5 Ways to Jump Off the “I Can’t” Bandwagon
Running your own business isn't easy. In fact, a lot of things about life aren't easy....what is easy is jumping on the "I can't" bandwagon.
Truth be told, I am 100% a victim to this at times, even as a coach. I consciously know EXACTLY what is happening and I have the tools to metaphorically jump off the train, but sometimes it's hard.
I'm writing this to share a couple things:
Perhaps to remind myself to jump off the bandwagon
Maybe provide someone else some encouragement, ideas, or tools to let them know they're not alone.
So, with that, here are 5 ways to help jump off the "I can't" bandwagon:
Recognize and acknowledge how many times the words "I can't", "but", "I don't", etc. pop up for you. You don't have to do anything about it, simply becoming aware of it can help you shift out of your negativity
Try a 60-second gratitude challenge. Expressing gratitude is one of the fastest, and easiest ways to immediately shift your energy. Grab a stopwatch, or your cell phone, and put 60 seconds on the clock and start saying, out loud if you can, all the things you are grateful for without stopping. The idea is to just let whatever comes out, happen without hesitation. “I am grateful for my health, I am grateful for having the opportunity to try to start a business, I am grateful I am not in a cubical, I am grateful for my cup of coffee this morning….etc.)”
Ask yourself, "what about this situation makes me feel bad?" Once you find it, proceed to ask yourself, "What in this exact moment would make me feel even the slightest bit better?" Maybe it's getting ice-cream, or watching a movie, calling a friend, watching cat videos, or simply thinking about a fond memory. Hold onto that for 60 seconds and then try another thing that makes you feel better.
Think about the end goal around your situation. What is the ideal outcome of the problem, or issue that you're experiencing? Do you even know? Find it and then envision it. Now ask yourself, "Are my current actions serving or hurting my ideal outcome?" What can you do to best serve your ideal outcome?
Think about how much time and energy your are putting towards the "I can't" bandwagon. If you had to assign a percentage amount, what would it be? Now, take that same percentage and imagine how things might be different if you devoted the same amount of time and energy into serving your ideal outcome--rather than hurting it.
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These are just a few of many questions you can start to ask yourself to get out of your rut and find a new train that's headed in the direction YOU want it to go.