Contrary to what many may think, successful people aren't born with a high performance gene. Some of the most successful people I know have entertained the same negative or self-limiting beliefs that the rest of us have, the difference is simply in how they chose to conquer those beliefs.
Having worked with many coaches and entrepreneurs some of the most common beliefs i've noticed that can either make or break your success are:
1. "I'm not an expert"
Many can suffer from 'imposter syndrome' we may doubt our abilities, knowledge or skills and believe that we can only get going if we're an expert. This belief can keep you stuck in analysis paralysis and stop you from taking action. The next time you find yourself doubting your abilities remember that nobody ever started off as an expert. Expertise and experience is built over time and the world's greatest experts started off by learning as they went along. If you keep telling yourself that you're not an expert you hold yourself back from becoming one.
Instead of affirming the negative invest your time into soaking in as much information and knowledge as you can about the subject you're passionate about. The more time you invest into developing your skills the more comfortable you'll feel with your expertise. If you know more about a subject than others do than you're already en route to expert status. The next time you find yourself questioning your abilities consider challenging these thoughts and ask yourself 'what else do I need to learn to make me feel comfortable in this area? And 'what knowledge or experience do I already have that could be of value to others?' The key to honing your expertise is keeping in mind that you don't need to get things perfect, you just need to get them going and it's usually from your experience of doing so that you can gain some of your most valuable learning's.
2. "It's already been done"
The advance in technology has provided us with an array of possibilities, from smartphones to time saving apps there are now hundreds of products and services that are available to us. If we spent our time comparing our ideas to those that have already been achieved it would kill our ability to innovate. If we all maintained that mentality then we wouldn't be able to order a taxi at the touch of the button with Uber or rent a home anywhere in the world with Air BnB.
The next time you find that your idea already exists consider how you can put your unique spin on it. How could you make it better? How could your idea cater to the needs and demands of your target market? When you focus your attention on how you can make your product or service stand out and invest your energy into adding value to others you'll soon notice that there is an audience who are ready and waiting for your unique concept. In the words of PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel "In business, it's good to be first but it's better to be last".
3. "I don't know the right people"
You've probably heard the saying 'it's not what you know, it's who you know' whilst there is some degree of truth in this limiting your success to this belief can halt your progress. With social media providing us with access to the behind the scenes of some of the most successful people in the world via platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Snapchat it has never been easier to reach out to others. If you want to connect to the right people, there has never been a better time to do so.
The next time you find yourself saying 'i don't know the right people' consider how you could get to know the right people, are there networking events you could attend? Could you volunteer your time to shadow them or help them out in some way in exchange for you to gain valuable insights? Do you know someone who has access to someone who could offer you with the advice you are looking for? Instead of using a lack of contacts or connections as excuse that holds you back turn your thoughts towards who you would like to get to know and how you can make it happen.
4. You need money to make money
Making money requires an investment of your time, energy and finances. The most successful entrepreneurs in the world didn't all start out with an abundance of finances or resources to hand and It can be easy to use a lack of money as an excuse for a lack of progress. Having limited resources can be a blessing that allows you to consider out of the box solutions, sharpens your focus, strengthens your determination, makes you financially savvy and provides you with knowledge that you may previously not have gained if you had a large injection of cash to burn through. With so many free social media platforms now available it has become even easier to promote your services to a wider audience that you may previously have not been able to do.
Instead of obsessing about a need to make things 'perfect' focus on delivering the best you can with your existing budget, we all have to start somewhere. When you shift your focus to doing the best you can with what you have you can eventually build more financial resources to reinvest into your business.
5. "I always ..."
Your thoughts write the story of your life. If you constantly feed your mind with toxic beliefs such as 'i always mess up' or 'i always fail' then these statements will determine your outcomes. Personal growth and success are closely linked and if you associate your existing beliefs with the results that you hope to achieve for your business, you can keep yourself trapped in a cycle of self-sabotage that limits your potential. If you want to grow your business it starts with growing yourself first. When you focus your efforts on how you can break the cycle you're able to move from where you're at now to where you would like to be.
Learning how to master your mindset is the first step towards success which can reap significant returns for your business. The next time you find yourself reciting an 'i always' statement remember that you are limiting the growth of yourself and your business and consider reframing it with an 'i'm not who i once was' statement instead. Our past only defines us if we allow it to and when you invest your efforts into feeding your mind with positive thoughts it can significantly increase your ability to overcome, achieve and succeed.
When you're building a business there will always be beliefs that creep up and how we choose to view them is what creates or crushes our success. If you want to switch your outcomes, it starts by switching your thoughts.