The first pitfall is that when we are challenged, and more uncertain regarding for instance which pathway will help us accomplish our intended results, we tend to revert to our "usual way of being" and "usual way of doing things":

We are optimists, or pessimists

We analyze, or "shoot from the hip"

We wait for the consensus of many, or a few, or do what we think will work, or do
   nothing 

We have typical events or signals we are thrown to act on 

We look for what we consider as relevant, and ignore the rest

We have our typical reactions and act out our typical behaviors...

The problem is that these behaviors - mindsets - perfectly acceptable and adequate in "reasonable" times, will only get us the results we usually get, and keep us on exactly the same trajectory we are on.  So the results that have been out of reach will remain out of reach, resulting in a decision that sounds something like:  we will never make it; we had our sights too high; or this is going to be really difficult, if not impossible. This "default decision making" is a function of the way we habitually deal with circumstances. It says nothing about the feasibility of our aspirations or about our own abilities to perform consistently with them.