“Believe deep down in your heart that you are destined to do great things.”
Joe Paterno
Imagine that you are a beautiful sail boat on the high sea of life, and the gusting wind is the way in which you talk to yourself. Will your wind be behind your sails encouraging you forward so that you swiftly glide through the sea on course and are able to scope the many possibilities? Or is your inner critic boldly blasting strong gusts of wind in your face forcing you to step back, alter your course, and expend your energy with barely a glimpse ahead?
Kudos to Christopher Columbus who was able to look beyond the horizon. What could you accomplish if you were able to rid yourself of your inner critic and his/her comrade, self-limiting beliefs? If you were not limiting yourself, what would you be doing right now? How would your life be different? Hmmmm.... I know easier said than done. This week notice the way you talk to yourself. Write down the voice. Whose voice is it? More importantly, what is the tone? Most critical, how can you change that voice if it is holding you back from what you want?
Create a plan. Here are two exercises and one thought that may help. The first exercise is when you catch the voice cutting you down or holding you back, immediately change what you are saying. Think about how you would talk to your best friend if she/he were in your shoes and use that voice with yourself. I used this method on the way to a public speaking engagement about a year ago. Public speaking has been my greatest fear. As I was headed to the all day event that I was hosting, my inner critic was on a roll. When I recognized it I turned the talk around and said “You can do this...no problem....think of how great you will feel when it’s over...just like having a baby...it’s uncomfortable and the rewards are awesome” and so on. The day was a success, I had fun, and continue public speaking. The second method is to picture yourself as a child. We all feel pretty much the same inside as we did as a child, right? Imagine your inner critic talking to that child. It becomes easier to put a stop to it. Choose to stand up for that child within, and do not allow anyone to criticize or discourage him/her. And the thought? We are all doing the best that we can at any given moment. So congratulations! You are great right now and should not have any limits placed on what you can do and be.
Be very clear about your intention and follow your heart. Create the intention of where you want to go and what you want, yet not so much that you lose sight of the opportunities and possibilities that show up around you. If you want to increase your possibilities, increase your centers of influence. The centers of influence being the people that you partner with in order to help each other. When you are crystal clear about where you are going, you are better able to educate others so that they can assist you. By the way, remember to revel in the journey.
As your journey leads to stretching outside of your comfort zone, choose goals that you are confident you can reach. When you set small goals that you know you can attain you set yourself up for success. You create a track record, build confidence, and increase momentum. People around you can see and feel the energy flowing. These many small successes one-by-one will be the wind behind your sails to quiet your inner critic and eliminate those self-limiting beliefs. With each small success your wind will gain strength, and before you know it you will be gliding to new and exciting places. So I request you go for it and set the first goal...Starting Now!
Taking Action:
Notice how you talk to yourself...the voice...whose is it?...the tone
Create a plan of action to change the voice the next time it shows up
Be crystal clear about your intentions, yet be open to possibility and opportunities
Choose small goals to build a track record, gain confidence, and build momentum
Copyright 2002, Beth A. Tabak. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Beth Tabak is a Business & Life Coach, columnist, & owner of Starting Now. She is 100% committed to coaching small business owners and professionals to grow beyond limits, and create the business and life they keep thinking about. Set your goals, pick up a task list, take a class, discover a new resource all complimentary at http://www.startingnowcoaching.com.