On today’s episode of Make + Design, Carina analyzes the kinds of things that can hold us back. It is very natural for us to hold on to things that hold us back. First, are we able to identify what’s holding us back? Second, can we identify why that thing holds us back? Carina runs us through the categories of excuses and mental blocks that can hold us back.  One of them is limiting beliefs. Based on past experience and incorrect assumptions, we can create beliefs that keep us back from achieving. Ask yourself what kinds of limiting beliefs do you have? In the midst of this analysis, Carina debunks the old belief that “you should only post on Instagram on Fridays.”  Another thing that can hold us back, Carina tells us, is comparison. We can achieve much more when we stop comparing ourselves to others. One way to avoid comparison is to learn to celebrate the successes of those around us. If we’re celebrating, we’re too busy to feel bad about a negative comparison. The last category of things that hold us back is timing. Sometimes we can be our own best salesperson and talk ourselves into something that isn’t the correct next step. Timing is very important! __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY  __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc.   Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers.   Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program, Design Bootcamp, here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp  Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/