3 Ways to Find Out If You’re Playing Small

It’s easy to say that you want to play a much bigger game in business. Even though you desire to grow and move outside of your comfort zone in theory, you have to know that the role of your sub-conscious mind is to keep you safe and playing small. And believe me the sub-conscious mind is highly gifted when it comes to winning the battle of playing small versus being bold and playing bigger in life. If you don’t pay attention, you’ll quickly succumb to its paralyzing nature. Here are 3 ways to find out if you’ve been snared and are on the slippery path to playing small:

• Sitting on the fence (also known as indecisiveness).  Why would you want to sit on the fence? Surely, it’s not a comfortable place to be?  Indecisiveness is a sure fire way to drain the life out of you and your business. If you want to accelerate your business growth, you’re also going to need to learn how to make bold decisions swiftly. Watch out for subconscious thoughts that just encourage endless procrastination: ‘you need to take your time’, ‘you really should have more information to make a decision’, ad infinitum… Your subconscious mind often asks for a level of clarity or certainty which simply doesn’t exist.

• Clever excuses (that to most people sound legitimate but they’re really an insidious way of hiding out). Excuses in this category include, “with all that’s going on, it’s just not the right time” or “I first want to digest the learning from my previous program” or “it’s too late for me now” or “I’ve invested too much in my current job” and “I will do it someday”. Essentially they are excuses that you might share with a friend who is likely to validate you.  By making excuses you are secretly looking for somebody else to support your line of thinking and let you off the hook. The solution? Get a coach with a “no excuses” attitude. Do you really want to be let off the hook when it comes to your own success?

• Waiting to hire a coach/mentor/support until after you’ve closed the next deal or reached a certain income level.  Again this one sounds so reasonable and yet it can keep you stuck in a trap forever.  The bottom line is that you have to make decisions from the place you want to be rather than from where you are now. You have to also be willing to take calculated risks and invest in your own success. Not getting help whether it’s hiring a mentor, an executive assistant or a new team member is a great way to play small. Getting the right help will free you up to focus on growth-oriented activities and the added level of responsibility will also help you to step up and make sure you increase your sales. This is about playing bigger and having the best support team in place!

Quite frankly, the only way to outsmart your subconscious mind is to do the opposite of what it wants you to do! You’ll weaken its “procrastination grip” on you and strengthen your inner resolve to pursue your own version of success.

It’s time to PLAY BIGGER!

ARE YOU READY TO BE BOLD & PLAY BIGGER?

Our zone of genius is helping ambitious entrepreneurs and business leaders earn more income, make a bigger impact, and enjoy greater freedom. If you have big bold goals of running a 6- or 7-figure business and you are ready to get out of your own way then you have come to the right place. Our Business Growth Academy Programs will help you build a profitable business and a life you love. Schedule a quick business brainstorm session with one of our strategists.