Entrepreneurs, Here's Why You Mustn't Let Self-Imposed Barriers Hold You Back Six steps to reclaim your power.

There's a feeling most of us are familiar with, the tug-of-war between wanting more and second-guessing yourself. You think of the idea, have the internal conversation, and then… you hesitate. You tell yourself you'll start when the stars align, when you feel ready, when it's the right time. But here's the tough truth I've learned the hard way: that moment never comes and the convenient "I'll start when things calm down" can very easily turn into "maybe never."

I see this pattern everywhere, especially with women. We talk a lot about the barriers that hold women back, the glass ceilings, limited opportunities, unfair systems and yes, those definitely exist. But the barriers I see most often are the ones we create ourselves.

One of the biggest self-imposed barriers, especially among high-achieving women, is the obsession with getting it right the first time. We rewrite emails, over-plan projects, and second-guess decisions into exhaustion. We call it being 'prepared,' but really it's just fear dressed up as planning.

I've spent years helping women break through the walls they unknowingly build around themselves, mostly because I built so many of them too. The hardest thing about self-imposed barriers is that they don't feel like barriers at all. They feel like safety nets.

Take the Leap Before You Feel Ready

When I left the Army, I didn't have a plan. I'd spent 13 years in a structured environment that told me exactly what to do and when to do it, and suddenly there was no structure, no map. So I made one up. I moved to Iraq to work in private security not because it was a logical step, but because it felt like a challenge worth taking. Later, I started a gym with zero business training, turned down high-paying contracts that didn't sit right with me, and ended friendships that no longer felt true to who I was.

None of it was comfortable but each time I took a step, even when I wasn't sure where I was heading, I learned that clarity doesn't come before the leap. It comes after you've taken it. You figure things out by doing, not by waiting to feel ready.

That's the thing about self-imposed barriers, they convince you to pause, to think a little longer, to prepare a little more but waiting for certainty is like another way of just standing still. Growth is rarely comfortable in the beginning. It's shaky, awkward, and unfamiliar but if something feels both scary and perfectly aligned with your goals, that's usually your cue to go all in.

Recognising the Subtle Barriers

Self-imposed barriers don't announce themselves. They're sneaky. They show up as perfectionism and as overthinking. You must have caught yourself saying, "I'll start once I have everything figured out," "Now's not the right time," and "I just need one more course, one more idea, one more sign." These thoughts make you believe you're being careful, strategic, even sensible. But what they really do is protect your comfort zone, the familiar and safe space between who you are and who you could be. The first step in breaking through is recognising them when they appear. Be aware of the moments hesitation creeps in. When you say "later" but you really mean "I'm scared." When you default to over-preparing instead of taking action.

Build Confidence Through Action

Confidence isn't a personality trait, it's a muscle. You strengthen it every time you act despite uncertainty. Waiting to feel confident before you begin is like waiting to get fit before going to the gym. Start small. Have the difficult conversation you've been avoiding. Launch the project you've been sitting on. Each time you follow through, you prove you can trust yourself. If you want to stop holding yourself back, treat confidence like a skill, not an innate quality. Hone and build it through small but consistent steps.

Make Fear Useful

Fear is one of the most misunderstood emotions, in business and in life." It's not a stop sign, it's information. It tells you that something matters. When I started over after leaving a comfortable career, fear was constant company. But instead of trying to get rid of it, I started analysing it differently. I'd ask myself, "Am I unsafe, or just uncomfortable?" Ninety-nine percent of the time, it was the latter. That distinction changed everything.

If you can sit with discomfort instead of running from it, you'll realise that fear isn't blocking you, it's directing you toward what's next. A great exercise is to write down exactly what you're afraid of. When you see it in black and white, it stops being this big shadow and becomes something you can actually navigate.

Collect Small Wins

You don't wake up one day feeling confident and fearless. It's like going up a staircase, the only way to get to the top is to focus on taking one small step at a time. Finish one thing you've been putting off. Speak up in a meeting. Ask for help. Each time you follow through, you collect evidence that you can rely on yourself. The more evidence you gather, the less you'll need external validation.

Surround Yourself With Positive Influence

It's hard to grow when you're surrounded by people who keep you small. Pay attention to the conversations you have most often. Are they about what's possible, or what's not? You don't need people who always agree with you, but you do need those who hold you to your potential, the ones who remind you what you're capable of when you forget. That's exactly why I started Sisterhood Collective because I saw too many brilliant women trying to do it alone. You can't always silence self-doubt, but you can drown it out with the right community. The people who see you clearly, hold you accountable, and cheer you on even when you've lost sight of yourself. We rise faster, and stronger, when we rise together. When you share your fears and wins with others on the same path, those barriers start to crumble faster than you ever could alone.

You don't need to be fearless. You just need to notice when fear's running the show and take the wheel back. Your power isn't out there waiting for you to be ready, it's within you right here right now, so stop waiting to feel ready. This week take one small, brave, aligned action no matter how imperfect. Start small but start and keep going.