Mental Barriers
No matter who we are or what we do, we all have mental barriers that get in the way of what we want to achieve.
In almost all cases these mental barriers have no basis in reality. Most of the time they are barriers put up because of our upbringing, education or culture.
Consider the following statements:
“I’m not bright enough to go to college.”
“I don’t have the confidence to talk to an audience.” “I don’t have the skill to play that sport.”
“I couldn’t be successful in business.”
“I will never be in that financial position.” “I can’t achieve what he has achieved.” “That goal is beyond me.”All of these statements represent a mental barrier that is irrational and has no basis in reality. You probably have many similar statements or mental barriers you allow to get in your way. Consider the “Four Minute Mile Barrier”. In the late 1940s it was considered impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes. The majority of runners and the public believed this. Because the mile runners believed it, no-one ran the mile in under four minutes. This is until May 1954 Roger Bannister ran it in 3:59:4.
Interestingly only six weeks later Bannister’s record was broken and after that, four minute miles were commonplace. Once the mental barrier was broken, people’s performance matched the reality that a mile could be run in under four minutes.
You need to think about and analyze your own mental barriers because they are what hold you back, not the reality of what you can achieve.
Sometimes we speak out our mental barriers “Oh I could never do that” but most often we think them.
Action Step 12:
Just like Action Step 11, take a blank piece of paper and write down the three main limiting mental barriers you either speak or think.
Once you have done that, write down an opposite positive statement for each. Then most important, cross out the limiting mental barrier.
Some examples:
“I could never afford that.”
“How could I afford that?”
“I often feel sick and tired.”
“I’m healthy and fit and I don’t get sick.”
“I could never start a business.”
“I would be very successful in business.”
“I could never be that good.”
“I excel at everything I work hard at.”
“I’m not good enough to get that job.”
“I am able to succeed at whatever job I do, and I would be great at that job.”
Once again write down your positive statements on a piece of paper and repeat them aloud every day.
You can literally re-program or re-socialize your mind by repeating the positive statement and developing the habit of thinking and speaking positively. This effectively breaks down any limiting mental barriers.
“It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”
Muhammad Ali