Is Your Self-Talk Holding You Back?

The story we tell ourselves eventually comes true.

“I’ll never earn that much.”

“Maybe someone else could do that, but it’s just not an option for me.”

“I just don’t have those skills.”

“I’m too introverted.”

“My dream job doesn’t exist, so I have to settle for something I don’t like.”

Here’s the dirty little secret about career success: you are exactly as successful as you believe you can be.

If you see yourself as someone who could only earn $40,000 per year, then that’s the kind of job you’re going to get. You’ll subconciously avoid opportunities where you might earn more.

(Of course, it’s not always about money. If you don’t believe you’ll find a job you genuinely love, then your negative self-talk will lead to self-sabotage.)

What if your self talk sounded more like this?

“I can learn how do to that.”

“I’m just as smart as that person, so I can achieve anything they can.”

“I don’t have those skills yet, but I can learn them for free online.”

“I’m naturally introverted, but I can practice being more social for short bursts.”

“If my dream job doesn’t exist yet, then I’ll find a way to make it exist.”

Doesn’t that feel better?

Our self-talk lead to thoughts. Our thoughts become habits. Our habits become character. And our character determines our destiny.

The good news is that every human has the ability to grow. If you don’t have positive self-talk now, you can learn how to make it better through practice, self-learning, and sometimes therapy.

(You probably have a free or low-cost campus therapy option where you could speak to a trained professional. They’ll then teach you proven methods to improve your self-talk, become more positive, and then reach your goals.)

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Photo by davide ragusa on Unsplash