S5E20 - How to Get Out of Your Own Way

7 snips

Oct 13, 2025

The discussion highlights how the biggest barriers to our dreams are often self-imposed fears and doubts. Drawing inspiration from figures like J.K. Rowling and Sara Blakely, practical strategies to combat self-sabotage are shared. Listeners learn the importance of taking immediate, imperfect action instead of waiting for the perfect moment. The 70% decision-making rule promotes timely choices, while consistent small efforts are shown to be more effective than sporadic bursts of activity. Ultimately, self-measurement against past achievements trumps comparison with others.

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INSIGHT

Internal Barriers Often Block Success

The biggest obstacles to our dreams are internal: fear, procrastination, negative self-talk, and overthinking.
Recognizing these invisible barriers is the first step to dismantling them and moving forward.

ANECDOTE

J.K. Rowling’s Relentless Small Steps

J.K. Rowling faced rejection, poverty, depression, and single parenthood before committing daily to write.
She persisted through rejections until a small publisher accepted her manuscript and Harry Potter became a global phenomenon.

ADVICE

Act With Integrity In The Moment Of Choice

Exercise integrity in the moment of choice by doing what you say you'll do regardless of mood or circumstance.
Use the space between stimulus and response to choose actions that build identity and momentum.

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Drawing upon the inspiring stories of such people J.K. Rowling and Sara Blakely, McKay explores how the biggest obstacle to our dreams is often ourselves. Throughout the episode, he reveals practical strategies to overcome common forms of self-sabotage and finally achieve your goals.

McKay breaks down the most common examples of how we get in our own way, such as the fear of failure, waiting for perfect conditions, and overthinking. He contrasts this paralysis with the power of taking immediate, imperfect action, highlighting Sara Blakely's journey with Spanx and Jeff Bezos's "70% rule" for decision-making. The core solution presented is to build momentum through small, consistent efforts and to act with integrity in the "moment of choice" - simply doing what you set out to do. By focusing on your own journey and avoiding the trap of comparing yourself to others, you can dismantle these internal barriers and move forward.

Main Themes:

The biggest barriers to success are often internal fears, doubts, and procrastination.
Take immediate, imperfect action instead of waiting for the "perfect" moment to begin.
Act with integrity in the "moment of choice" by following through on your commitments.
Small, consistent efforts are more effective than short, intense bursts of work.
Overcome overthinking by making decisions when you have 70% of the information, not 100%.
Measure your progress against your past self, not the curated lives of others.

Top 10 Quotes:

"More often than not, the greatest obstacle is the person staring back at them in the mirror."

"I stopped pretending I was anything other than who I was, and I determined more than I had ever determined before what I was meant to do."

"Exercise integrity in the moment of choice."

"Waiting for no risk or perfect conditions is one of the most dangerous forms of self-sabotage."

"Overthinking is a form of self-sabotage disguised as diligence."

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

"Consistency compounds results. Intensity, however, without regularity, often leads to burnout and frustrations."

"Make a decision when you have roughly 70% of the information you want. Waiting for 90 to 100% certainty often causes missed opportunities."

"Progress shouldn't be measured against others. It should be measured against our own past selves."

"Getting out of your own way happens in small, consistent steps and buying into faith instead of fear."

Show Links:

Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen