Dreams. Everyone has them. But the question is, are you living your dreams?

A dream will forever remain just that—a dream—unless you do something to make it a reality. Have you been putting off reaching for your dreams? Looking for a way to let go of self-doubt? Perhaps your dream is to start your own business, but you haven’t even been able to take those first steps. So, what’s holding you back?

Here are 5 hang-ups you need to let go of today to allow yourself to start living your dreams.

1. Fear of Failure

A fear of failure is one of the biggest tools we use to hold ourselves back from proving our full potential. Is your dream to own your own business? Work from home opportunities are everywhere these days from network marketing jobs with ACN to makeup parties with Mary Kay. Perhaps your dream life consists of healthy eating, living in a large house, having lots of kids.Image result for What’s Holding You Back from Your Dream Life?

Whatever your dream, you’ll never reach it if you never try. You’ll experience failure on the way, but that’s the only way to succeed eventually. The only sure way to fail is to never try in the first place, and the only way to achieve your dreams is to get over your fear of failure.

2. Fear of Judgment

It’s so easy to get caught up in worrying about what others think about you, what they may think of you if you fail, or even worse, if you succeed. The world would be a very boring place if no one did anything they might receive judgment for. Be yourself, reach for YOUR dreams, and quiet all of those voices telling you that you can’t.    

3. Procrastination

“Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?” Because one day all of your tomorrows will run out, and you’ll find yourself wondering what on earth you wasted your time doing. Stop putting things off, stop finding excuses, and start doing the things that make you happy.

4. Past Mistakes

How can you ever expect to move forward when you’re constantly turned around, looking at what’s behind you? No matter who you were in the past, and what mistakes you’ve made, it’s time to let them go.

You don’t have to pretend that you never made mistakes in the past. Instead, acknowledge them, realize that everyone else also makes mistakes from time to time, forgive yourself, and move on.

5. You

Notice a theme here? In most cases, the biggest thing holding you back from living your dream life is you. You need to let go of the self-doubt, the worry of what others think, and past mistakes that have left you feeling unworthy. It’s time to put yourself first and pursue your dreams.

Nobody else will achieve your dreams for you. It’s up to you to make it happen.

Stop What You’re Doing and Make Something Happen

Stop letting others, and worse, yourself, hold you back from living the life of your dreams. Look at all of those people out there finding success and achieving their dreams—what makes you think they deserve it any more than you do? Stop what you’re doing right now and do something that makes you happy.

You are an investment worth making—it’s time to start living your dream life. Just as Mathieu Ambroise from ACN Inc once said, “It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what has happened in your life. You can still accomplish great things.”