Is self-doubt dimming your potential? In week 9 of our series on common obstacles to pursuing our goals, we delve into powerful strategies to conquer self-doubt and pave the way to our dreams. Embrace compassion, acknowledge your learning journey, and surround yourself with supporters. Read now for actionable steps to boost your confidence along this journey.
Read MoreDo you have any fears that are keeping you from fulfilling a lifelong dream or goal?
I certainly did with changing careers and planning my upcoming travel itinerary around the world.
Here are 7 things I’ve learned about fear that may be useful to you on your journey. Which one of these could you play around with this week?
If you knew that your feelings drive your actions or inactions in life, what feelings would you want to cultivate more of in order to better achieve your goals?
At the moment, I’m working on cultivating more courage. And let me tell you, it can be very uncomfortable. But the rewards on the other side of it are worth it.
Read MoreYou’ve spent the last two weeks practicing noticing your feelings and allowing them. Now what?
You can just let them be because that is life. Nothing is wrong with you, it is part of the human experience. You can’t appreciate happiness if you don’t know what sadness is, and vice versa.
You can also get curious about them.
Explore all the reasons why you may be feeling the way you do.
A good place to start is with your thoughts. Your thoughts and beliefs about circumstances in your life often create your feelings.
Read MoreOnce you’ve gotten good at noticing your feelings throughout the day without judgment, commit to BEING WITH the feeling and not RESISTING it (pushing it away or numbing it out), BURYING it (avoiding it all together) or REACTING to it (for example, screaming at loved ones).
Read MoreFeelings matter! They are the driving force behind why we do or don’t take action in our life.
How we feel can drive why we work so hard…procrastinate on projects…or avoid or go after our dreams.
So NOTICE them.
Read MoreYou know those moments when something small happens and our brain decides to dramatize and catastrophize it? Like booking flights for the wrong dates? Or losing essential funding for your business? Here’s my go to way for dealing with it productively.
Read MoreMany start-up entrepreneurs face daily challenges to their self-confidence.
A frequent one is imposter syndrome (also known as imposter phenomenon or experience since it isn’t a mental disorder), generally defined as a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a "fraud.”
As an entrepreneur we wear multiple hats a day, frequently charting new territories. This can be both exciting and nerve racking…
Read MoreHave you been experiencing guilt and don’t know what to do about it? Here are three steps you can take to address it.
Read MoreDo you suffer from imposter syndrome sometimes? Are you anxious that you aren’t smart enough, don’t know enough or won’t be able to keep up with your peers? Are you afraid of making a mistake, not knowing the right answer or not doing the right thing? Have you ever felt like a fraud and that people were going to find out? If so, you aren’t alone. I’ve been there and so has around 70% of the population.
But here’s the skinny on imposter syndrome. It’s not an affliction or a genetic predisposition. It’s just a collection of negative thoughts you have about yourself.
Your brain has a bias towards critical self-talk and you’ve gotten in the habit of believing it.
I celebrated my birthday this weekend. I started to announce to myself that I was happy to close the chapter on this year, that it generally sucked. My mind raced through all the annoyances, grievances and missed opportunities. It was easy to think good riddance to 46.
And then I SAW myself. I watched my brain IN ACTION, having a field day with negative thoughts. It raised a big old RED FLAG and I smiled. It was a familiar sight! “Hello negativity bias, I know you well.”
It’s a knee jerk reaction I have, to see the negative things to the exclusion of all the positive aspects of my life.
Can you relate?
Read MoreHappy New Year! May your 2021 be full of health, love and fulfillment.
Many of you have either set goals, chosen a word/mantra, or set an intention that will be your guide for the year.
Some of you find this stifling and you prefer to coddiwomple your way through the year instead (to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination).
Others like to pray to their Gods or do a combination of the above. The choices and approaches are endless.
There is no right or wrong way to do things. There is only what works for you. It never hurts to experiment and try things on until you find the right fit for YOU.
Read MoreHow self-confident are you? On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate yourself? Is your self-confidence holding you back in any way in your professional or personal life? If so, I have some good news. It's not a gene that some of us are born with, but a muscle you can develop and become skilled in.
Here are 3 steps you can take to build your self-confidence starting today:
Read MoreDo you have big dreams you’d love to accomplish, if only you had the self-confidence to go after them?!
People often think self-confidence is an innate gift that a lucky few are born with or that you gain through lots of experience over time.
The truth is self-confidence is accessible to everyone. It is a state of being that is created in your mind and you can start cultivating it right away!
Why? Because it comes from inside you - from your thoughts.
Self-confidence is faith in your ability to learn, try and not give up! It is future oriented. You don’t need to have any evidence from your past that you can do it. You are secure in your ability to figure it out.
Are you taking control of who you want to be?
Have you asked yourself recently who you want to become? Is your vision limited by what you've achieved in the PAST?
Do you say things like:
I’ve had that issue my entire life.
That’s how I’ve always done it.
That doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried it.
If this sounds like you, you’re most likely defining yourself by stories of your past. You are subconsciously looking for evidence from your past to prove your current belief system and where you are headed.
But your past does not need to dictate your future. You get to decide.
Read MoreBut the question I keep coming back to is, how do I want to show up in this world?
Do I want to show up with outrage, self-righteousness and judgement?
Or with compassion, love and understanding?
Which one is going to be more productive and create lasting change that I want to see in the world?
Read MoreDo you give yourself credit for everything you accomplish daily?
It feels so good when you do.
It boosts your energy and confidence. It gives you that much needed encouragement to help you slay that next task, especially when life gets challenging.
I’m infamous for feeling like I’ve barely accomplished anything despite my long list of accomplishments. This all changed when I learned to implement these strategies.
Read MoreDo you love all parts of you unconditionally?
Do you give yourself unconditional love when life gets challenging?
Unconditional self-love is loving yourself with no strings attached.
You love the good and the so-called bad, ugly, broken that you see in yourself.
You believe you are worthy of your love no matter what you’ve done or anyone has said about you.
Read MoreMany of us are feeling heightened uncertainty these days around work and the start of the school year.
We are all charting new territory with remote and hybrid learning, working from home while managing our kids’ education, loss of jobs or the threat of it, and the always looming threat of contracting COVID, etc.
Figuring it all out can be stressful.
With the horrific death of George Floyd last week and the riots that have followed, my blog on calendaring didn’t seem relevant. I just couldn’t hit the send button. I believe we should be reading and following black voices and leaders, reflecting on how we can become part of the solution and taking action.
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