Do you have an inner voice that questions whether you've got what it really takes to make your business successful?
That wonders if your business is actually gonna make it?
Me too and it sucks.
Understanding the inner negative voice
What I want you to realise is that we all have that negative little inner voice that makes us question ourselves. You, me, and even that super successful entrepreneur you've been idolising. ALL of us.
But what separates the big players from the small ones - is the power you give your doubts and what you choose do with them, because it's this that will affect your results. And your choices will look a little bit like this:
A) Avoid the feelings and don't deal with them, but have them impact you nonetheless (FACT);
B) Tackle them head on, lay them to rest and move onwards and upwards.
Now most people will opt for A, because it's safer and as humans we actively avoid pain and discomfort (aka the comfort zone cling on). However, it's only when you are able to embrace B, that you will in fact learn and grow in self and business.
Change your perspective on negative emotions
You see, with most negative emotions there is actually an insight waiting to be uncovered that can help move you out of your discomfort to a better place. In coaching we like to see negative emotions as really just a red flag, a cue so to speak, to let you know something's not working for you and you need to make some changes.
So if you're experiencing doubts in life or business, then your message loud and clear is that there are probably some underlying issues to be addressed and you need to learn what those are and then get to work on them.
Negative Self talk
Let me expand on this further and bring it to life for you: If you're plagued with negative self-talk like;
"I can't do this"
"I don't have what it takes"
"I'm never going to be a successful entrepreneur"
There's probably some negative belief systems working against you, that if left unchallenged, will continue to hold you back and keep you playing small; potentially for the rest of your life.
Business Negative self talk
Likewise, if you have doubts about your business like;
"I can't stand out"
"My competitors are better than me"
"My marketing isn't working"
There's likely to be holes in your business model, process and / or strategy - or even in your skill set, which will obviously impact your ability to grow your business and be successful with it.
With all of this in mind then, I'm sure you're beginning to see that perhaps your doubts can actually hold a key to a better place if you choose to lean into them and look to learn what lies beneath them so you can take positive action.
The flip side (avoidance) really can and will cripple you and your business.
How to grow from your doubts
Ok, so how do you get up close and personal with your doubts and really look to grow from them? Well it takes time and some work, but here are some kick ass coaching questions to get you started.
These questions have been designed to help you start thinking about the origins of your doubts and help you begin to challenge and work through them so you can move on and lay them to rest.
Breakthrough Questions for your capabilities
If your doubts come from your capabilities, work through the following:
- What doubts do you have about yourself and capabilities?
- Where do you believe they originate from (go back as far as you can remember)
- How valid are these doubts really?
- What evidence do you have for them?
- And most importantly what evidence do you have against them?
- How will holding on to this doubt move you toward the life you want?
- What new beliefs around yourself will better serve you in life that you can begin to embrace?
- How will your family benefit if you embrace this new way of thinking?
- What will you choose to believe about yourself moving forward?
Breakthrough Questions for your business
If your doubts come from your business:
- What are the 5 core challenges you are experiencing in business?
- And why specifically are these challenges?
- What areas of your business do you actively avoid and for what reason?
- What steps might you have you missed in your research / planning / strategy?
- Where do you feel you need help?
- What skills are you missing?
- Looking at your answer to the questions above - what can you start to do differently to address your problem areas?
- What goals / targets can you set yourself to fill any skills / knowledge gaps?
As you can see, there's a lot of food for thought as you work your way through these. Whatever you do next is up to you, the choice is now yours.
If you're holding any doubts at all right now, I urge you to empower yourself and choose to use them as fuel for good - as a tool for life-long change and as a stepping-stone to the outcome you want.
So go lean in, learn and transform your doubts into certainty, assurance and belief and watch your results change. Here's to your success and to you truly believing you can.
Words by:
Guest blogger,
