Are you holding yourself back?
As The Startup Coach running Toronto’s Most Active Startup Community, TorontoStarts keeps me hopping from meeting to coaching session to a workshop to large events like the Toronto Cryptocurrency Conference or Startup Pitch. With over 140 startup and entrepreneur classes, courses, workshops, and events already scheduled for 2018 (and even more coming) I usually spend Sunday mornings at my favourite Starbucks, catching up on the things that slipped the past week, people I missed following up with etc, and getting ready for the next week.
It’s also a time of reflection looking back on the past week. This morning I am reflecting on the many conversations with entrepreneurs, CEO’s, and industry speakers and leaders this week. There was a common theme running through all of the meetings, I could see their confidence go from high to low along with their self-esteem.
While a few of these were young entrepreneurs, the same was true for people leading multi-million dollar companies, two awesome speakers who have spoken in front of thousands, and some industry leaders that are right now changing the world. Seeing the rapid change in mood, energy, and self-esteem in the span of 30 to 60 minutes of seasoned veterans and fresh entrepreneurs was jarring.
This is a huge problem today. We have built in subconscious self-destructive behavior patterns that fail to recognize and overcome. It stops us from achieving true success and happiness in our life. Entrepreneurs struggle with depression silently and in large numbers. It’s something we hide away and of which we are ashamed. Depression, fear, self-loathing all hold us back from achieving the things we want. I built TorontoStarts partially as a support group for those entrepreneurs like myself, who struggle with their own limiting beliefs and depression.
Now is the time to start changing your habits, beliefs and start to live the life you truly want. What is holding you back?
I reminded of a great quote from Jen Sincero’s book You are a Badass
If you want to live a life you never lived
You have to do things you have never done
– Jen Sincero – You are a Badass
I recommend this book to everyone whose limiting self-beliefs cause them to self-destruct their own success.
One one the things I coach as part of the Startup Coach Workshops and the Startup Launch Accelerator 8-week accelerator program is you are the average of the 5 people you are around the most. If we are doing something exceptional sometimes you have to cut out the ordinary.
If you want to live an extraordinary life, you have to give up many of the things that are part of a normal one
Good its the enemy of great
Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life
– Jim Collins, Good to Great
An extraordinary life costs a “normal” life. You can’t have both.
If you want a different approach to turning a normal life into a great one try
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*CK” -by Mark Manson
If you are struggling with self-doubt that stops you from becoming or doing what you want, it’s time to change. Grab one of these books and start to leave self-doubt and fear behind. Entrepreneurship is not a solo sport, join a startup community that is active, like TorontoStarts and start making connections that you need succeed mentally and for your business.
Craig
