How Many have this mental limitation?

I believe you just need to have more confidence in your product and your pitching skills.

It's not so much a lack of confidence in my pitch or service, but rather an apparent lack of confidence in my own knowledge. Logically I know that I know this stuff, but my brain, which due to my bipolar is constantly trying to undermine me, wants me to believe that I don't know what I am doing. I experienced this same thing when I was working in radio. I would be applying for a job that I was definitely qualified for and had the right skills and experience for, but I would hear in my head, "I don't know how to do that job" when it was the same job I had done for two years previous.

This is a great thread. Yes, I dealt with that for a long time and it got me to get into my head and start rearranging mental processes. I would suggest learning a bit of NLP to change mental processes.

Your brain has a reference system. Meaning, it will reference whatever is there in all situations. It's referencing this thought of ineptitude that you have because nothing else is there.

It will reference garbage if you don't put in gems.

Solution?

Take about an hour, a piece of paper and a pen and make the decision in your head that you're going to change this mental process.

Write down on the piece of paper, this thought or series of thoughts that are kicking your butt.

Look at those thoughts, on the paper and realize that they're just neurological processes. Literally, it's some neurocortical firing pattern that keeps igniting in the pathways of your brain. It's not real.

THEN, CHALLENGE IT. Say things like "is this really true?" "Is this really accurate?"

Start coming up with reasons why it ISN'T true, and how you ARE ADEPT.

Understand that as an entrepreneur, you'll probably experience more self doubt than most people who settle for mediocrity. It's all part of the game my friend.

We all (as entrepreneurs) experience this at some point, and it's simply because WE SHIP MORE, WE TRY MORE, WE PUT OURSELVES OUT THERE MORE and because of that, it's a hell of a lot easier to second guess ourselves.

Most people are too afraid to do what you're doing, so they stay where they're comfortable. You're the champ for being out there in the discomfort.

I'm sure you're an expert, train your brain to believe that too.

Hope that helped! Those are the mental processes I run if I ever feel inept.

P.S. Don't talk about your bipolar disorder. The more you talk about it, and accept it, the more you fire off the brain pathways associated with it.

Yes, you may "have this" thing called bipolar disorder, but the more you believe it's something out of your control (which is called a lost performative), the less you'll try to regulate the mental processes associated to it.

Design your mind my friend. You'll do great.

Hahaha, yes, I had it quite a bit in the beginning. Now it pops up here and there but the little voice is losing out to the Big Voice more each day.

RC shares money advice with great practical tips. Make a decision to change the mental process first. That's where change starts, with firm and definite decision.

RB

Just go with your gut feeling cause you may make mistakes with your new business but your still learning and their is no right or wrong way. The negative thoughts will go when you truly have confidence about the service your providing for others.

I get that same feeling. You know logically that you can do a certain thing or you have a certain skill, but you doubt yourself regardless. It helps if you have a good support system intact. Just keep reminding yourself that you have what it takes and stomp out those negative thoughts!

Mental limitation is hindrance for your success. Don't limit your mentality, think, dream and with out limit.

@rcritchett - we all have self-doubt, especially when venturing into areas that "normal" people typically never get into, but overcoming this is critical to our success especially as entrepreneurs.

We all have had some degree of negative programming, and the key is to constantly challenge and debunk any negativity/self-imposed limitation that we come across. I feel that this is an exercise that needs to be implemented consistently over a lifetime, and if done properly will allow us to achieve many breakthroughs in life.

I remember an earlier video that you had posted about overcoming self-imposed limitations where you were running in the snow, and I just recently took advantage of the inclement weather here to do a little exercise in overcoming a self-imposed limitation. We had an absolutely insane blizzard here earlier this week, and I decided to hike nearly 4 miles in the snow with 40 mph winds whipping around and snow falling (about 2 feet on the ground in certain places), and temperatures dipping down to about 5-7 degrees.

I wanted to demonstrate that I was capable of far more than I give myself credit for. Sure, it was a little painful and uncomfortable at first, especially when I found myself having to fight with the deep snowbanks, but the funny thing is after about 5-10 minutes into the hike all the emotional resistance and irritation pretty much disappeared, replaced by a zen-like calm - I was thinking clearly and very focused on completing my hike, which I eventually completed in just over an hour despite the adverse conditions.

I felt incredibly euphoric at the end, especially about the fact that I had completely blown away yet another self-imposed limitation that I had placed on myself.

Paul