“Failure is not an option!”
This was my client expressing how important being successful was to her.
This belief drove her to work harder than others at her job.
Unfortunately, this same belief also prevented her from taking risks or trying new things unless she was very sure that she could be successful.
She said: “If I take on something and fail I’ll look dumb. I cant look dumb. Everything I do has to be done well or not at all”
I said” This belief seems to drive you forward but also holds you back. What would be a more useful belief to replace this belief with?”
She thought for a bit and said, “Maybe if I think of failure as a part of success it will be easier to allow myself to take risks. It will allow me to make mistakes as a way to be successful.”
After some more thought she came up with her new belief, ” Failure is the stepping stone to success.”
We all have beliefs like these that hold us back.
Even before we do something our mind creates a series of mishaps that our action could cause.
And we stop even before we start.
Beliefs themselves are neither good nor bad. What matters is whether they are useful to us or not.
What are some beliefs that hold you back?
What can you replace them with?