What is a belief? It’s simply a thought or bunch of thoughts you have repeatedly that become “true” for you. By thinking something enough, you create an internal belief. Where do those thoughts come from? Our good old subconscious! You know the one—the part of you who tells you you’re too old, too young, too fat, unworthy, not enough (good enough, smart enough, confident enough, experienced enough) to really go for it. That insidious little sucker is who stops us from moving forward. In fact, it is so clever that it disguises excuses as logic and creates all kinds of recurring problems. Namely, you keep shooting yourself in the foot and wondering why and how to stop doing that.

Your subconscious creates a false belief that you can’t stop, plain and simple. And you, on some level, really buy into it.

So how do you change a belief? It starts, of course, with awareness. You have to know you have the belief to begin with. Dig deeply into your life and ask yourself where else this issue (when you self-sabotage) show up for you? Be honest with yourself. How does that show up in your behavior? Do you procrastinate, not push yourself to do things that make you uncomfortable, stop just before reaching a goal? Do you stop making eye contact when someone you’re attracted to looks at you? Do you hide behind your computer and not get on the phone or out into the world to bring your gifts into the marketplace? Do you allow people to cross your boundaries, and then resent it? (I have done every single one of these things!)

Once you’ve identified which behavior is stopping you, it’s decision time. I like to use the metaphor with my clients of putting on a helmet and driving right through those inner voices, fears and false belief systems, running head on through them, like a football player! This is no time to be wimpy! There’s no “Gee, when the timing is right” or “That’s not for me, really” kinds of excuses. You must decide that you are no longer tolerating your behaviors that keep you small and are going to start doing something different.

Then, you need to decide what that something different IS…. Is it to calendar everything (and follow it!) so you don’t end up getting in a chaotic state? Is it deciding that you will get out from behind your computer and get to that networking event? Will you decide your boss is no longer going to intimidate you because you’re starting to own how magnificent you are? Will you start looking people in the eye? Decide. Decide. Decide!

The only way to change a false belief is constant vigilance. Sadly, there’s no magic pill (although there is the magic helmet!). HOWEVER, once you decide to change just one thing, and then another, and then another… you will be shocked at the quantum leap you will make in your life and in your work. Sometimes you only need to change 1% of what you do to push yourself over the edge.

Now, don’t get lazy on me! I’m not saying do 1% of the work! I’m saying change something. One thing to start. Change your false belief system, a step at a time. Suddenly, you’ll hit that one thing and BAM! Quantum LEAP here you go!

AFFIRMATION OF THE DAY:

Today I will change 1% of what I do, knowing that I am about to take a quantum leap in my life. I decide that I will change one thing today to get me one step closer to my goal. I decide I am worthy.