t was the last quarter of 2020, we were in the height of the pandemic and I kept saying to my coaches that I didn’t believe I could make any sales in my coaching business that December. I was in a Mastermind with I Heart My Life and my business was doing really well, but this one niggling belief wouldn’t go away.

👉Who buys in December?

👉People don’t have money in December

👉I’m not going to make any sales in December

These are the thoughts that were going round in my head on repeat like an iTunes playlist, plus many more self-limiting beliefs. Then my coaches in the Mastermind challenged me to get fierce with my mind and challenge this belief.

Now, positive thinking alone is not enough to get the results you want, but it’s definitely a start. So, I got to work and set the intention that I would and could make sales in December and all months of the year. I created an affirmation to that effect in Canva and pinned it to the outside of my shower door. Every day I would read it and remind myself of what was possible and get fierce with my mind.

When negative thoughts came in I would flip the switch and reframe that thought, but most of all I took massive action to get sales in my business that December. This new sense of belief, determination and aligned action resulted in my best month in business so far at that point!

Positive thinking and toxic positivity

There’s so much talk about positive thinking and I do believe it has its place but there’s a fine line between positive thinking and toxic positivity. Going through each day thinking positive, saying positive things to yourself will be sure to make you feel better about yourself and raise your vibration.

But it’s only natural that negative emotions, feelings and reactions are going to be part of your everyday experiences too. As we go through Mental Health Awareness Week it’s important to understand that positive thinking alone can create an unhealthy coping mechanism. It’s important to experience, feel and honour all range of emotions (both positive and negative), and then move through them. I’ve had many days in my business where I’ve felt like a complete failure and cried it out! 

When you combine positive thinking with reframing your thoughts, honouring your negative emotions and taking aligned action, you create the momentum for a happier and more joyful life and business. By processing your negative emotions you’re moving into acceptance of how you’re feeling in that moment. This places you in a better position to figure out an action plan to help you achieve your goals.

Positive thinking + acceptance of negative emotions + aligned action = results.

Reframing self-limiting beliefs with neuroplasticity

Positive self-talk helps reprogramme old beliefs and patterns of behaviour as the brain learns through repetition. It’s about catching your negative beliefs which are keeping you stuck in self-sabotaging patterns of behaviour, so that you can rewire your neural pathways and create new subconscious beliefs. 

This is where neuroplasticity comes in.

First we must capture our limiting beliefs, which psychology says is a self-imposed  thought or belief we tell ourselves that then holds us back from reaching our full potential. We all have limiting beliefs, but recognising them is important as they can prevent us from taking risks and going after our goals and dreams.

Limiting beliefs vs empowering beliefs

Limiting beliefs can include any of the below and more…

👉I’m not good enough

👉I’m too busy / don’t have enough time

👉I should have achieved X by now

👉I’m not ready

👉I’ll never be able to do that

Limiting beliefs mainly operate on a subconscious level, which is why you can use techniques to increase your self-awareness, including keeping a thought journal. You can use this to write down your negative thoughts and beliefs as and when they arise and it’s best to do this for a couple of weeks to notice if there is a specific theme or overriding belief that keeps coming up.

The next step is to challenge your thoughts and ask deep meaningful questions, such as…

👉What is evidence is there for and against my thinking?

👉Are my thoughts factual or is it just my interpretation?

👉Am I jumping to negative conclusions? If so, why?

👉If I was thinking more positively, how would I perceive this?

👉Is this as bad as I am making it out to be?

👉What is the worst thing that could happen? How likely is it to happen?

👉What is the best thing that could happen?

The next step is to replace your negative thoughts with positive thoughts. This will challenge you as you’ve been running your negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs on autopilot for so long, but it’s doable with consistency, practice and support from outside sources. As you challenge your thoughts you’ll find that you’ll feel more positive, confident and empowered within yourself, which will affect the actions you take in your business and will even positively influence the results you get for your clients.

Here are some ways you can replace negative thought patterns with new positive and empowering self-talk…

Don’t worry about whether you believe the new belief or not as the subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between imagination and reality. The key is to consistently replace your negative beliefs with positive thoughts as the mind learns through repetition.

If you’re looking for support with overcoming your self-imposed limiting beliefs that are holding you back from achieving the success you desire in your coaching business, book a FREE discovery call with me today. 

We’ll look at how I can best support you so that you can achieve your goals with more confidence, clarity and self-belief without being held back by self-doubt. Remember, the world needs you and what you have to offer!