The power of the mind is something I’ve been into since I was a kid. Back then I remember my mom saying that, “you can do anything you set your mind to.” And I really took that on and made it a core belief.
I can do anything I set my mind to.
It’s the core belief I’ve created my life from. It’s how I continue to create it.
Your mind is the most powerful tool you have at your disposal to change your life. And when you create something in your mind, it has to show up in your physical reality.
You just have to feel like it’s already true. And you can feel that way by doing things like visualizing and writing your reality.
When you go there in your mind, you will go there in your reality.
Tony Robbins talked about this in his interview with online marketing powerhouses, Frank Kern, and John Reese. And the story he shared was of runner, Roger Bannister, the first man to run a 4-minute mile.
The story goes like this: Roger practiced running a 4-minute mile over and over again in his mind and then he finally achieved it in his physical reality. He was the first person to ever do this. Until he did this, it was believed to be impossible.
The funny thing is, after Bannister hit this seemingly impossible goal, within the next two years 37 other people also ran 4-minute miles.
Amazing, right? One person running a 4-minute mile was enough to inspire 37 other people to think they could do it too.
[Watch the video below…or if you’re in a hurry, watch from minute 15 on–that’s where the best stuff is.]
When you know the outcome or result you want is absolutely certain, you’ll take action. You’ll do the work. You’ll show up every day and grind.
But when you feel uncertain–aka: lacking faith in yourself–that’s when you’ll self-sabotage, make excuses and find reasons to avoid going all in or doing the work.
The way to fix uncertainty, is to go there in your mind. To make what you want to create for your writing life a done-deal by visualizing it and writing it into reality.
By not getting your mind in the game, one of two things will happen:
- You’ll never achieve the success you dream of having
- You’ll achieve (some of) the success you want, but you’ll be burnt out from how hard-won it was
Your mindset, writing habits (or lack of), fears, doubts, distractions, they will all get in the way. Your mind and habits can either work for you or work against you.
Wouldn’t you rather they work for you?
Because that’s the thing about success, it comes from the little things. It’s built from the things you do on a daily basis, not on the things you do once in a while.
So really think about that. And then ask yourself some questions:
- What are my day-to-day habits like, both in my writing life and life, in general?
- How productive am I with my writing on a daily/weekly basis?
- Do I honestly feel like I’m making progress on my writing goals?
- What areas of my writing life (and life in general) could stand to be improved?
- Is my mind in the game?
If you want to be successful, you have to be willing to do things that most people aren’t willing to do. For example, I’ve been having crazy-amazing success with my books lately, BUT it’s because I’ve made a huge leap out of my comfort zone and am pushing myself to a level most people wouldn’t even consider (writing and publishing 9 books in one year).
I’m producing more writing than I ever have before. I’m making more progress and faster, than ever before. I’m seeing the results of all my hard work show up every day. But it’s because I’m doing things that other people aren’t willing to.
I’m writing my reality in my journal 2-3 times a day. I’m doing 4-minute visualization sessions 1-2 times a day. I’m being consistent. I’m writing my ass off. I’m putting a lot of books and writing out into the world.
When you’re willing to do the things others aren’t, when you’re willing to push yourself to the edge of where you’d normally push yourself, that’s when you’ll be successful. Because that’s what it takes. (And come to find out, the edge only has about 1% of writers hanging out at it.)
So I want you to really consider where you’re at right now in your writing life. Is it, truly where you want to be?
Or are you playing small? Hiding out? Acting and thinking totally out of alignment with the writer and author you dream of being?
It’s time to change that. To get yourself into alignment with the success you dream of. Because it’s out there and it’s yours for the taking.
It’s just like the 4-minute mile, if what you dream of doing has already been done by someone else, that means it’s totally possible for you to do it too (and it’s also possible for you to be the first one to do it).
You’ve got what it takes. Now own it.
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What’s one thing you can do today to stop playing small in your writing life?