What I want to discuss in the next several minutes is how our mindset affects everything we do and how, by changing our mindset with a few shifts in thinking, we can have more success, better relationships and better finances. You with me?
How much does mindset matter?
The great american entrepreneur, Henry Ford, has been quoted as saying:
If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.
Turns Out Mom Was Right
In the last post I talked about how the words we use when talking to ourselves, our inner dialog, affects our lives in powerful ways. This Henry Ford quote is very similar to one I heard growing up from my Mom.
You can do anything you put your mind to.
Wow! How my life would have been different if I had just listened to Mom! You see, it how we think about ourselves and our abilities that either propels us forward or holds us back.
Jim Rohn, the inspirational performance coach had this saying:
Now I don’t know about the percentages or how they can be measured but whether it’s 80% or 75% or 60%, the truth is that our thinking controls our actions.
Why is that two people doing the same type of work, one will be paid more? Why is it that two people that go to the same business school and get the same grades and who start the same kind of business on the same day and one ends up being successful and the other not? They both had the mechanics down.
Limiting Beliefs
The problem of not getting what we want or follow through with what we know we must do has to do with our limiting beliefs. A limiting belief is a story that you tell yourself.
The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.” -Tony Robbins
There are two types of beliefs: Empowering beliefs and limiting beliefs. Neither is ‘true’. Beliefs are just beliefs. And some beliefs empower you while others limit you.
For a general rule of thumb, empowering beliefs feel light, free and exciting. Limiting beliefs feel heavy, tight and sad.
So let’s discover one of your limiting beliefs right now by asking yourself this question:
What is a goal I have? Why haven’t I reached it yet?
Take the first thing that comes to mind, it could be:
- I don’t have the energy.
- No one wants what I have to offer.
- I don’t have any ideas yet.
- I don’t have the skills needed.
- I don’t have enough time to dedicate to it.
Let’s use the last one as an example: Say you want to create an online business but keep telling yourself “I don’t have enough time to dedicate to it.”
To help break through this limiting belief ask yourself the following series of questions.
- Is this belief True?
Most of the time, your initial thought will be ‘yes – of course it’s true.’ I swamped and can’t fit anything else into my days.
- Is this belief beyond a shadow of a doubt true? Is it possible there is at least one person on the planet that could prove this wrong?
There’s all kinds of people who seem to get more done that I do. I just don’t know how they do it.
- How does this belief make you feel?
Overwhelmed, helpless, frustrated, sad.
- What would the opposite of this belief be?
I have as much time as anyone else. I can find a way to do it.
- How does this opposite belief make you feel?
Hopeful and empowered.
Can you feel the difference in beliefs? One belief will cause you to be stuck, likely procrastinating day in and day out. While the other energizes you to push forward and take action.
Get Unstuck
The next time you feel stuck listen to your inner dialog. What are you telling yourself? Is it a limiting story or an empowering one? If it is a limiting dialog, change it! You have the power!