Did all your wishes, dreams and goals come through? If you are like most people, your answer is no…even when you have had an amazing year.
If you could change anything in your life right now, what would it be? And why haven’t you done it yet? If you’re like most of us, the answer lies in your existing beliefs.
In one of my coaching sessions this week, I helped a client of mine to recognize where her beliefs were actually hindering her career growth efforts. She had already made up in her mind why she WOULD not succeed in her job search before even making one step forward.
We often forget the powerful role our beliefs and mindset play in creating what we want.
Sure, we can visualize, affirm, set goals, and work hard till the cows come home — but if we don’t believe something is possible, then it will never materialize in our lives.
The good news is, once you understand how your beliefs are holding you back, you have full control over changing those limiting beliefs – and your life will change in awesome and spectacular ways!
Let’s take a look at what most of us do when we decide we want something. We first express a desire or set a goal. I want to lose weight. I want to make more money. I want a new job. Then, before we know it, we start coming up with reasons why it’s not possible.
- I don’t have time to exercise.
- My company isn’t giving pay raises this year.
- I can’t afford to change careers.
What if, by changing those limiting beliefs, we could make the impossible become possible?
It’s important to understand that to us, our beliefs are FACT. We have convinced ourselves that those facts are “truth.” However, think for a moment about all the other “facts” that ended up not being true.
We used to believe the earth was flat. We used to believe the sun revolved around the earth. We used to believe that space travel was impossible. We used to believe that a cancer diagnosis was an automatic death sentence. Ditto with AIDS.
None of these things are “true” now, are they?
Think about some of the truths you have formed about your own life. Are they really true?
- I’ll never have a lot of money.
- I’m too old to change careers.
- I’m not talented, I don’t have any marketable skills.
- I’ll never make it to the interview phase.
- Everything always goes wrong for me.
- I have the worst luck of anyone I know.
- I can’t do that.
- I don’t have what it takes to be successful.
If you change these “facts” in your own mind, what might happen? You might have a lot more money. You might recognize your own potential, start experiencing better outcomes in your personal and professional life.
Heck, you may even reach the level of success you dream about. Sounds good, doesn’t it? 🙂
But how? How do we change these truths in our own minds? This is the fun part. We have to convince ourselves that what we want is POSSIBLE.
Recently I’ve been playing a little game with myself called, “Why It’s Possible.” I invite you to play along in your own life, because it is incredibly empowering and it will blast away those limiting beliefs and begin attracting what you desire.
As I described above, most of us will state a desire and then immediately begin telling ourselves why it’s not possible. With my game, “Why It’s Possible,” we simply add on some new thoughts that help us see why our desire IS possible. Here’s how it works.
We state a desire: I want to lose weight. Limiting beliefs come up: Diets don’t work for me, I don’t have time to exercise.
We then deliberately begin formulating ideas about “Why It’s Possible”: I don’t have to diet to lose weight, I can just moderate how much I eat. I can fit more activity into my routine by parking my car farther away or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. There are plenty of slender, healthy people in this world who don’t diet or exercise much! If they can do it, I can do it too.
Let’s try it with another desire: I want more money. Limiting beliefs: My company isn’t giving pay raises this year. I don’t have the energy to get another job. I am not qualified enough for a top leadership job.
Why It’s Possible: I am qualified to earn more money in so many ways, it doesn’t have to be through my job. Money can come to me through an inheritance, unexpected bonuses, or I can even start a fun part-time business!
Take it a step further. There are many companies who can benefit from my skills and expertise, but they don’t know I exist. If I make the effort to find those opportunities, they will become more available to me.
Here’s the key: YOUR “WHY IT’S POSSIBLE” IDEAS MUST BE BELIEVABLE. If you don’t believe in their validity, your limiting beliefs will NOT be transformed. That’s so important to understand! With some beliefs, it might take time to come up with true, legitimate possibilities that you can honestly believe in.
Here’s another important key: Reinforcement WILL be necessary. For smaller beliefs, you might be able to change them quickly and almost effortlessly. But for the big ones, you might need to keep playing the “Why It’s Possible” game over and over.
As you keep reinforcing your new beliefs and you begin to believe that they really are possible, more and more doors will begin opening for you. That’s what’s been happening in my own life since I began playing this little game.
Not only am I getting more of what I ask for, I’m getting things I didn’t ask for. Everything is beginning to flow so much more smoothly and effortlessly. It will for you too, if you’re willing to believe. 🙂
