2023 Game Changers
Chatter sometimes takes the form of your inner critic. You may find yourself in this negative thought loop (or might not even be aware you’re doing this!), and you can’t seem to break free of this cycle.
Psychologist, neuroscientist, and writer Dr. Ethan Kross discusses this phenomenon in his work. “This kind of chatter is one of the greatest challenges we face as a species because it makes it hard for us to think and perform.”
Others call this Imposter Phenomenon. Dr. Rose Clance (the psychologist who coined the Imposter Phenomenon (IP) term) is an honored member of our Cohort speaker network. She developed this test to help individuals determine whether or not they have IP characteristics and, if so, to what extent their lives and businesses are impacted.
Some of the most badass humans on the planet - successful military vets, Harvard grads, Academy grads, our Cohort members - have fallen victim to this syndrome.
At past Tactical Advances, we gauged the room and gave our members the IP test. The average score was in the 80s. Anything above 50 indicates that negative self-talk is frequent, almost hourly. My IP when I was an entrepreneur? Probably 99.
Here’s what I know about negative self-talk: If you are not your biggest cheerleader but instead your loudest critic, you are doing things the hard, slow way.
You can do better.
If you decide this is the year to make a change, that you’re going to dive all in, but that inner critic has some doubt, energetically you’re not going to get there. You may be doing all the right actions, but you’re still not getting the desired results because you don’t believe in yourself.
Once you make this tiny shift in your mindset, you’ll notice how your perception changes. Then your attitude changes. Your stress decreases, and you’ll find yourself more confident and secure in making decisions. Things start to move faster; change begins to happen.
There is an art to pushing yourself to your limits. “Well, I want to push myself to the edge and be the badass I know I can be.” I get that. But do it in a supportive way, and you’ll get farther. Trust me.
Some resources to get you started:
Dr. Bob Rotella: How Champions Think: In Sports and in Life
Dr. Nate Zinsser: The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance
Insanity is continuing to do the same thing you did in 2022, expecting different results in 2023. Instead, take new steps to become the badass business owner, leader, and human the world deserves.
Onward.