Why Wanting More Still Isn’t Enough
“It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.” — Unknown
Years ago, I would leave my YPO Forum meetings on fire.
Not because of what I said. But because of what I heard.
Around the table: founders doing $50M, $100M in profits, building teams, selling companies, spinning off second and third businesses.
I would drive home with a cocktail of energy and frustration, knuckles white on the steering wheel:
“I need to do more.”
“Why can’t I do more?”
“What am I missing?”
And just beneath that... A whisper I didn’t want to hear:
“Maybe I just can’t do it.”
That whisper is the ceiling. Not your business model. Not your strategy. Not your talent.
The whisper is the real limiter. The one that says:
"If I try again and fail, I won’t recover."
"They’re just wired differently than me."
"I don’t know if I can handle the cost of success."
"I want more... but maybe I’m just not enough."
And this is what no one tells you:
It’s not your lack of drive that’s holding you back.
It’s the quiet belief that you might not be capable of more.
That belief suppresses the fire.
You feel the desire. You know the business could grow. You know the team has more potential.
But nothing moves. Because the want is loud — but the fear is louder.
This is where most founders stall.
Not because they stopped wanting more. But because they stopped believing more was possible for them.
So they:
Distract themselves with busy work
Blame the market
Double down on complexity
Stay successful enough not to get questioned
But never cross into the business’s true potential.
Here's the truth:
Your business isn't broken. And you're not lazy. And you're definitely not done.
You've just been operating under a belief system that caps what you're allowed to pursue.
Most companies are only operating at 40% of their real potential.
Because the leader's beliefs are creating the ceiling.
Breaking Through the Belief Ceiling
So, how do you move past this? Here's a simple but powerful exercise I've used with founders stuck in this exact place:
Capture the Whisper - Take 10 minutes alone with a blank page. Write down the specific whispers that come up when you think about significant growth. Not your rational objections, but the emotional ones. "I might fail publicly." "I could lose control." "I might not be able to handle the pressure." Write them all down.
Question the Source - For each whisper, ask: "Where did I learn this?" Most of these beliefs were installed by a person or life experiences that no longer apply to who you are today. Label each with its origin.
Create the Counter-Evidence - For each limiting belief, write down three specific pieces of evidence from your own life that contradict it. Times you've succeeded where you thought you'd fail. Instances where you've handled more than you thought possible. Moments that prove the whisper wrong.
Design One Small Test - Choose the belief that feels most constraining and design one small action that directly challenges it. If the whisper says "I'm not strategic enough," schedule one hour this week solely for strategic thinking. If it says "I can't build a strong team," have one meaningful development conversation with a high-potential team member.
The key isn't to silence the whispers overnight. It's to start proving them wrong, one small piece of evidence at a time.
I've seen founders double their business within a year after breaking through these belief ceilings - not because they worked twice as hard, but because they removed what was limiting their vision, their decisions, and their actions.
If you feel the ache for more—but haven't been able to move...
You're not alone. And you're not broken.
You're just one belief shift away from your next level of growth.
- Howard