When it comes to viewing performance and success in our careers, there are many factors that shape our perspective. I’ve talked about a few in previous articles: gender gap, confidence, imposter syndrome, and self-sabotage.
For many women executives, these limited perspectives are the major barriers holding them back from their potential. Unfortunately, these beliefs that have been held for a long time are now embedded in the subconscious mind, almost on auto-pilot.
Here are 3 ways you can expand your perspective and reshape your subconscious mind to break through these barriers:
- Practice mindfulness
- Take risks
- Challenge your own ideas
It’s easy to get stuck in our own world. Sometimes we equate strength and intelligence to the ability to defend ourselves and our ideas.
I encourage you to stop defending and embrace humility. Lean into curiosity instead of having a goal of finding the answer.
Mindfulness
What does it mean to be mindful? Yes, we have thoughts every day, but are we using our minds, or are our minds using us?
Where are you limiting yourself? If you are experiencing imposter syndrome, ask yourself what makes those thoughts seem true. More often than not, our limited perspectives keep us small by falsely believing we aren’t capable.
Acknowledge the factors that are in play when developing your perception of the world. The gender gap is a great example of a limited perspective that has cultural and societal implications that are not necessarily relevant. Women are often in a position to feel less capable than their male counterparts simply because of previously held gender roles in our society.
Breaking these perceived barriers unlocks more potential of our inner self, creating an environment for higher career achievement.
Take Risks
Nothing profound ever happened inside your comfort zone. It really is true that if we do what we’ve always done, we will get what we always got. Now I don’t necessarily mean you need to take up sky diving, but look for opportunities in your life that may scare you a little.
If you are thinking, “I can’t think of anything that scares me” you aren’t thinking outside the box enough. Trust me, we ALL have fears, big or small, that we subconsciously avoid every day. Take a few mindful moments to think of some fears. Are you avoiding asking for a promotion at work? Do you avoid a certain coworker because you don’t get along? Do you avoid putting yourself out there because you’re afraid of the feedback?
Risks lead to BIG breakthroughs. They offer us a new perspective of ourselves and what we are capable of. They don’t have to be big risks, but getting in the habit of stepping out of your comfort zone can expand your perspective to seeing possibilities instead of barriers.
Challenge Your Own Ideas
Many women leaders feel like they must prove themselves to gain recognition. That sometimes means they relentlessly defend their ideas to establish themselves as an authority. Alternatively, they miss opportunities to be innovative.
Challenge your own ways of thinking but also when someone else challenges your ideas, consider their perspective. You may learn a new approach, how to collaborate with different ideas, or how to communicate your own ideas better.
Accept this opportunity of humility that you don’t know everything. Your main goal is not to demonstrate perfect performance, but to learn as much as you can. Your peers and colleagues are more likely to trust a leader who is innovative than one who is stuck in their limited perspective.
Are you ready to break through these barriers and achieve your potential? Let’s work together to create a plan that works for you. Reach out to me and my team for more information here.
