This is extremely hard to boil down…
I could easily write about acquiring new customers, my problems with implementing things quickly, our lack of project management skills, my need for an assistant, my problem of focusing on non-money making ventures or even the fact that we have 3 dogs at our house that contantly interrupt me through out the day 
But I don’t think any of those are the actual problem…
I think the biggest problem I have (and this is incredibly hard to admit) is a mental block. The fear of becoming uber successful. I’ve written about this before, and it’s something I have been working on reprogramming my subconcious for… But Im not sure if I’m really getting anywhere…
Just the thought of me some day making $30k or so a month (which is my goal) makes me a bit nervous. I kind of get the feeling that I don’t “deserve” to be able to make that much – and I know in my head this is ludicrous, but there’s a mental block somewhere that I feel sabotages me from being more successful.
I remember when I first read Psycho Cybernetics, he talks about how they’ve studied salesman who work in the worst district possible and yet they crushed all the other guys and we’re making $5,000 a month (this was back in the 1940’s). BUT when they took those same salesman and moved them into a better market, their performance suffered and they still found ways to make the same $5,000 a month.
Basically what they realized was that this salesman never saw himself as more than a $5,000 a month guy. He couldn’t picture himself being any more successful, so whatever market they put him in he did whatever it took to make $5,000 a month… In the perfect market where they thought he would double that, he subconsciously did everything he could to sabotage himself and stay at $5,000 a month….
Now in my situation, I don’t know exactly where the mental block comes from, but I have a feeling it has to do with how I was raised. Being raised in small town and in a middle class family, you constantly have thoughts put in your head that “rich people are jerks” and that doing real, honest labor is the right way to do things (even if it doesn’t pay well).
I believe this line of thinking has come into play a lot with my business, and it’s starting to worry me. Whenever things start going my way and I have some good success, I usually find a way to just hold steady or even regress, instead of grabbing the bull by the horns and taking advantage of the situation…
Napoleon Hill talks about the power of the mastermind in Think and Grow Rich, and I truly believe it makes a big difference in our lives.
The more I hang out with successful people, the more this line of thinking seems to go away. When I was at Elite Retreat, it was amazing to see lots of really successful people supporting my ideas and my vision for our Gym Junkies website. It’s a nice boost of confidence when someone who’s killing it online, thinks you’re gonna be a big success.
I’m sure this isn’t what most people would consider a “startup problem”. But I firmly believe your thoughts control your actions – and if my thought’s aren’t where I need them to be, then I won’t be as successful as I’d like to be…
In all honesty, I didn’t want to write this, because I didnt want to admit it to myself. I almost just deleted this post halfway through writing it as well. It’s been an internal struggle just to put these feelings out there…The only thing that pushed me to do it was the quote I have hanging above my monitor…
The only way to find true happiness is to risk being completely cut open… – Chuck Palahniuk
Whether I win or not, just opening up and writing this was therapeutic…
- Justin
{ 7 comments }
It took guts to write this. I wanted to let you know that it was interesting and I enjoyed reading it.
Thannks!
Great to see you enter! I know you would make a great addition to the thinktank. Just the short time I have watched your work, I have seen you improve with courage, and leadership. You are definitely rolling in the right direction.
It will be fun watching you bust past your $30k barrier and then ten X’ing that amount!
dk
Thanks DK! After seeing pics from last year, I would love to be there!
Totally relate to this… It’s an equilibrium thing, as a fitness guy I’m sure you know what I mean. We like things to stay constant, whether it’s our weight, our body fat percentage, our diet, our exercise regime, or our income level. We get comfortable at a certain level, and once we step outside of that we subconsciously battle it with all our might!
I’ve often felt this way and am even old enough to heave seen myself go through cycles of this type of behavior a few times now.
I either let of the gas, or sabotage myself with bad decisions based in some sort of emotion. Technically, I’m perfect. I know my business and produce better stuff than my competitors.
But inevitably I make some emotionally charged decisions based on having something to prove from my past successes and failures that derails everything and starts the long process of rebuilding all over again.
There is some fear of uber success as well. Maybe I’m too free spirited to want all of that responsibility (employees, clients, fans, etc.) So in my case it may be a fear of commitment I need to work through.
Nonetheless, I don’t have the answer yet but I just wanted to let you know that you’re not alone – it took guts to publish your post. There are others out there going through the exact same things that you listed here.
Good luck to us both! It sounds like you are going to the next level with your recent shoemoney post. Dont look back!
Justin,
You’re not alone! I’ve wrestled with the same thing. And, it is hard to admit it openly and “expose” yourself. However, it is therapeutic; justing exposing it for what it is “a self-defeating, self-sabotaging mindset” that is an obstacle to our success is the first step to overcoming the limitations this type of thinking places on us.
Your honesty is greatly appreciated because it has motivated me to dig my heels in and get the traction I need to take my online business to the next level and realize my full potential.
I just stumbled upon your blog today. You have some great articles . . . full of valuable tips and techniques to use in the fitness industry, especially. I’m new to online marketing, I’m a perfectionist and I’m suffering from information overload. However, things are falling into place for me.
Per Denny’s comment above, good luck to us all! As we move to the next level, let’s not look back!
Comments on this entry are closed.