For a long time, I felt stuck. I knew I was called to start my coaching business, but something kept holding me back. Actually, not just something—several things. I like to call them calling blockers—those limiting beliefs, fears, and doubts that stop you from stepping into what you’re meant to do.

If you’ve been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or just plain scared to start your business, this is for you. I’m going to share the biggest calling blockers that held me back and exactly how I overcame them. My hope? That my story inspires you to break free and take action.

What Are Calling Blockers?

I first heard about calling blockers from my podcast coach, Stephanie Gass. Simply put, calling blockers are the things that keep us from stepping into our God-given purpose. They can be limiting beliefs, fears, negative self-talk, or even past experiences that whisper, You can’t do this.

In my journey, I faced four major calling blockers. Let’s dive into them and how I broke free.

1. Negative Self-Talk

You know that voice in your head that tells you you’re not good enough? That was me, every single day. My inner critic was loud, constantly reminding me why I couldn’t start my coaching business.

It sounded something like this:

• You don’t have what it takes to package your knowledge into a service.
• You’re not experienced enough.
• Who’s going to listen to you?
• You don’t know how to put it all together.

If any of that sounds familiar, know that you’re not alone. Negative self-talk is sneaky. It disguises itself as logic or common sense, but really, it’s just fear trying to keep us stuck.

How I Overcame It

1. I Searched for Evidence I looked at my past experiences and realized that I had already done things I never thought possible—with God’s help. I had already taken big steps in my life, and I reminded myself of those victories.
   
2. I Turned to Scripture One story that really spoke to me was from Numbers 13:32-33, where the Israelites doubted their ability to take the promised land because they saw themselves as grasshoppers. That’s exactly what I was doing—I was seeing myself as too small, too incapable, too unqualified. But God didn’t see me that way.
   
3. I Created a Liberating Truth Instead of letting negative thoughts control me, I wrote down a new truth, rooted in God’s Word:
   
   There is a solution to every problem in God. He doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called. There are no mysteries in the Kingdom. Whatever I need to know will be revealed to me under grace. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will figure it out. God will lead me to the right mentors and resources. I trust His plan.
   
   Every time doubt crept in, I read this truth out loud. And guess what? Over time, it started replacing the lies in my head.
   
4. I Took Imperfect Action Here’s the thing—clarity comes through action, not overthinking. Once I stopped waiting to “feel ready” and just started taking steps, everything began to fall into place. I didn’t have all the answers, but I trusted that God would reveal them as I moved forward.
   

2. Fear of Judgment

I worried about what people would think. Would they laugh at me? Would they question my expertise? This fear kept me from showing up consistently.

How I Overcame It

I reminded myself that I wasn’t doing this for them—I was doing it for God and for the people who needed my help. The right people would resonate with my message, and the wrong ones? They weren’t my audience anyway.

3. Perfectionism

I wanted everything to be perfect before I launched my coaching business—my website, my branding, my offers. But perfectionism is just another form of procrastination.

How I Overcame It

I shifted my mindset from perfection to progress. I launched before I felt ready, knowing I could tweak and improve as I went.

4. Lack of Clarity

I wasn’t sure exactly what my coaching business should focus on. This uncertainty made me hesitant to move forward.

How I Overcame It

I invested in mentorship and courses that helped me find my niche. Clarity doesn’t always come instantly—it often comes through action and refinement.

What About You?

Do you have a calling blocker that’s keeping you stuck? Maybe it’s negative self-talk, fear of failure, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, I want to encourage you to:

• Identify it.
• Find evidence that proves it wrong.
• Replace it with a liberating truth from God’s Word.
• Take action, even if it’s small.

You don’t have to stay stuck. You don’t have to let fear win. You can step into your calling and build a business that honors God and serves others.

Need Help Gaining Clarity?

If you’re not sure what your calling is or you’re struggling to move forward, I highly recommend checking out the Clarify Your Calling course. It helped me tremendously, and I know it can do the same for you.

Or, if you already have clarity but need help taking the next step, let’s chat! Head over to startthatbusinesspodcast.com and schedule a coaching session with me. You can also download my free Business Clarity Blueprint to get started.

Final Thoughts

John 8:32 says, You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

My prayer for you is that God’s truth will drown out every lie, every fear, and every doubt that’s holding you back. That you will step boldly into your calling, knowing that you have what it takes—because you have the help of the Holy Spirit.

You’ve got this, friend. Now go take that first step!

If this post encouraged you, would you share it with a friend who needs to hear it? And if you found value in this, I’d love it if you left a review over at startthatbusinesspodcast.com. Your words mean so much, and they help more people find this message of hope and clarity.

Until next time, keep trusting, keep taking action, and keep believing in your calling. You were made for this!