Are You Lying to Yourself? Fix Your Mindset!

I hear lots of excuses why folks can’t achieve their goals and live their dream life:

1. ... I’m too old!
2. ... My credit is shot.
3. ... I don’t have enough money.
4. .... We don’t have time.

And, the excuses go on and on! Sometimes it’s time to look at our excuses to decide if they’re really true or if we’re lying to ourselves. Here’s my recent story!

I Lied to Myself!

While reading several books in 2019, I realized that my mindset wasn’t right for achieving the BIG dreams I had for myself and my family. When I woke up to that reality, I set out to correct my mindset. It required serious listening to my words and thoughts, what I was saying aloud and what I was saying inside my own head, to discover where I was lying to myself.

For years I owned and operated a travel agency, and initially I said I wanted to be a Top Producing Agency Owner. I started watching the top producing in our host agency, and I saw them on their computers and phones for long hours to achieve that success. It was easy to dismiss that goal then, saying, the sacrifice was too great to become a top producer. I loved my life, and I wanted my achievements to complement the life I loved. The reality was, though, that I didn’t even examine if that conclusion was correct.

Shifting Mindset Through The Truth

This year, when I started working on my mindset, I realized that I was making the same mistake in our real estate business. I again said, I will never be a Top Producing Realtor, the cost is too high. Once I’d said it about one business, it was easy to say the same about another business.

The mindset shift allowed me to ask the question, How can I be a Top Producing Realtor and still enjoy my dream life? I have lots of ideas to try out, but the biggest one was simply opening my eyes to my reality.

Coaches in both businesses always encouraged me to time block my activities, but I never did it. I waited for the phone to ring, I posted lots of information on social media, and I networked with friends and acquaintances. This was not a recipe for success in either business.

Eliminating Excuses and Lies

What lie or excuse is preventing you from being the best you? I have not arrived, but I’m watching for lies in my words and thoughts, and trashing them immediately to replace those with truth.

I’ve started time blocking, but in a way that works for me. That means, setting my alarm for 50 minutes, then working that success activity for 50 minutes. Ten minute break for whatever I need – bathroom, coffee, stretch, or social media break – just relaxing for a few. Right back after that for another 50 minutes of another success activity, and repeat over and over again to achieve my best success during my work hours.

When I’m using my time effectively during my work day, I can totally enjoy my dream life the rest of the time. Work doesn’t have to interrupt my fun, if I’m using my work hours effectively.

Self-Talk

Self-Talk was and continues to be a huge obstacle in shifting my mindset. There’s lots of judging inside my mind, especially harsh judging of things I say and do. While I believe I can accomplish anything I set my to achieve – that’s something my mother planted in me as a young girl, my mind always says, that’s the best you can do, don’t try any harder.

When I realized my self-talk was barriers to HUGE success and achieving BIG goals, I knew it was time for change. I’d catch myself making an excuse why I couldn’t do something, I stopped and said aloud, wait that’s not true. Then I spoke the truth, I can do that if I … saying what I needed to change to do it. And, I did the same with my self-talk, sometimes laughing in my head, as I replaced a lie with a fun truth.

It’s fun to work to eliminate lies and excuses with truths, it just requires constant attention to our words and thoughts!