In modern culture, it is common for people to embrace an illusion as truth; we have mastered the art of lying to ourselves. Self-deception has torn some organisations apart, causing great loss. On a personal level, it has caused damage to people’s lives.
Many professionals live under pressure due to the lies that they have told themselves. For instance: these lies make them borrow large sums of money to maintain a fake lifestyle to impress people. Also, many people are now suicidal due to the pressure from the lies that they live.
Yes, lying is common to the human experience, and we’re all guilty, but it’s yet another level to keep lying to yourself in areas of your life that matter. So, how do you stop lying to yourself? Here are three simple steps.
Acknowledge What’s Not Working: If you’re an entrepreneur who is drowning in personal debt and yet struggling to maintain a luxurious lifestyle that you can’t afford while hanging on a thin thread, it’s not working. Something needs to change. Here is the first question in the attempt to tell yourself the truth that would save you: is it working or not? If it’s working, you would be at peace, and not under undue pressure. Be truthful – if it’s not working, it’s not working.
Acknowledge the Cost: Typically, a lie to self creates a measure of dysfunction and comes at a cost – and I mean numbers. You have lied and convinced yourself that you possess great management skills, but the books say otherwise, and the people you lead see your incompetence.
Now, what is your thought pattern costing you and your business? When you fail to see the truth about yourself, it is costly. You need to see, recognise and admit to the amount of damage being done by the lie. So, ask yourself: what is my lie costing me financially, emotionally, physically, socially, etc.? And is it worth it?
Get Help: Telling yourself the hard, cold truth can be difficult, and often, you need support to help you change. If you want to do better and accelerate change, seek help. Before you do, ask yourself: what kind of support do I need to attain and sustain my desired change? You must be intentional about changing your limiting thought patterns. True change requires hard work, consistency, and accountability. Furthermore, these elements can be tough to achieve when you have maintained limiting thought patterns for a long time. So, get help.
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