Changing your life is a process, undertaken one step at a time. I have written previously about why drastic changes like New Years Resolutions fail. Some steps toward change are too big to maintain. Lifestyle and dietary habits are often so ingrained that it can require a redefinition of yourself to make that change. It is important for success not to jump in over your head, but to consciously walk through each step of your journey.
Even when we take each step individually, some steps can feel like a longer reach than others. A friend who has been reading my posts at Diets In Review shared with me recently that in his struggle to lose weight the biggest hurdle was not finding new information on nutrition and exercise that could help direct his behavior or modify his metabolism or even avoiding the temptation of his comfort foods, but rather the most difficult part for him was believing that he could actually make it over those hurdles. Self-doubt is a hurdle in itself.
Until I dated a marathoner I was pretty anti-running and it took him a while to convince me to even give it a try. Once I realized I could set my own pace and distance without feeling tortured, I began to work it into my routine. After I had been running casually for a while, watching him and others run races, I felt like I could give it a try. After I had run my first race, I was impressed with what I was able to accomplish, and I have set some higher goals for myself. Each was a step; being convinced that I was capable was a hurdle I had to jump before I was able to reach that achievement.
Also read The Hurdle of Self-Doubt, Part II.