Stop your self-sabotage with 3 Rs

A few years ago I had a conversation with a client who said an unexpected thing that showed his real, inner thoughts.

This man has made amazing strides. In 6 months he turned his sales around, selling more in the previous 3 months (this was during the pandemic!) than he did all of  the last year combined. We were talking about how awesome it is to see his hard work and new habits produce fruit. And then he said:

“I hope I don’t backslide.”

What would you say to him at that moment? What if this were your worry? How do you address these thoughts when you have them?

Here’s what I told him: “There is no reason you’d go back to selling like you did 6 months ago because you’re a different person now.”

Friends, we must always (always!!) pay attention to what we say to ourselves. If you have the thought, the worry, the concern, or the belief that your progress is only temporary, then I’m here to give you some truth with 3 Rs.

Recognize that feeling for what it is and tell yourself a new thing right then and there.

Remind yourself that you’ve turned a corner. 

Reframe your thoughts with a statement that fits your situation. It could be as simple as reminding yourself, “I used to do that but now I don’t.”  Or, my client could tell himself, “I used to worry about slipping into old habits, but I’m a different person now.”

This kind of negative thinking is like water in a small crack in the road in winter. If left alone, it freezes, expands, and the crack turns into a pothole by spring. We’re responsible for preventing those potholes in our thinking by taking care of them early so they don’t damage any progress in business development.

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