Having a success oriented mindset and believing in yourself are essential to getting what you want in life. Affirmations, uplifting quotes, training our brains, etc. can all be extremely helpful and possibly life changing. However, I see a huge gap between having the right mindset and actually getting what you want. While important, it’s not enough to just recite affirmations each morning, listen to uplifting podcasts and journal our goals.
Our behaviors must match our beliefs.
Why do our behaviors need to line up with our beliefs? Two reasons:
1.) Physically moving our bodies in new and different ways helps our mind understand that we are creating a habit and doing things differently. We are creating new neural pathways in our brain and each time we go to do that new habit, movement, etc., it gets easier and easier.
2.) When we behave in ways that are in line with what we believe or want to become, it helps our brain say ‘Oh hey! This is who we are now? Ok, cool. Let’s keep doing this.’ We see ourselves differently, start acting in ways that line up with that picture and eventually become that picture.
In other words, you’ve got to back belief up with action! But not just any action, the right actions. The habits and behaviors that are appropriate for where you are in the process and your motivation level.
Say you wanted to climb Mt. Everest. You wouldn’t just casually hike on weekends, buy some gear from REI and talk with some folks that did it. You’d likely start a new habit of hiking several days a week, work up to harder terrain, take a class, practice with shorter climbs, learn what gear is appropriate and necessary, etc. You get the gist.
Similarly, if you’re starting a business and are super motivated and ready to take action, it’s important to use that energy to choose habits that are generally harder to start as compared to when you’re not as motivated. Be careful not to burn yourself out! Just like when you first start going to the gym, if you overdo it and bench press 250 lbs the first week, there’s a good chance you’ll be so sore you won’t go back. As you start towards your new goal, come up with one to two simple habits that will move you forward. Obviously, you can do more if you want but usually discovering a new way of being and creating new a habit takes some practice. Our minds can only focus on a few small changes at a time. The good news is, just one or two powerful habits can make all the difference.
When we truly believe success can happen to us and choose behaviors and
actions that match up with those beliefs, there’s no stopping us.
If you currently work in a job and want to run your own business, this is a different set of skills and habits to learn. If you aren’t used to getting up early each morning to work on your business or write your blog, these are a behaviors you have to practice. Our habits can be deeply ingrained in us. So when learning new ones, it helps to start small. Remember, tiny tweaks can result in big changes.
Line your behaviors up with your beliefs. This is your Golden Ticket to success.
Do you have a goal or new belief about yourself you’re instilling? What behaviors or habits would you need to learn to make it a reality?
If you’d like some guidance choosing which actions you need to take to make your dream come true and how to make these easy and fun so you follow through, I’m giving away two free coaching sessions the month of December. Click here to answer these two questions by Dec. 15th and I’ll pick two winners!
