Ever been driving your car around town and it seems like the engine is working overtime and the acceleration is poor—and then you start smelling a weird burning odor?

You pull off to the side of the road to try and ascertain the problem, only to look down and realize…

The emergency brake is still engaged.

Fixing the problems is quite simple. You just release the brake and go along your way.

Our lives can respond the same way.

Too often we just keep gunning the throttle. Pushing ourselves harder and harder at a frantic pace. Trying to squeeze too much activity into tool little time. But the brakes are still on. Remember, a car in gear will move forward all on its own—even in idle, without the pedal being pushed—so long as the emergency brake is off.

One of the major brakes we place on our lives is our own limiting beliefs about what is possible. Our bad habits are another example of how we get in our own way. In both instances, we stop ourselves before we even have a chance to get going, let alone build momentum or accelerate.

Focusing on building up our strengths is a smart practice. Much of the contemporary success literature espouses enhancing strengths over fixing weaknesses. But sometimes taking the time to address and fix or remove certain flaws—be it our limiting beliefs or poor habits—will remove the brakes that are impeding our growth and progress.