Category: Limiting Belief

5 Fundamental Lessons to Change Your Thinking About Risk

The more you risk failure, and actually fail, the greater your chances of success. It is rare that anything of value is created or accomplished during the first attempt. Failure, reflection, evaluation, adjustment, and persistence creates your path for success.

Most of us limit the risks we take. We work to avoid failure. We view failure as a negative, and become stuck in our comfort zone. We want more, but are unwilling to risk more.

Here are four lessons that may help you view risk from a different perspective.

1. Who cares if you look bad? Sometimes it is better to care less about looking good. Don’t let the fear of looking bad keep you from taking a risk. Would you rather look good, or find success? Step back and ask yourself this simple question, “Who cares if I look bad?” You normally don’t look good doing something the first time. So just do it.

2. Why are you waiting? Are you waiting for the perfect circumstances before taking action? If you find yourself continually evaluating your options, and gathering more data, stop analyzing. Stop thinking about why you need to wait, and think about why you need to act. You will never have all the data. The faster you move forward, the faster you reach success.

3. Do you have a budget? Create your own budget for risk and failure. Set a goal for your failures. The budget can be based on money, time, or effort. It could include all three. Plan on spending it every month. Make it a habit. This practice provides visibility to how much risk you are actually taking.

4. Where is your inspiration? Is your inspiration based on the value you place on your goal? This may seem obvious. But when your actions are driven by the wrong motives, this question may remind you to get back on track. Are you inspired and motivated by the right reasons? When your values and actions are aligned, you will find risks easier to accept. You are able to move forward faster.

You may read these questions, and think this does not apply to me. I take risks. I am action oriented. It may be true. However, my experience has shown, no matter what level of risk you are used to, everyone has the opportunity to grow in this area. We tend to overestimate the risks we actually take.

This week’s challenge is to evaluate where you are taking risk, and where you are risk adverse. Challenge yourself to find the opportunities that are waiting for you. You may discover something great that you have been avoiding.

Help Someone Step Beyond Their Comfort Zone

As a coach, it is very rewarding to see someone expand their belief in themselves.  Then to use their new confidence to go outside their comfort zone, and find a new level of success.

So many people are stuck in their comfort zone. They don’t see a reason to cross the boundary. But the motivation to change can only come from within. It can be very frustrating when we see a friend, a co-worker, or a family member not living up to their potential.

If you are inclined to help a person get beyond their comfort zone, here are three basic steps to consider.

1) Help them define, and bring clarity to their dreams for the future. You may have to draw out a new future for them by asking questions, discovering their strengths, and their passions. Let it be their dream you coax out of them, not the goals you want them to achieve.

2) See them as they could be, not as they are. See them as if they had already accomplished their dream. Treat them as they will be.

3) Help them find wins that move them forward. Leaving the comfort zone can be very difficult. Help them find the first small steps that will lead to success.

If you would like to experience the power of having a coach dedicated to your success, schedule your complimentary coaching session today. Send an email to Mark at mbrown@newroadleadership.com and we can schedule a time.

 

When Was the Last Time You Added Value to Yourself?

day_inspirationWe add value to others when we make ourselves more valuable to others. This is one point from John Maxwell’s Law of Addition from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

We can’t give what we don’t possess. So the idea of adding value to others requires that we continue to add value to ourselves.

On August 12, 2013, Angelica and I were in the John Maxwell Team event in Orlando, Florida. This particular day was named, “A Day of Leadership and Inspiration”. We had the great fortune to listen to three of the most sought after speakers in the world, John Maxwell, Nick Vujicic, and Les Brown.

In this post, I will capture their key messages that provided value to us. Every minute was filled with stories and lessons that expanded our knowledge and skills.

John Maxwell

John shared his thoughts on Practices for living a better life.us_john

  1. Do for others what they cannot do for themselves.
  2. Practice the 30 second rule. In the first 30 seconds, say something kind to whoever you see.
  3. Help people win. Make it your goal in life to make people around you better.

Nick Vujicic

Nick shared his thoughts on Living life without limits.nick_v

  1. I don’t know what I can achieve until I try.
  2. When you fail, try again.
  3. Failure = education.
  4. Obstacles = opportunity.
  5. Dream big.
  6. Never give up.
  7. Be thankful for today!

Les Brown

Les shared his thoughts on adding value toles_b others. There is a place you can take people within themselves that they could not go without you.

  1. Invest in yourself (you get in life what you are).
  2. Don’t stop investing.
  3. Stay the course.
  4. Live full; die empty.

Added Value

These three lessons were only part of one us_nickday of a four day conference. Each of these lessons have added value to me, and will help me add value to you. Knowing the Laws of Leadership are not enough. We must also live the Laws of Leadership.

Add Value to Yourself

Have you set aside time for adding value to yourself? Only you limit yourself, and only you can invest in yourself. You can invest less than sixty minutes and join us for an upcoming Lunch and Learn to add value to yourself, so you can add value to others. There are sessions available in Carmel, IN, and also by teleconference (English and Espanol). Register here: http://newroadsleadership.com/lunchandlearn.php

What Belief Is Limiting You?

beliefsLimiting beliefs live in your head, and therefore are invisible. They are filters that shape your world, and are built over a lifetime, but they are holding you back. You create these filters as protection. They keep you in your comfort zone. They keep you from being hurt, embarrassed, or being a failure.

If you are going to tap into the unlimited potential that exists within you, you will have to kill these limiting beliefs. Here are a few methods.

1. Disprove them. Just jump beyond your comfort zone and prove that you can do whatever you thought you could not do. Want to be a better speaker? Join toastmasters. Want to be a better leader? Join a John Maxwell Team mastermind group.

2. Live outside your comfort zone. This is much harder because we all naturally want to be in our comfort zone. If you can purposefully stretch yourself beyond the edge of your comfort zone each day, you will grow beyond your dream.

3. Find a coach. Most of us don’t even know our limiting beliefs. They are part of our view of the world. A coach can help you find your barriers, and then step through them. A coach can help you articulate your dream, and hold you accountable to achieve it. The reality is that most people will not be able to conquer their limiting beliefs without a coach. The John Maxwell Team is a great place to start.

Paul R. Scheele said, “Humans, with the capacities of higher-order thinking, can overcome limiting behaviors and fears.” Animals act on instincts an feelings, humans act on the thoughts that originate from within their sub-conscious mind. We have the ability to change our thoughts, change our actions, and change our results!