Monthly Archives: April 2009

As we swirl around in that small boat in the middle of a rushing river, it’s normal to have old doubts resurface. Some call it the inner critic, the saboteur or the gremlin.

This chattering voice in our heads is endless – Do I still have the right stuff? Do I have the right skills? Do I have the right knowledge? Do I know the right people, am I too old, too young, too experienced, too inexperienced? And this voice holds us back just when we need the confidence, the energy and the focus to chart these new waters.

While we are busy convincing ourselves that we can’t, or shouldn’t, take action on our own behalf, others are digging deep to find their inner entrepreneur spirits and creating opportunities for themselves. So, look carefully at your own beliefs and behaviors and if they’re not helping you right now, make them the first things to toss out of that boat. Here’s how:

• Know What You Want (Personally & professionally in 2009)
• Name It (What are those self-limiting beliefs that keep creeping in?)
• Ask Yourself (Is this belief getting me where I what to be?)
• Move It Over (Don’t argue with it, just move it over for now.)
• Substitute (Practice another message that is positive & proactive.)

Here’s an example. You want your business to stay open and show some financial growth in 2009. But the “tried and true” product or service you have been providing is not selling right now. Do you stay with what is comfortable even if it’s not working, or do you reposition and remarket your business? That takes guts. This is when those self-doubts can come rushing in to immobilize us.

These are strategic choices – a fork in the river – that can make all the difference in how 2010 will look for you and your business.