29: Interference: The Invisible Barrier to Your Breakthrough

read time 3 minutes

Welcome to the With Intention weekly newsletter where I share ideas & learnings to help you live & lead with intention

At a glance:

• Essay: The Hidden Interference: What holds us back and how to break through 
• Quote: The opponent is you
• Visual: It's time to stop making excuses

The Hidden Interference: What Holds Us Back and How to Break Through

We all have those moments where we feel stuck, where progress seems elusive, and where it feels like we’re our own biggest obstacle.

This week, I want to explore the concept of interference—what it is, how it impacts us, and how we can overcome it to achieve breakthrough results. It’s a silent thief that robs us of our potential and keeps us from performing at our best. Timothy Gallwey’s formula, Performance = Potential – Interference, distills this truth beautifully.

It highlights a key insight: our success often depends more on what’s blocking us internally than any external challenges.

My Turn:

This concept became painfully clear to me when I transitioned from being a standout soccer player to someone who suddenly struggled to perform. Crossing the ball was my bread and butter, a skill I had executed flawlessly thousands of times. But as I overthought every movement, self-doubt crept in.

My natural instincts were hijacked by fear and over analysis.

I was in my own way.

Years later, this interference followed me into the boardroom. I found myself battling panic attacks while speaking—a debilitating experience for anyone, but especially for a sales guy whose job depended on communication. These moments were my wake-up call.

I realized that I had ignored the mental clutter, or as I call it, "the trash," that was piling up in my mind.

It wasn’t until I began the hard work of identifying and clearing my interference that I started to see real progress.

Even the best in the world face interference. Athletes like Simone Biles and Michael Phelps, who dominate their sports, have shared openly about their struggles with mental blocks and emotional challenges. These examples show us that interference is universal.

If they experience it, so do we.

The key is not avoiding it but learning how to overcome it.

So, how do we address our interference? It starts with awareness.

Here are three questions to reflect on:

1. What situations make you feel stuck or unsure of yourself?

2. Are there patterns or triggers you notice when interference shows up?

3. What would your performance look like if you removed that interference?

Take time to consider these questions and write down your answers. The clarity that comes from this exercise can be transformational. Awareness is the first step, but action is what leads to breakthroughs.

Your Turn:

What’s your unique interference?

Figuring that out could be the first step toward your breakthrough.

Speaking of breakthroughs, next week I’m hosting a free Breakthrough Results workshop designed to help you identify and overcome your personal interference. Click here to register.

Together, we’ll dive deeper into tools and strategies that can unlock your potential and set you on a path to success. 

Final Thought:
The difference between where you are now and where you could be often comes down to interference. Be relentless about identifying it, understanding it, and moving through it. Breakthrough results are on the other side.

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for the free workshop next week. Click here to register. Can't wait to see you there! Let's build some breakthroughs together!

A Visual: It's time to stop making excuses

Source: Seek Wiser (@SeekWiser_) / X

I hope you'll join me next Thursday at 1pm for the Breakthrough Results call! Your future and impact are waiting. Let's do this, together!

Register here if you haven't already: Breakthrough Results: The Power of Living & Leading With Intention

Until next week…thanks for reading!

—Jon

Jon Giganti Author. Speaker. Leader.

Attention requires a focused head.
Intention requires a focused heart.

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