Belief is a State of Mind!

Most entrepreneurs know deep down that if they don’t believe in themselves they won’t be able to function.

But what is it exactly that you should believe in?

Athletes, for example, know that training and talent will only take them so far. At the top levels of competition the differences lay not so much in physical ability as they do in the mind. After all, the difference between first place and second in many sports can come down to a hundredth of a second.

The ability to do anything must be accompanied by the belief that you can do it. As important as knowing how is knowing you can.

This is where much of what is taught about belief by popular gurus actually makes things worse. You see, what counts as belief isn’t the conscious thought. Simply saying you believe isn’t proof that you actually do. And your mind won’t be fooled for long.

In fact, recent scientific studies prove that when we try to get ourselves to believe something about ourselves that we subconsciously simply don’t believe, it works to demotivate rather than motivate us. In other words, the further away we step from what we subconsciously believe to be true the more harm we do rather than good.

It’s important to recognize that when you don’t act on a goal it’s because you lack the subconscious belief that you can attain it. The key isn’t to stop believing or to simply give up and wallow in your own self-pity. On the contrary, belief must start from a firm foundation of reality. Rather than worrying about what can go wrong, re-evaluate your goals and determine what you will need to truly believe that you can accomplish them.

Take small steps from where you are. Start by recalling when you were able to learn a new task. What was involved in that learning process and what made you want to learn? From this foundation you can build a belief in your ability to learn how to accomplish your goal.

As you exercise your belief, and start to prove your own ability by accomplishing one small goal at a time you will begin to grow in your personal confidence. Like a muscle, building belief is something that must come over time. Go too hard or too quick and you will suffer negative effects rather than positive. Work with what God has given you and you will find that you can indeed move mountains.
-Andre Vatke