The Seven Steps Staircase
Climb past the seven excuses that kill dreams before they start
The Seven Steps Staircase is a diagnostic framework that identifies exactly where you are stuck on the path to pursuing a dream. Squibb observed that virtually everyone who refuses to chase a dream is trapped on one of seven specific steps, each representing a distinct limiting belief or excuse. By locating your step, you can apply targeted strategies to climb past it.
The framework moves from the most fundamental blockers (not having time, feeling trapped) through middle-ground excuses (not needing a dream, not knowing what it is) to the more advanced blockers that affect people who already have a dream but cannot act on it (not knowing how, fear of judgment, past failure). Each step has its own psychology and its own antidote.
The power of the framework lies in its exhaustiveness. Squibb argues that every reason people give for not pursuing a dream falls into one of these seven categories, and once you see your excuse clearly labeled, it loses much of its power over you.
- Every excuse for not pursuing a dream falls into one of seven predictable categories
- Limiting beliefs lose their power once you can name and externalize them
- The journey toward a dream begins by confronting what is holding you back, not by planning the destination
- Fear of failure is more dangerous than actual failure because it prevents you from ever starting
- Only take advice from people whose life you actually want to emulate
- I Don't Have Time (Survival Mode)You are so consumed by daily obligations, bills, and routine that a dream feels frivolous. You are in survival mode, focused only on getting through the day. The antidote is to permit yourself even one minute a day to think about what you want, shifting from survival to aspiration.Pro tipAt the start, distance does not matter, only direction. Even spending one minute a day thinking about your dream begins to shift your mindset from surviving to thriving.WarningAccepting survival mode as permanent is the real trap. The problem is not being in survival mode; it is accepting it as your identity.
- I'm Trapped (Unresolved Problems)You have unresolved issues such as debt, shame, or past mistakes that you are hiding from. These hidden problems will sabotage any dream you try to build. The antidote is radical honesty: clean the slate, confront your problems, and accept help.Pro tipEvery unresolved issue you store up now is one that will hurt you later. Be transparent about your problems and have the humility to admit you need help.WarningDo not assume you can stuff problems away in a cupboard or ignore them. Refusing to confront problems deepens the hole you are in by turning away the people trying to help you out.
- I Don't Need It (The Possessions Trap)You have created a prison of financial obligations where mortgages, car payments, and lifestyle costs squeeze the air out of any dream. You tell yourself you do not need a dream, but the truth is you cannot have one. The antidote is to renounce possessions as life's end goal and ruthlessly cut costs to create financial breathing room.Pro tipFrame your costs in terms of hours worked. If your car costs 600 dollars per month, calculate how many extra hours that requires. This reframing makes the trap viscerally clear.WarningKids do not do what you say, they do what you do. If the example you set is staying in a job you hate just to pay the mortgage, that is likely the life they will replicate.
- I Don't Know What (Unexamined Life)You are open to having a dream but have never properly engaged with the question. The dream is usually close to the surface. The antidote is to ban the phrase 'I don't know' and force yourself to write a list of likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses. This list will lead you to your dream.Pro tipAsk yourself what you would do today if you had no job and no financial worries. That is your starting point.WarningA dream left unexamined for too long can expire. Like ripe fruit, dreams need to be picked or they go rotten.
- I Don't Know How (Overthinking and Fear)You have a dream and can name it, but you are paralyzed by overthinking, self-doubt, and the assumption that it must be incredibly hard. The antidote is to shrink the problem. Stop pondering big-picture impossibilities and start posing specific, actionable questions. Do things rather than think about them.Pro tipAsk yourself tangible questions that lead to actions: What is the business called? When can you do a demo? How much do you charge? How much money do you need to start?WarningMost people underestimate themselves and overestimate the world. The bar for starting most businesses is much lower than you think.
- I'm Worried What They'll Think (Social Pressure)You have a dream but the doubt of family, friends, or partners is killing your confidence. The antidote is to rationalize criticism: ask why they are saying it, determine if they speak from expertise or fear, and as a rule only take advice from people whose life you want.Pro tipIf you do not want someone's life, do not take their advice. A parent who worked corporate their whole life may naturally fear entrepreneurship, but that fear reflects their experience, not your potential.WarningDo not let yourself be easily dissuaded. The people closest to you are often speaking from a position of fear rather than expertise.
- I've Tried Before (Bad Fear from Past Failure)Past failure has created what Squibb calls 'bad fear' that is overwhelming and debilitating, as opposed to 'good fear' that motivates. The antidote is to take the failure out of the locked box. Reflect on what actually went wrong, forgive yourself, and convert that experience from a millstone into an asset.Pro tipDistinguish between good fear (the friend who holds you accountable at the gym) and bad fear (the enemy that prevents you from trying). Good fear sharpens you; bad fear paralyzes you.WarningTurning past failure into a reason never to try again turns everything we know about success on its head. Failure is data, not destiny.
Sam had a fully formed catering business idea called Chez Sam but was stuck on step five, telling herself she did not know how to start a business. Within seventy-two hours of being challenged to take action, she catered her first event, pitching to a room of entrepreneurs and investors.
Charlie had extraordinary drawing talent but was stuck on step six. His partner kept telling him to get a proper job, undermining his confidence every time he tried to build a portfolio.
Davide dreamed of opening a restaurant called The Black Pearl. Squibb helped him raise over 13,000 dollars and secure a trademark. But Davide had hidden debts he was ashamed to disclose, and he eventually disappeared back to Italy to pay them off.
Squibb developed this framework through thousands of street interviews where he asked strangers one simple question: "What's your dream?" He noticed that the reasons people gave for not pursuing their dreams clustered into exactly seven categories. He mapped these as ascending steps on a staircase, mirroring the literal staircase he bought in London as a symbol of ascending toward dreams.
His own experience of being homeless at fifteen and having to overcome every one of these blockers himself gave him the authority and empathy to name each step precisely.