3 strategies overcome limiting thoughts and beliefs
On the last devex's webinar, a participant asked: How do you overcome the fear of failure when trying something new?
The first response I had was: We all have it. Our brain is wired to protect us from change. So it becomes less' significant' if we recognise that our brains are wired and that we all have these feelings.
So what can you do?
Here are three strategies that I use:
1 – Beware your mindset
I've become very aware of my thoughts and associated emotional states on anything these days.
Dr Daniel Amen coined the term ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts). ANTs are the thoughts that pop up when we think about something we are scared of or do not believe we can do. His 4 step process to get rid of ANTs is to ask yourself a series of questions:
Is this limiting belief or negative thought true?
Can I really prove it is true?
How do I react when I think this thought?
How would I feel if I didn't have this thought or who would I be without this thought?
2 – Keep a success journal
Every week I write down my successes for that week, no matter how small. I do NOT focus on what did not work or what I could improve (a separate process). Instead, I focus on what I did well and what went well. My success journal does two things:
It reinforces my focus on what works, and
It trains my brain to spot my successes and what in the future.
3 – Stretch the comfort zone a little bit
If something is way too scary or new to you, the thing to start is to stretch that comfort zone. Read my article on "How to step out of your comfort zone”.
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