The #1 Thing That Gets in the Way of Success–and What You Can Do About It

The single greatest thing you can do every day to succeed in your business or creative endeavors is… what?
Marketing? Nope.
Sales? Nope.
Deliver over-the-top customer service? Nope.
Book more speaking engagements or engage more on social media? Nope, and nope.
Now mind you, these are ALL critical to having a successful business, and I DO recommend you give them top priority each day.
However, the single greatest thing you can do everyday to succeed in your business and life is to build the belief in yourself.
Self-doubt, not believing in yourself and what you’re capable of is truly the #1 thing that gets in the way of your success.
So here are 3 simple steps to grow your confidence and belief in your amazingness every single day:
1) Appreciate and track your wins every single day (no matter how small).
As the old saying goes, what you appreciate, appreciates! Meaning it grows! So, take time every day to celebrate and appreciate the big AND the little wins in your business and life.
Particularly on the days when nothing seems to go my way, I especially make sure to take time to find at least 5 things to celebrate, no matter how small or insignificant they seemed.
Success breeds success—and what you focus on, grows and flourishes!
2) Do something everyday to exercise your courage muscle.
Recently, I saw Brene’ Brown (famed TEDx speaker and author of bestsellers Daring Greatly and The Gifts of Imperfection) on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, and she gave this definition of courage:
From the Latin word for heart, cour, courage is to share your whole story with your whole heart.
Where can you show up more fully in your business? What opportunities are in front of you to stretch and share “your whole heart” with strength, leadership AND vulnerability?
These past few weeks I’ve had at least 3 opportunities to exercise my courage muscle and share in conscious business settings parts of my story or hero’s journey.
It’s been exhilarating, scary and liberating! But I’m getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable and trusting that it will be awesome learning experience.
I also know each time I stretch myself to do something beyond my comfort zone, I’m growing my courage muscle—and my confidence.
3) Give yourself a testosterone boost.
We’ve learned that we can use the power of our thoughts or our mind to change our lives (our health, relationships, finances, career), and…
We’re also learning we can also use our BODIES to change our state of mind!
So, here’s what I mean by giving yourself a testosterone boost to grow your confidence and belief in yourself:
Anytime you are faced with a high stakes situation or even something that feels a bit scary or uncomfortable for you (like introducing yourself at a networking meeting or following up with a potential client), take 2 minutes before going into that situation and put yourself in a “power pose.”
A “power pose” is one that opens up your body and heart and has you take up space. My favorite one is the “X” pose where you raise your arms above you in a “V” and your legs are in an upside down “V.”
When you do this, you literally raise your testosterone levels, helping you feel more confident and personally powerful, AND you’re literally lowering cortisol in your body, which is the stress hormone.
This is one of my favorite practices that I’ve borrowed from Amy Cuddy, another famed TED speaker, Harvard Business School professor, and author of Presence.
I practice this confidence-booster everyday and typically say one of my favorite affirmations when I do it:
I expand in abundance, success, and love everyday as I inspire those around me to do the same.
Try these practices, and let me know how they work for you. Wishing you soulful success always!
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