Today's Business Lessons
Toxic beliefs that hinder success
Have you ever wondered why some people seem to know how to get ahead in their career path, while others are stuck?
Ask those who are successful and they will answer the two most quoted words even millionaires and billionaires say: hard work.
Well, this is strange because most people I know work hard yet some
people got the promotion faster. Maybe it’s not just the hard work, it
may involve something else.
Hard work involves energy. There is energy exerted towards activities
that increase the value and equity of the person. Also, there is energy
wasted on things and activities that don’t contribute to one’s success
goals in life, these are called sideways energy. Hard work is not enough
because work is simply an outcome of the thinking process. As I
constantly say in my trainings and seminars, “Wrong thinking equals
wrong living.”
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. …” As the scriptures in the wisdom book called Proverbs say.
There are toxic beliefs that have poisoned people and lulled them
into a state of wasteful living. These beliefs should be revealed,
addressed and hopefully, altered into productive thoughts that would
lead to productive work and living.
Here are some of the toxic beliefs. Go through each one and honestly
evaluate whether you entertain them. If you do, get rid of them and
experience new thinking that could lead to improved living:
1. Some people are just lucky and I’m not one of them.
The superstitious among them rely on luck and think “lady luck”
visits others and not them. The religious among them claim “it’s not
God’s will for me to be successful...” Now, would this be a logical
conclusion to the notion that those who got the promotion faster are
within the will of God? These beliefs tend to make people passive, as
they have to wait for “luck” to change. Meanwhile, others take the
initiative to make things happen. They work harder and become luckier.
2. I have messed up in the past and destroyed all possibilities for future promotions.
Everybody experiences setbacks. No one is spared from committing
mistakes. This kind of mindset has caused people to become discouraged
and dispirited. And so they tend to play safe; fit in, merely comply and
avoid taking risks. While others are actively creating possibilities,
these people still have their eyes glued to the rear view mirror and
wonder why they are not moving forward.
3. There are people here who do not believe I can handle bigger responsibilities.
Guessing. Yes, this is what these people do. They define
themselves based on suspicions that their bosses, their co-workers and
even friends and family do not believe them to be capable. This is the
same as having self-worth based on the approval of others. And because
these people assume that others think poorly of them, they behave
accordingly. They lack the confidence to take the initiative to be
successful. These self-fulfilling prophecies are extremely damaging for
one’s career or business.
4. I need to set extremely high goals in order to surpass others so I can be successful.
This toxic belief is massively rampant. “I need to get everything
right and I need to accomplish great tasks in order to be successful.”
Setting unrealistic goals will push the person to greater levels of
disappointment. I have never met a happy perfectionist and you won’t as
well.
5. I constantly feel that I am not achieving any level of success.
These people live and decide things based on what they feel and not
on reality. A person’s feeling is the most unreliable base for
decision-making. Rational thinking and honest assessment of facts and
figures should be the basis for right decision making. ‘Feelings’ are
not accurate indications of current realities.
These are just some of the toxic beliefs that need to be addressed
and altered to prevent sideways energy and direct it towards productive
endeavors that will lead to progress and success.
When actions are based on truth and reality, right thinking equals right living.
No comments:
Post a Comment