you be without all that extra weight? Who would you be if you won the lottery? What would be the ‘downside’ of achieving your dream? Fear of success and fear of failure come under this heading too. Think about what you fear most about achieving (or not achieving) your dream. What if you get it and it’s not enough, or it’s not right? What if you don’t get it? Are you holding on too tightly to your dream?

6. Scarcity Programming – This is the belief that there’s not enough to go round. Or that if you have, someone else will have to go without.

7. Family Programming – These are the negative beliefs passed on to you by your family. It’s usually your parents that tell you things like “Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know,” and other choice statements! “We’re not a rich family,” “Success doesn’t come easily to our family,” and other such things we learned as children can easily become the rules by which we subconsciously live our own lives. Of course, our parents couldn’t teach us anything they didn’t believe themselves, so there’s no blame on them, but isn’t it time to start living by your own set of ‘rules’?

8. Upsetting Others – Sometimes we may subconsciously sabotage our dreams for fear of upsetting someone else. Who would be upset if you achieved your dream? Are you trying not to outdo a younger or less able sibling or friend?

9. Asking For Too Much – If we’re asking for something that’s not believable to us, we’re not going to get it. Look at your dream and see if you feel it’s realistic to get there from where you are now. If not, bring your ideas in line with what you feel you can actually achieve.

10. Not really wanting it – This last one’s really important. Sometimes we pursue our dream because it’s what we ‘ought’ to want, or because it’s what we think we want. Check with your heart to see if what you’re asking for is really what you want.

Remember, the Law of Attraction works for us all (no exceptions) so have a good think about the list above and see if any or all of them apply to you. These blocks could be preventing you from achieving the very things you say you want.

So how do we remove these blocks? Sometimes blocks can be dismantled easily by simply acknowledging their presence. Sometimes we have to let them go and release them. You can do this by writing them down, then symbolically burn your paper (somewhere safe, of course!), or you can do this verbally out loud.

For me Emotional Freedom Techniques is the easiest and quickest way to dissolving blocks. It’s easy to do and you can do it by yourself in minutes. You can find out more by checking the EFT page on my web site. Or visit your local library or bookshop and look for books by the many self-help gurus out there. Whatever method you choose, at least you’ll have a head start if you know what your blocks are.

Whichever way you go, I wish you happy dreaming and may all of your dreams come true!


About Me
I am an alternative therapist and workshop leader. I run meditation groups and personal development workshops from my home in Beverley, East Yorkshire and offer Success Coaching and Reiki treatments/attunements and EFT treatments. For information on all of these, and lots more, visit my web site at 
Rainbows For spiritual, inspirational and motivational chat, visit the Rainbows blog