Are your current business goals big, more challenging than ever?  Do they feel unrealistic, impractical, unattainable?

What if the goal is not the issue, but you are – you and your limiting beliefs?   You could be rooted in an old story about who you are and what you’re capable of?  Are your thoughts filled with statements like, “I don’t like taking risks.  I might fail.”  Or, “They’ll never support someone like me doing something like that.”  Or, “Once I’ve finished______, I’ll have the time and energy to tackle ______.”  If any of these statements ring a bell, pay close attention.

These LIES – Labels, Illusions, Excuses and Stories – generate self-talk that stops you from thinking creatively and keeps you stuck in fear-based, unproductive patterns.  Here are two ways to take the power out of fear and remind yourself that your life experiences have prepared you to succeed.

First, it’s important to release the grip LIES have on you.  Privately, start to explore and own your feelings.  Admit that in the face of the goal, you feel uncertain and afraid.  Then, ask yourself, “What would I do if I weren’t afraid?”  If you have a journal, write down your answers.  If not, this is a great way to start journaling – a practice that has been proven to help people get beyond crippling doubt and fear.

Use your responses to devise a strategy and an action plan.  Then, put that plan to work.  Set small achievable goals and realistic deadlines.  You’ll learn as you implement your plan, so don’t be afraid to modify as needed.

Gain Inner Strength

Sometimes we need a reminder of how far we’ve come. Try this when doubt starts to come between you and your goal(s).

• Write Out Your Accomplishments.  List all that you’ve experienced, learned, contributed and achieved since your last self-inventory.  Put it down on paper and keep it handy.  Add to it as your stable of successes expands.
• Notice Clues and Cues.   Whenever others see you as more capable and talented than you believe yourself to be, trust their perception and feedback.  Accept the potential and expanded capacity they acknowledge.  Then, behave as if they’re right.
• Own the New You.  Move beyond self-imposed, limiting beliefs about what’s possible for you.  Occupy the space you’ve earned through hard-won, growth and development.

Deeper self-awareness, a component of emotional intelligence, can help you challenge the LIES in your life.  With LIES confronted and addressed, you can more easily advance toward your goals with determination and confidence, and without fear.

For more easy-to-follow tips on moving beyond the LIES That Limit your life, pick up a copy of my book, available at Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.