15 March 2021|Latest Posts, Psychology
Many of us are entering 2021 with plans and goals for the year ahead that have been turned on their head by the Covid-19 pandemic and new lockdowns. When events arise such as this, it can be easy to blame yourself for not being prepared for what has happened, even when it is in no way your fault, or feel stuck and unable to move forward as you let your internal limitations take over.
We also live in an 24/7 information age which can also be a big feeder into any internal limitations we place on ourselves as we constantly compare our progress to others. To be able to reach your full potential it is important to be able to overcome these feelings. Here are 5 practical tips you can use to help you move forward.
How do you see failure?
One of the biggest internal limitations impacting many entrepreneurs is how we perceive failure. When we see failure as a problem or as a reflection of our abilities, it is likely to hold us back from trying new things or cause us to give up completely. When you are chasing perfection, you will never be satisfied with an outcome as nothing is ever perfect. There will be times when we are chasing down our goals that things will not go to plan but this is only providing us with valuable information to learn from, not a reason to surrender. Instead take a step back, consider what didn’t work and adjust your approach accordingly. Consider failures as experiments – if you give up when something doesn’t go right you will never reach your breakthrough.
Incremental goal setting
A common limitation is not being able to harness the real power of goal setting. It is natural to struggle to find the strength within yourself to believe that your ultimate goals are possible. Something that can help you build the momentum towards your dreams is incremental goal setting. By setting yourself small, achievable goals you will create the confidence to aim higher which overcomes your internal limitations. For example, saying to yourself I am going to connect and message 3 new people on LinkedIn this week, and then doing so, does great things for your self belief and removing the internal barrier that stops you expanding your network. Be sure to write these down too as that helps to commit them to memory and action.
Affirmations
Affirmations provide a great tool to help us overcome our internal limitations as they can help us to reprogram our subconscious, which tends to feed us limiting or negative beliefs. In the social media age, we constantly see the successes of others that can quickly feed into a negative mindset when left unchecked. Write down 3-4 of your short term goals and create a paragraph in the present tense as if you had achieved them and do the same for your long term goals. Write these paragraphs out three times and it will help you to align yourself with what you want. Reading these aloud will help you to visualise what you want and reassure yourself you are capable of achieving it.
Definitive statements
It is common for us to feel like we can’t do something because of X.Y or Z. When we use definitive statements such as this we are stopping ourselves before we have even had a chance to get started. Typically we are placing these roadblocks on ourselves rather than them existing in reality. Instead, reframe your perception to “I can do this if I…” because this pushes your mind to become solution focused. When we shift our thinking away from definitive statements, we begin to see most things are physically possible when we open our minds to it.
Embracing silence
Silence can feel very limiting. In this information driven age we are constantly looking outside ourselves, whether that be for reassurance or guidance, when really we can find solutions by delving into our own creativity and intuition. When we take some time in silence and perhaps embrace our boredom, we become increasingly self aware and this can help to break down some of the limitations we may have internalised from what we have seen online or taken in from others. Spend time away from social media and the news cycle to ponder some of those ideas.
Internal limitations can feel as big as physical roadblocks if left unchecked. You can begin to move past some of these limitations by reframing how you see failure, setting incremental goals, harnessing the power of positive affirmations, removing definitive statements and embracing silence. By following these 5 practical steps you will be well on your way to creating the success that you deserve.
About the author
Leonard Sekyonda is a British Internet personality, Best-selling Author, Motivational Speaker & Life Coach. Leonard’s successes to date include his MYCOMEUP Youtube channel (37million views), MYCOMEUP WORLD (12,700 users) and his debut best-selling book “Become Your Own Hero Again – the goal setting guide to unlocking you”. Leonard’s goal is to make the Personal Development techniques and methods that he has used throughout his journey accessible and applicable within people’s day to day lives.
Instagram & Twitter: @leonardsekyonda
