Your Backup Plans Are Crushing Your Success

Episode two of the Summer Series is here!

Today I’m showcasing episode 108: “Is Your Dream Really Possible?” After a student of mine described her backup plan (that her coaching business needed to succeed in ten years or she was returning to retail) I knew I needed to dig into the topic of backup plans. This episode shows why this way of thinking can sabotage our greatest efforts without us realizing it.

Backup plans are common, and they can feel practical and comforting! But what you’ll hear in this episode is that a backup plan is like whispering to The Universe: “psssst, I’m not sure if this is really going to work”.

This is dangerous thinking for you as a business builder, so let’s dig into how to create an unshakable belief that yes you can do this.

The Danger of Backup Plans

Expect your dreams to come true in a predictable and comfortable way and you ask for the impossible. While it’s common for new entrepreneurs to clutch and hold onto the “how” of their success, this becomes a mental block where it appears so on the surface or not.

A backup plan is in direct odds with the energy of your dreams. It places limits on how you might achieve success and creates thoughts that will ultimately hold you back rather than move you forward.

If your thoughts are already focusing on what to do if you don’t reach your dreams, your mind has already been made up. You see an end result where you don’t succeed, and your thoughts and actions will follow.

To see your dreams into reality, you must accept and be ready for a level of discomfort that may scare you. It takes a lot of trust to continue believing even when things look uncertain.

This Isn’t About Being Reckless

Letting go of your limiting beliefs and backup plans doesn’t mean you jeopardize your relationships or financial security. This isn’t what it takes to be “all in”.

So how do you ditch the backup plans without throwing responsibility to the wind?

The first step is always to take a hard look at the conditions you’re setting for yourself. Do you know your minimum viable income? Or are you only going to launch your coaching business until you have an emergency fund of $100,000 saved away?

Most of us create backup plans and limitations because we believe we need more than we actually do.

Dreams don’t come true without some uncomfortable moments along the way, to see this through to the end you’ll need to accept and welcome this.

If you’re adverse to discomfort, it becomes easier to make excuses. You need to be so sure of your inevitable success that excuses become irrelevant.

If you’re wondering how you could possibly develop this unshakable belief in yourself, keep reading for my best actionable tips to get you there…

7 Ways To Believe In The Largeness Of Your Dream

1. See where you’re going – it’s important to know that you every step in your journey. Have a clear vision of where you’re headed and be open to the non-linear path to get there. What do you want your dream to look and feel like? What fuels your desire for your dream?

2. Trust that showing up is enough – know that the effort you’re putting in today is enough. Keep taking steps even when it seems like they aren’t leading anywhere.

3. Believe that every step is a part of your unfolding of your dream – there is nothing you’re doing right now that isn’t a part of your future dreams coming true. Even if you receive surprising or challenging news that throws you off track, there are no missteps.

4. Accept that you don’t have (or ever will) have all of the answers – your job is to keep showing up and taking action.

5. You don’t control the timeline – a surprise incident could change everything in a second. You never know when the right person is going to hear your podcast or the right influencer will share your blog post. The only thing you control is your actions and ability to keep showing up.

6. Trust your future self to take care of future problems or success – fear of success is a real thing because more success can mean more pressure. Know that In the future you’ll be equipped to handle anything that comes your way, even if you doubt that now.

7. Stop overthinking and look for your next best step – you don’t need to know ten steps ahead., this is sure path to analysis paralysis. Note when you get lost in a sea of overthinking and instead get comfortable with taking ONLY your next best step.

Bonus Tip: The Post-It Trick

Here’s a fun, easy and tactile visualization exercise to help you take action.

The next time you want to bring more of your people in, place blank post-it notes somewhere visible near where you do your work.

Maybe you have a launch coming up or are on the hunt for you next three clients.

Then look at those blank papers and know, have faith that the names will begin filling in. You won’t know who they are yet, or exactly when it’s going to happen, and be okay with that.

I used this practice during a launch for my pre-sale of a course. Why did it work so well? It felt like a game! It was energizing and motivating and allowed me to celebrate each name that was added. The more you can celebrate the little successes in your business, the more momentum and fun you’ll build.

Show Notes

• Fizzle – try it for free!

• 6 Steps To Go From Crickets To Customers – my brand new on demand training