OpinionMay 26, 2026 — 3:57pm“How come I’m trying so hard but I’m not getting ahead?” Over the years, I’ve seen people work incredibly hard, consume endless information, and still not get ahead financially because of the unconscious patterns that shape the way they think and behave.Today, I’m breaking down some of the common patterns I see that hold people back from creating their next level of financial growth:Feeling financially confident isn’t an easy ride, but there are some things you can do to smooth out the bumps.Simon LetchOverthinking and under-doingWhat this looks like: Maybe you’ve researched investing, but you can’t bring yourself to invest. Maybe you follow all the news, so you know all about tax and superannuation, but your own finances are a mess.Maybe you’ve been listening to business podcasts for years, but you still can’t start that side hustle. In short, you know what you “should” be doing, but somehow, you’re not taking action.What’s going on: At some point, you learnt to create results through researching, analysing, thinking, studying. This now feels safe and familiar. The collecting of information in and of itself provides a level of safety and satisfaction, without the taking action part. “Knowing” things provides you a level of comfort on its own, without “doing”.Sometimes, the fastest way to move forward isn’t another strategy.You might also feel like you “need to know everything” before you can take action. If that’s the case, chances are you’re scared to make mistakes or get things wrong.Maybe there wasn’t space for you to learn through making mistakes when you were growing up; maybe making mistakes came with a harsh penalty, and you learnt you had to get it right the first time.How to start changing this: First, start practising taking action. Break tasks down into small steps. For example, instead of starting investing, it could be opening a brokerage account. Start experiencing the satisfaction that comes with doing things, not just thinking about them. Maybe create a list so you can cross off the items as you go, to feel that accomplishment.Second, start giving yourself permission to learn by doing, instead of learn by knowing. Give yourself permission to make mistakes, to get it wrong, to learn through failure. Practise taking action without perfect information – knowing that you can always make a different decision later.Over-giving and underchargingWhat this looks like: In the context of a job, this could be consistently going above and beyond – working overtime, taking on extra responsibilities, helping colleagues with their work – while never asking for a promotion or pay rise.In the context of self-employment, this could be doing things free too often, feeling bad about charging for your work or raising your prices, or feeling resentful or depleted because you don’t feel seen or valued for your efforts.What’s going on: On some level, you don’t value what you bring to the table enough to ask for it to be fairly compensated. I know you think, “If they see how good I am, then they’ll want to pay me more” – but when you consistently over-give, what you’re doing is training people to expect to receive that value at that price point.People don’t think: “This is so good – let me pay more.” They think, “Wow, this is great value for money.” If you want more money you have to ask for more, not just keep over-giving and hoping people will see it and volunteer to pay more.How to start changing this: It starts with seeing and owning the value you bring to the table. You might think you’re good at what you do. But somewhere, you’re not fully owning that. Maybe you don’t want to look arrogant or conceited. Maybe you’ve been taught to “let your work do the talking”. But other people cannot see the value in you that you don’t fully own yourself.Then, it’s about learning how to communicate that value in a way that others see it, and are happy to pay for it. You don’t get paid more just because you suddenly decide “I’m worth it”. You also have to meet the marketplace (employers, customers, etc) where they are, and learn to present your value in a way that makes them happy to pay you for it.It’s common to assume that simply learning more or trying harder will automatically lead to greater financial progress. But often the problem isn’t lack of effort. It’s the unconscious patterns that drive your decision-making and behaviour. You can keep applying more effort to the same pattern, but you will keep getting the same result, which often leads to feeling “stuck”.Sometimes, the fastest way to move forward isn’t another strategy – it’s directly addressing the hidden psychological patterns that are shaping your financial life behind the scenes.Paridhi Jain is a money and mindset coach who combines practical strategies with mindset transformation to help clients create more freedom and fulfilment in wealth, work and life. Find Paridhi at: skilledsmart.com.auAdvice given in this article is general in nature and is not intended to influence readers’ decisions about investing or financial products. They should always seek their own professional advice that takes into account their own personal circumstances before making any financial decisions.Expert tips on how to save, invest and make the most of your money delivered to your inbox every Sunday. Sign up for our Real Money newsletter.Paridhi Jain is a money and mindset coach who combines practical strategies with mindset transformation to help clients create more freedom and fulfillment in wealth, work, and life.From our partners