What may really be holding you back — and what to do about it.

It’s tempting to think that the gap between where you are now and where you want to be is the result of an equal gap in your skills or your knowledge or your experience. 

In general, we all assume that the reason we’re not farther along in our careers is because we just don’t have enough; we’re just not there yet.

Or maybe work feels like a constant struggle, like everything is ten times harder than it should be; like you just aren’t picking things up fast enough. 

Not adapting quickly enough. 

Not executing at a level you know you’re capable of, but just can’t seem to get to. 

Still feeling like a square peg in a round hole even after several years on the job.

These are things I hear just about every week, from both entry-level and senior UX, UI and Product Design folks. And these same sentiments are almost always echoed in the side conversations I have with members of product teams whose companies I’m consulting with. It’s a common thread all of these incredibly sharp, capable people seem to be pulling on.

Which got me thinking.

Maybe the real issue here — the real reason these folks feel stuck in the mud — has nothing to do with their skills or ability or experience. 

Maybe the reason you’re working below your potential — yet practically making yourself sick trying to rise above it — isn’t the result of some gap in your knowledge or training.

Maybe it’s a whole lot deeper — and a whole lot more personal — than that.

In this talk from the 2021 HX Conference, I dig into what that reason is.

And how to deal with and use it to your advantage.