Negative self-talk is a big hurdle to overcome. It starts with little seeds planted in our minds by people close to us, strangers, the media, our culture and so on. Something as silly as a statistic on the news can turn into negative self-talk. A news anchor reports that 95% (I’m making this up!) of entrepreneurs fail at running successful businesses and all of a sudden you add that fact to your negative self-talk list.
“I’ll never be successful. Look at everyone else! If they can’t succeed how can I? I’ll be the 95%. There’s no way I’d be one of the 5% who make something of themselves. They just got lucky anyway. I’ve never been lucky. Without luck how will I ever amount to anything?”
Of all the negative thoughts people let run through their heads these five listed below are pretty common. They’re a combination of negative self-talk and excuses. Hey, we’ve all said them… “I don’t have time.” used to be my mantra.
But if you (like most people) want a better life, you need to stop using these five phrases and start believing the opposite.
“I don’t have time.”
Time (or lack-there-of) is the perfect excuse for just about everything. Except… it’s just that… an excuse. The truth is, for the most part, we can make time. We can take time for a morning workout session instead of fixing our hair and putting on a full face of makeup. We can prep meals instead of spending an hour over a hot stove every night. We can run errands during our lunch break and head straight home after work. We can make time one way or another.
If you want to add in a daily workout or launch a new business you can start by giving that goal 10 minutes of your day. You don’t have to carve out a chunk of your day. When you learn how to make more time you can dedicate more time… an hour, then two, and so on.
“It’ll never happen.”
It sure won’t! Not as long as you believe that it won’t!
If you don’t believe in what you’re striving towards you can bet you’ll fall short of achieving your goal. Saying “It’ll never happen.” ensures that it’ll never happen!
It may take time. It will definitely take hard work. And if you BELIEVE then it WILL happen!
“I could never do that.”
This limiting belief is what stops people time and time again (before they even start!). How do you know if you’ve never tried? Ok, ok… maybe you couldn’t ever swim with sharks or skydive, but your happiness and success don’t rely on either of those things- thank goodness.
Your limits are only as big as you let them be. Start pushing your limits. If you can only run for 1 minute, but you want to be able to run for an hour, start by building up to 2 minutes. Then 3. The guys who climb Mt. Everest didn’t start with Mt. Everest.
“I don’t know where I’d start.”
Where to start is daunting, especially when you want to build a business and you’re looking at all the pieces of the puzzle, scratching your head, wondering how on earth you’re ever going to put them all together.
Simply starting will give you an edge over everyone else who never took that first step. Don’t let not knowing where to start KEEP you from starting.
“That seems too hard.”
Anything worth doing takes hard work. Whether you want to run a 5k or open a restaurant, it’s going to be hard work! If you’re saying to yourself “that seems too hard”, I have three questions for you.
First, how do you know? Have you taken the first step or are you watching from the sidelines?
Secondly, what does the word “too” mean to you? Does it mean that it isn’t worth your time or that you don’t think you have the know-how that you need? There’s always a learning process that comes along with doing something new. It’s only “too” hard if you don’t invest in learning the skills to make it happen.
Lastly, don’t let hard work scare you! Will it be tiring, frustrating and feel overwhelming at times? Of course, but doing the hard work is what separates successful from the people who settle for so-so.
Get rid of these phrases. They are getting in the way of you reaching your goals!
Comment below. Join in on the conversation!!
Oh wow, I say 3 all the time! Need to stop!
Sometimes I get stuck in a negative space even though I want a better life for myself and my children. I’ve said all of these things to myself and out loud. Sometimes I just don’t believe I’ll ever reach the goals I’ve set. But I keep trying. I’m not one to give up.
Sharing this with a good friend of mine who always puts herself down, but has so much potential! Thanx Lynn!