Creating success from the “Inside Out”

Why do most business owners fail to achieve their dreams and reach their financial goals? Is it a lack of motivation, a lack of drive or a lack of business know-how? According to Maya Bailey, a renowned business analyst, it is none of the above. Instead, it is the presence of self-limiting beliefs, many of which are hidden, that stop business owners in their tracks. When somebody is able to create a ‘success mindset’, then he/she is able to create success from the inside out. This article will provide tips on how to do just that. Build a strong foundation Many business owners and entrepreneurs have unknowingly been conditioned with anti-success beliefs that stop them from believing in themselves. This is analogous to trying to build a house without a strong foundation. Our mindset is our foundation and unless it is filled with empowered beliefs, we are blocked from reaching our goals. Identify and reprogram your self-limiting beliefs At every moment, we have choice, whether we are aware of it or not, of what we believe about ourselves. If we have been conditioned to believe of ourselves as ‘less than’, we subconsciously act from self-limiting beliefs. Here are some typical examples of actual self-limiting beliefs I have heard over the years: •“Life is a struggle” •“It’s selfish to want more money” •“It’s not safe to toot my own horn” These beliefs stop us from succeeding. In order to uncover your own self-limiting beliefs notice what you have created in your life. Are you making the income you want? Are you as energetic as you want to be? Are you living your full potential? Unless you answered “yes” to these questions, you are suffering from subconscious self-limiting beliefs that aren’t your fault, such as: • I’m not good enough • I’m not smart enough • I don’t have what it takes to succeed • I can’t succeed in today’s economy Do any of these sound familiar? We reprogram these beliefs by identifying which ones are holding us back, releasing the ones that don’t empower us and installing updated, Empowering Beliefs. Reverse your self-sabotaging strategies Many of us unknowingly fall victim to an internal saboteur. Though we have dreams, we sabotage them for our “own good” and the result is failure. For example, one having a good business plan, and never fully implementing it because of having a self-limiting belief that tells you “You’re not capable of succeeding.” Since our beliefs create our reality, you are creating a lack of success in your life until you learned to stop sabotaging yourself. We should always be able to uncover the beliefs that were self-limiting, to release them and then install empowering Beliefs, like: • “I am fully capable of accomplishing my goals” • “I support and encourage myself every step of the way” • “I have unwavering faith in my ability to succeed.” Use your mind and emotions to create your empireUnfortunately many of us subconsciously focus on what we don’t want. When we focus on what we don’t want, the result is that we attract what we don’t want. Cultivating an attitude that focuses on positive outcomes, rather than self-defeating beliefs, is the core value in succeeding in life and business. If you are facing a business slowdown, you may instinctively focus on your lack of clients, income or time. All too often, this only brings more of the same. Instead, ask yourself, what do I want? By focusing on positive outcomes, you are far more likely draw positive outcomes for yourself. Seth K Buhigiro is a social commentator sbuhigiro@caa.gov.rw