Top 5 Reasons to Get Rid of Your Mindset Limitations

"I don't know what that problem is," she told me. "I've been working really hard, but I can't ever seem to reach the success I've been chasing. There must be something wrong with me."

It's a common complaint I hear in many different forms:

• "I'm stuck."
• "No matter what I do, it doesn't seem to work."
• "Maybe I'm not cut out for this."
•  "I'm working as hard as I can, but I can't seem to get there."

All of these complaints have mindset at their core.  It isn't that you aren't working hard enough. Success doesn't have to be so elusive. At the core of all these problems is the thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes and values that underlie everything you do.  Mindset is the voice in your head that tells you "I can't..."  It's the part that tells you "I don't deserve..."  It is at the core of your self-doubt and lack of confidence.

Usually these thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitudes and values have their foundations in events from your past. They are the reactions to events in your life that didn't turn out the way you wanted them to.  As a result you jumped to conclusions about what the problem was.  You formed beliefs that began to limit you, and you found "proof" that you were right in your conclusions by doing what we all do when we form a belief. We ignore evidence to the contrary. We distort the evidence to "prove" we were right all along.  And we generalize from situations where the belief may be true to all situations or every single time.

Then to make it even more complicated, the beliefs, thoughts, feelings, attitudes and values fall out of our awareness and become unconscious.  We don't even realize these mindset saboteurs are chugging away under the surface messing everything up. 

As amazing as it may seem, 90% of your success or failure are the result of mindset issues.  Specifically, it's those mindset limitations you've unconsciously set into motion.  It is vitally  important to address your mindset issues. If you don't you'll continue to struggle.

The top 5 reasons to address your mindset limitations are

1.       To get rid of obstacles that block your goals--especially obstacles that are self-imposed.   

Your mindset limitations stop you just as completely as if you were running head-first into a           brick wall.

2.       To get off the roller-coaster and create CONSISTENT results.

Maybe you've had some success, but you can't seem to duplicate it and your ups and downs are affecting your confidence.

3.         To conquer your fears.

No matter if your fears are of a fear of failure, a fear of success, a fear of being noticed, a fear of rejection, fear plays a huge role in taking the steps you need to in order to be successful. If you are fearful, you'll avoid doing the things you need to do to succeed.

4.         To get rid of self-doubt.

Self doubt often keeps you stuck. You lack the confidence to get out there and do what you need to in order to achieve your goals. Self-doubt is composed of "what if's" and most of them are catastrophic. If you can get out of your own way, you are likely to discover that you are more capable then you thought.  You really CAN do those things you didn't think you could.

5.         To get rid of limiting beliefs that hurt your confidence and self-esteem.

Those may be beliefs like "I'm not worthy," or "I have to be perfect," or "I'm not good enough." If you've been thinking there's something wrong with you, there is likely a limiting belief that is feeding it.

The good news is that mindset limitations can be resolved. The bad news is that you can't just decide to believe or think something more helpful. Because mindset issues tend to lurk in the unconscious, you can't consciously change them--you have to change them with unconscious methods.  Think about it--if you chant "There are no weeds in my garden; there are no weeds in my garden; there are no weeds in my garden," a hundred times, what happens?  The weeds still take over your garden. You have to DO something, and it has to address the weed's roots.

Want to know more? Contact me, Linda Pucci at Linda@InnerResourceCenter.com to schedule time to talk over the phone about your mindset limitations and what you can do about it.  There are lots of techniques and methods that work. When you are ready to address your mindset, email me and we'll talk about what will work best for you.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a personal and business coach and an expert in helping clients resolve mindset issues that interfere with their success and happiness.  For more information go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com to learn about her services. 

Wealth Is a State of Mind

"Wealth is not a material gain, but a state of mind."

~Jerry Gillies

What we think and feel about our lives is really what determines if we are wealthy or not.  If you are focused on what you DON'T HAVE, you will feel poor.  If you are focused on what you DO HAVE, you will feel rich.  There will always be people who have more than you have in terms of financial wealth.  And there will always be people who have less than you have in terms of financial resources.  It isn't about how much stuff you've accumulated or the cost of the things you own, it is the quality of your life that determines your life's richness.  And the quality of your life is determined by what you think about it.

This week:  Notice those who have less than you as well as those who have more than you. (Usually the latter is pretty easy to notice).  Think about what it is that really makes your life rich.  Write down those things.  Then review your list and see how you are doing at creating real wealth in your life (the non-monetary kind).  Is there something you could do to help yourself create more richness in your life?  Set an intention to do that.  You deserve to have a rich, meaningful, authentic life!

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome the mindset limitations and limiting beliefs that keep them from creating a life that is rich, both personally and financially.  She has created a 7-step process for finding your life's purpose and beginning to live it.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .  

Warren Buffet's Advice

"The one piece of advice I can give you is, 

do what turns you on. 

Do something that if you had all the money in the world, 

you’d still be doing it. 

You’ve got to have a reason to 

jump out of bed in the morning."

~Warren Buffet

You need to have passion for what you do every day.  That is what sustains you when times are tough or when you are facing tasks that are a challenge.  If you do what you love, you bring to your job creativity, enthusiasm, energy and joy.  That is contagious and communicates itself to your clients or customers. If you really have a passion for your career and are willing to commit yourself to the expression of that passion, you'll find a way to make it successful.

This week: Think about what got you interested in the job you currently hold.  Is there passion there, or was there passion at one time?  If you've lost it, think about what you'd need to be able to recapture it.  If you are doing something that you are not passionate about, is there something else you need to be doing? If so, figure out what the first step might be in moving into that.  Don't get scared--you don't have to make a jump right now.  Just consider what small thing you could do to move you in that direction.  Sometimes it may be just acknowledging your dream.  What's your dream?

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people discover their passion and overcome the obstacles to making it happen.  She specializes in helping her clients over mindset limitations--those limiting beliefs and attitudes that keep you stuck.  For more information about her services, go to http://www.innerresourcecenter.com/



It's All in How You Think About It

"Being challenged in life is inevitable,

 being defeated is optional."

~Roger Crawford

It seems that it is inevitable that challenges will occur in our lives. Changes happen and we must be able to roll with them.  We have to be able to adapt and accommodate.  If we are unwilling to change, we set ourselves up to be defeated.  It is all in how you think about it. Challenge and change can bring you to some new and exciting places as long as you are open to it.

This week:  Take a good look at your life.  What are the inevitable challenges you face?  Do they require you to change your approach?  Do they require you to think about things differently?  What changes would help you meet those challenges?  If you could change how you think about something, would it turn defeat into success?  What is ONE SMALL THING you could do right now that would help you change your thinking and meet this challenge.  Take that step.  Then figure out what the next step would be.  Before you know it, you'll be on your way.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome the limiting beliefs and mindset limitations that keep them stuck.  She uses the resources she's developed in 32 years of practice to give you the right tools to resolve challenges quickly so that you can move on. For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

No Matter How Inspired, You Have to Take Action

"Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working."

~Pablo Picasso

Creativity and inspiration will only lead to excellence when it is followed by action.  You can have the best ideas in the world, but if you don't work to bring them to fruition, they remain just ideas.  Dreams are fine, but fulfilling those dreams requires work.

This week:  Take a look at some of the ideas you have had upon which you haven't acted.  What has stopped you?  Has it been a reluctance to take action?  If so, why?  What is it you believe about taking that action that is stopping you from moving forward with your idea(s)?  Challenge yourself this week.  Take one of your ideas, and take some action about it.  Notice if it changes how you feel about the idea.  Will taking more action help you build some momentum?  Are there other resources you need?  Sometimes the best action involves finding the right resources.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people take action towards their goals.  Her business, the Inner Resource Center, LLC helps people find the right resources to move forward in their life or their career.  She specializes in helping people overcome the mindset limitations that often keep them stuck.  For more information go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .

Believe in Your True Self

"There is but one cause of human failure. 

And that is man's lack of faith in his true Self."

~William James

We so often sell ourselves short.  We believe that what needs to be done is beyond our abilities.  We allow past experiences to mold our beliefs and keep us from stepping up to tackle challenges again.  If we really believed in our true Self, what could be possible?  Your true Self is all the potential you hold inside you, even though you haven't realized it yet.  It is the dreams you dream; the hopes you have, and the desire to be more than you express in your every day life.  We block ourselves from believing in our true Self by hanging on to beliefs that might have once been true but really no longer serve us.  Beliefs like "I'm not good enough," or "I don't deserve," or "I don't know enough."  If you can begin to allow your true Self to shine through, you can achieve anything.  Don't you owe that to yourself--and to others?

This week:  Notice when you block yourself with mindset limitations.  What really stands in the way of your success?  If you are finding excuses in the economy, or some limitation you think you have, be honest with yourself.  Ask yourself:  "How am I blocking my true Self?"  Be honest about who your true Self really is, what he/she is really capable of.  Now think of one SMALL thing you can do to allow yourself to express your true Self.  Do that one thing this week.  Notice what happens to your faith in yourself. 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome mindset limitations and other "mental clutter" that blocks their success and happiness.  When you let go of those negative beliefs and mental clutter, you may room for your authentic Self to express all those things of which you are truly capable.  For more information about her solution focused approach and variety of services she offers, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

Stretch Outside Your Comfort Zone

"Do one thing everyday that scares you."

~Eleanor Roosevelt

I love this quote because it reminds me to continue to stretch myself every day, to confront the things that scare me.  When we face the things that make us uncomfortable we gain confidence.  We may not always be successful, but we have faced down the fear.  Face your fear and do it anyway.  Most times the things we are afraid of are in our heads.  We allow ourselves to be blocked by those limiting beliefs--those mindset limitations--that tell us that scary or terrible things will happen.  We already allow ourselves to be affected by those fears, even when the things we are afraid of have not happened.  

This week:  Uncover something that you've been afraid to do EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Yep.  Do one thing every day that scares you.  It doesn't have to be huge or earth-shattering.  We all have lots of little fears along with those big ones.  So start small.  Pick something you've been scared to do and do it right now.  When you have done it, breathe a sigh of relief.  You did it!  Now write down what you will do every day for the rest of the week.  Face those fears, big or small.  At the end of the week notice how you feel.  Once you've done something you were afraid of, do you continue to be scared of it?  If so, that's O.K., but keep practicing! 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people confront their limiting beliefs and the things they believe block them.  She helps them stretch themselves to achieve goals they had not thought  possible using her solution focused approach.  For more information or to see how a Personal Breakthrough Intensive Session could help you blast through fear completely, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .   

You Are More Than You Think You Are

"You are much grander than you think you are."

~Asara Lovejoy

While it is certainly true that many people hide their brilliance behind a veil of false modesty, the reality is that none of us (not even the most arrogant) can really capture how much we are truly capable of.  No matter what you think you really are, you are always something more.  In part this is because we are not able to completely understand all that we are and can be.  We have not yet thought of ideas and creations we will manifest, nor  dreamed the dreams we will make come true.  All of that potential swims around in some sea of our unconscious until the time is right to emerge.  You don't have to toot your own horn and brag about how grand you are and can be.  All you need to do is to keep open to the possibility that you may not yet know how grand you are.

This week:  Take some time to look back at your life so far.  Notice in particular if there were times when you limited yourself with how you thought about your capabilities.  Acknowledge that maybe those limitations weren't really true.  Think about times when you overcame obstacles or achieved more than you thought you could.  Think about dreams you may have given up on because you didn't think something was possible.  Now think ahead to the future.  What would you want to do if you knew it was completely possible?  What would you do if you knew you had all the resources you needed?  What would you be if you could be anything?  Open yourself up to all the possibilities.  Now, devise some ritual that will help keep you open to your own possibilities.  What could you say or do that will remind you that you are much grander than you think?  

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people stretch beyond their mindset limitations.  She specializes in helping people let go of negative emotions and limiting beliefs from the past, and often utilizes intensive sessions over a 4 day period to help people break through in some area of their lives.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

Don't Wait Too Long to Use Your Ideas

“Turn every idea upside down to see

 if there is an expiration date stamped on the bottom.”

~Thomas Shepherd

While it may sound strange to check for the "expiration date" of ideas as if they were carton of milk or a loaf of bread, the timing of an idea may be vital to its success.  When you have ideas or opportunities to develop something new, check to see what the urgency is of creating it.  Ideas that fit with the needs of those around you deserve a higher priority.  You don't want to miss your window of opportunity.  Some ideas have a much longer "shelf life," however.  In fact, the current conditions might not support your pursuit of that idea.  If that is the case, write down the idea on a piece of paper and save it in a "parking lot."  Your parking lot is the place where you "park" your ideas until a) you have more time; or b) the timing is right to pursue it.  But make sure you note that "expiration date" so that you don't wait too long!

This week:  Just notice the "expiration date" on ideas you have or those others approach you with.  How does knowing that change the priority you assign it?  Is there something you need to do to make sure that you don't end up throwing out perfectly good ideas because you've waited too long to use them?  At the end of this week, make a decision about how you are going to incorporate "expiration dates" into your use of ideas.

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people achieve goals they had not thought possible using her solution focused approach.  She helps clients take the necessary action to reach goals efficiently and to overcome any mindset limitations that might be interfering with success.  For more information, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com

What Are You Thinking?

"Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in 

the mind through repetition of thought."

~Napoleon Hill

This can be either very helpful or not very helpful.  If you are thinking empowering thoughts, and repeat them often enough, you can be empowered.  You can create ideas and plans that inspire you.  You can allow purpose (and passion) to move you forward toward great things--just by thinking those thoughts repeatedly.  AND if you are thinking thoughts that limit you, those thoughts will just as surely keep you from getting the outcome you were seeking.  What are limiting ideas or thoughts?  Ideas that contain a negative--for example, when you think about what you DON'T want, rather than what you DO want.  Thoughts that focus on failure, anxiety, worry, memories of bad experiences, self doubt, fear, guilt, hurt, sadness, or anger.  If you are going to be putting ideas, plans and purposes in your mind through repetition of thought, why not make them empowering ideas rather than liming ones?

This week:  Sit down with a piece of paper divided into 2 columns.  At the top of one column, put "Empowering"; at the top of the other column, put "Limiting".  Now spend some time brainstorming.  Identify those thoughts you think regularly and repeatedly.  Write it down in the column it belongs in.  Does it empower you or limit you?  Continue you doing this until you have captured them all (or at least the most frequent ones).  This may take you a few days.  Then look at the "Limiting" column.  See if you can reword them so that they are 1) positive 2) empowering and 3) could be true (you have to be able to believe that the belief could be true, even if it isn't quite true yet).  Practice REPEATEDLY saying the empowering thoughts OUT LOUD this week.  Do you get more confident about it the more you say it.  If not, practice changing your body language and say it like you MEAN IT!  

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people overcome mindset limitations that block their success and happiness.  Many people stockpile negative emotions and limiting beliefs from past negative experiences (what Linda calls "emotional clutter") and it keeps them stuck.  For more information about how to change this, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com . 

You Need to Be Able to Communicate Your Ideas

"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you cannot get them 

across, your ideas will not get you anywhere."

~Lee Iaccoco

The ability to communicate your ideas to others is important.  Not because you need others to approve of your ideas, but because when you share your ideas you clarify your thinking and those ideas become better, more productive, more achievable.  There is a synergy that happens when ideas are shared that sometimes makes the resulting ideas even more brilliant.  You need to take the time to formulate your ideas in a way that can be communicated when you are ready to move them forward.  While you may need some time to be ready to share your ideas, time to think them through, time to articulate them into an understandable form, in the end you need to be able to share them.  Think where we might be if Einstein had not shared his ideas...

This week: Think about the ideas that have been floating around in your head for awhile.  Have you communicated them to anyone?  If not, why not?  What would need to happen for you to be ready to share them?  This week, take one small step to get ready to share your idea.  It might be to spend some time thinking about what you would tell or who you would tell.  It might be actually talking with someone about it.  It might be answering your own questions about your idea:  why? what?  how?  what if?  Take some action to move your idea forward this week.  Then notice how that feels.  

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert at helping people reach goals they had not thought possible using tools she's discovered in her 30+ years of experience.  She specializes in helping people overcome the mindset limitations often caused by negative emotions from the past or limiting beliefs.  For more information go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .  

Emptying Your Mind Creates Space for Peace

"A primary method for gaining a mind full of 

peace is to practice emptying the mind."

~Napoleon Hill

We are often so caught up with working and doing things that we ignore peace.  We might crave it, but we don't do anything to pursue it or encourage it.  For many of us, thoughts chase us throughout the day, even into the night.  We have trouble turning our mind off, so we have trouble getting sleep.  We find it difficult to relax because we are always thinking of everything we have to do.  At least once a day, we need to empty our minds to create space for peace.  Turn off the thoughts and turn your mind inward, allowing your thoughts to drift away.  Breathe.  Keep breathing.  Allow your muscles to relax and stay in the present moment.  Invite peace into your life.  And watch your life change in positive ways.

This week: Everyday take at least 15 minutes to empty your mind.  Breathe deeply from your belly and sigh when you exhale.  Allow the tension to leave your shoulders and neck.  Picture your mind emptying out.  Imagine your thoughts taking flight and disappearing into the sky above you.  (Don't worry, you'll be able to get them back).  Imagine washing your mind with your favorite color.  Bathe your mind in calming light and energy.  Invite peace into your mind to fill the space that is now there.  Relax and enjoy.  Do this at least once a day for a full week.  Notice how you feel at the end of the week.  Isn't peace worth at least 15 minutes of your day?

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome the mindset limitations that often block success and happiness.  A mindset limitation may be a belief that "I can't turn off my mind" or that "I need to pay attention to everything so that I don't forget something."  Wouldn't it be nice to let that stuff go?  For more information about the tools Linda uses, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .  Discover the resources to transform your life... 

The Secret to Success Is Being Ready

"The great secret of success in life is for a man 

to be ready when his opportunity comes."

~Benjamin Disraeli

There are a lot of secrets about success, but this one is vital.  Opportunities may come to us, but we may not ready for them.  When we are not ready, we either ignore them, completely oblivious to them, or we attempt to seize the opportunity, but cannot deliver.  We are not ready for that opportunity, and thus, cannot really use it fully.  In this time of economic challenge, people are waiting for opportunities.  But they may be doing little to get ready for those opportunities.  It is a perfect use of your "waiting time" to do what you need to do to be ready, so that you will be able to use the opportunity fully. 

This week:  Ask yourself: "What do I need to do to really be ready to seize the opportunities that come to me?  Is there personal work I need to do to keep myself from self-sabotage?  Are there things I need in my business or in my career that can help better support me when opportunities come along?  Are there skills I need to further develop?"  Write down the ideas that come to you.  You might also want to ask a trusted friend or associate these questions.  Come up with a plan to implement growth in at least one area to help you get ready to take advantage of the opportunities that are coming your way.   Once you have that plan, take the first step!  (Planning isn't enough--you have to take action, too). 

Linda Pucci, Ph.D. is a psychologist, life coach and expert in helping people overcome obstacles to their success.  She specializes in helping people overcome mindset limitations and ways that they sabotage themselves. For more information and free resources, go to http://www.InnerResourceCenter.com .