When you make a business decision, is it mostly driven by fear?

Every month, I invite a guest expert to share with my group so they can organically grow their coaching toolbox. This month, Bisi MacGregor spoke to my clients on the topic of mindset, and specifically, how fear often plays a huge role when we make business (and personal) decisions.

All coaching schools take a surface-level look at saboteurs (also known as “inner critics”, “limiting beliefs,” or “gremlins”). However, most programs don’t dive deep into saboteurs, which is why I ended up designing my own saboteur tool for my clients that they can then turn around and use with their clients to help them identify and integrate their saboteurs so they stop taking the wheel from their higher selves.

Bisi shared that 80% of decisions are based in fear (yike-a-roos!) For most of us, our saboteurs are active all the time, and they can really affect the decisions we make every day.

You see, the dirty little secret about saboteurs is that every cutting comment they make to undermine your progress actually does contain a kernel of truth. That’s why we believe them when we hear their voice in our heads. If your saboteurs said, “Hey, Tara, the sky is red!” You’d immediately dismiss the thought because you know it’s not true. But if you’re struggling in some aspect of your business and they said, “Hey, Tara, at this rate, you’ll never be successful as a coach. You might as well as go get a J-O-B,” you might buy it. Why? Because there is some truth in that statement. The challenge is that we often buy into the whole kit and caboodle.

It’s a great opportunity to explore where the kernel of truth is. What about that statement is true, on some level?

That’s why I say it’s important to “identify and integrate” the message the saboteur is sharing—because deep down, we know that there is a nugget of truth in each limiting belief. The beautiful thing is that the nugget of truth is usually insightful information we can use to move forward and make decisions based on our personal truth rather than our deeply-held fears.

What tools do you have to help your clients make decisions from their powerful selves, instead of their saboteurs? I would love to hear your wisdom on what works for you!

With appreciation,

Tara Butler Floch