Do your beliefs support you or hold you back?
Beliefs can either help us to achieve a goal or hold us back and keep us stuck in a loop. As a small business owner you might encounter those moments where you do lot’s of business ‘stuff’ but don’t seem to have time to work on growing your business. This article tells you what you can do so that you can change limiting beliefs and find useful solutions.
Our beliefs enhance or limit useful solutions
Everyone has their beliefs on situations, on their capabilities and on relationships. These views shape our behaviour and experiences. Imagine for a minute, that you are at a networking event. How do you experience it? Vibrating, lot’s of opportunities, overwhelming or too much?
Beliefs can therefore either support you in what you want to do or hold you back. So remember, the biggest inhibitor of change is yourself. Even a small shift in perception is sometimes all it takes to find a sustainable solution to situations we are not happy with.
Generalisations make life easy
It is not always easy to see things in a different light. Developing labels and making generalisations are vital as they help us to make sense in life. However when views hold us back from making the changes that we desire they need to be examined.
Take a few minutes and read these two statements. Think of the kind of solutions or actions both persons might come up with:
Person A: “Sales is something my business is lacking at the moment. I know it is a skill, one that I can learn.”
Person B: “Sales is something my business is lacking, but I’ve never been good at it. It just doesn’t feel right. Besides, I am just not the type of person who can do it.”
You probably now understand how much influence our thoughts and interpretations have on how we proceed. Person A is probably going to do a course or will ask a business coach, friend or mentor to learn this skill. Person B might not find a solution but will keep on doing over and over again what he has been doing before.
So our views influence how we act and what kind of decisions we make.
How to change limiting views
We can change those views that hold us back by learning to become aware of them. If we don’t become aware of our views, they get us stuck in a loop we don’t feel comfortable with. This can have a negative impact on our feelings (e.g. stressed), physical wellbeing (e.g. headaches, tensed neck) and our behaviour (e.g. not seeking resources to learn a new skill).
What are the steps to become aware and achieve your goals?
Remember it takes only small steps to change. The key is to integrate these steps into your life and practice them on a regular basis. The longer you practice the more natural it will become.
1. Take a step back and stop what your are doing: It only takes a few minutes. Practice this a few times per day.
- Take a few deep breaths and follow their flow.
- Observe if there is any tension or comfort in your body.
- Observe your thoughts: are there any worries or thoughts that make you feel content.
- Observe your feelings and acknowledge them.
This practice is also a great way to de-stress.
2. Keep an open and curious mind: ask yourself questions on a regular basis.
Here are some questions you might want to ask: Is this action supporting the change I desire. Is this action helping to achieve my goal or is it distracting me from it? What have I tried and did it work? Is there anything else I can try? What is it that keeps me from exploring other possibilities?
Be honest with yourself. Sometimes it helps to write down your questions and answers. Remember that this will help you in your journey to make the changes you want.
