Have you ever wondered if your Self-worth affects your Net-worth?
I’m working on a theory that has the potential to capture the paradigm shift that’s happening in the global entrepreneur community.
After thousands of powerful conversations with purpose-driven entrepreneurs and CEOs all over the world, I began to see trends emerge.
There seem to be an invisible ceiling to the growth of a company, and I’m not talking about the tax brackets, competitive environment or market conditions.
The limits of growth to the company are deeply embedded in the minds of its leaders.
The culprit?
CEOs perception of worthiness.
Before we dive into the correlation between financial success, business growth, and worthiness, let’s level set.
What’s self-worth any way?
Some say it’s confidence. Which boils down to belief in Self.
And there’s a distinction between self and upper case Self which the most successful entrepreneurs of the new paradigm are harnessing to have the edge in the competition we’ll explore that more later.
Others describe worthiness as a feeling of being good enough.
And “I’m not good enough” is just one example of the 10 major limiting beliefs of high performing professionals I’ve interviewed including top athletes and CEOs.
Cambridge dictionary describes self-worth as “the value you give to your life and achievements.”
Now we begin to see how the perceived value of ourselves may ripple into how we view our achievements or the lack thereof.
Most people attribute their self worth in their work and external achievements. The problem with that approach?
Too many external variables.
Let’s take a baby for example.
A baby is not concerned about it’s worth. It’s just living in the moment.
Taking in every experience as it happens full of joy without a care in the world. It has not really experienced the idea of separateness. It’s assuming we’re all connected and it’s all safe.
Starting a business is not unlike a newborn child.
You fall, get up, fall again. Get up again.
And even though they both are responsible for many sleepless nights.
The growth of a child doesn’t stop. Just because a little baby falls 1000 times doesn’t mean that we decide it’s a failure. We don’t say “Lil Johnny is not a walker.” He’s not good enough because he fell one time too many.
That would be ridiculous yet – in the entrepreneur context: The mindset of those who win and those who are limited follow the same paradigm.
Going from failure to failure with the enthusiasm of a child.
Not internalizing external events and giving them meaning that would be detrimental to growth.
What are the Major limiting beliefs of high performing CEOs?
Worthiness trap
“I’m not good enough”
“I’m not lovable”
A need to prove themselves worthy permeates through every area of their lives
Fear of failure
If I stop working so hard it will all go away
Fear of success
If I’m successful people won’t like me or will take advantage of me
Or
If I’m more successful I’ll have more responsibility
Imposter Trap
Who am I to have this much authority?
What if my success was just a fluke?
Isolation Trap
I’m around people but I feel very alone.
Ego Trap
Or The million-dollar meltdown.
At about $800,000 in revenue, there’s the moment when many entrepreneurs recognize they will exceed a million dollars in revenue – and massive self-sabotage kicks-in
How does this affect the bottom line?
In a recent conversation with a business veteran with over 16 years of experience
(who will not be named for confidentiality reasons)
We discover that just one of those core limiting beliefs had an impact of over $1 million dollars in the last 12 months alone.
And it kept over 100 business owners from receiving the help they needed.
Because deep down this CEO believed he was not good enough. And that if he made more sales calls someone might find out, and expose him as not good enough.
Another was growing a successful production company and when the internal pressure got too high he switched out a core product ingredient to an untested alternative for the entire multi-million dollar production line without consulting his staff or informing the production managers.
The result? A multimillion-dollar loss, one this company with dozens of employees could not recover from.
Ask any business consultant and you find 100s of examples of self-induced suffering that ripples throughout the entire company and has an effect on each employee and their families.
This is why not just for the sake of the net worth of the company, but for the quality of life of all its employees we get to take responsibility for the limiting beliefs in our heads and allow the patterns of thinking work FOR us not against us.
The possibilities of realizing our infinite self-worth have incredible upside, a balanced life, unattached to external events and zen-like response in the face of failure.
Because there is no failure- only feedback and progress
Here are 3 simple but effective tools you can use immediately to get over any limiting beliefs
Active Visualization
Fully immerse yourself in the experience of your dream life. Journal everything as if it’s happening now and feel the feelings so that your mind becomes accustomed to the life you want and you can avoid the million-dollar melt-down and self-sabotage.
Transcend your ego
Realize that all the reasons and BS (belief systems) you have are very selfish:
I’m not good enough, I don’t know if I’m worthy, etc- is very “ME” “ME”” ME’ and that’s ok but the reason you started your mission is probably rooted in other people -family, customers teams, let’s focus on service to THEM.
The reason you can’t is the reason you must.
Write out your desired outcomes say 3 years from now.
If you write out all the limiting beliefs and stories that stop you from obtaining and keeping that level of success
For example
I’m not experienced or knowledgeable enough yet ( a common one with experts)
Realize that the same reason you list as an obstacle to your desire is a reason why you must attempt to take the action to achieve the desired outcome.
You have to give it your best shot so you can obtain the knowledge and experience to get to your destination.
My name is Miro Heyink, and I hope you got value from this post.