How to believe you can do it

Last week, I talked about eliminating the option of failure, and how one of the key ways to do that is to build the belief that you will reach your goal.

But … how, exactly? Good news: it’s actually not terribly hard or time-consuming. Here’s the process.

First, don’t try to force yourself to believe something that seems truly unavailable to you right now. Let’s say your ultimate goal is to make millions from your fiction, but to date, you’ve only made a couple thousand dollars. If “I am creating a million dollar career as an author” sounds akin to saying “I’m going to the moon,” then try on something that's a stretch but doesn’t feel impossible—maybe “I am writing a book that will get a six-figure deal.” Because here’s the thing: once you develop that belief, it’ll be easier to believe you can have a million dollar career. The in-between belief becomes a bridge to the bigger one.

Once you’ve located your desired belief, commit to trying to believe it. Make sure you’re not expecting it to be instantaneous; belief rarely works that way. With that in mind, repeat the belief. Beliefs are just thoughts that you think so regularly that they feel true. So write down your belief daily, post it somewhere obvious, and discuss it with people who support you.

Next, build your own case by looking for evidence that it’s becoming true. For example, if you’re trying to believe you’ll get a six-figure deal for the book you’re working on, notice and praise yourself for the sparkling sentences or paragraphs you write, and think about times in the past when you've reached big goals. Seek out other people in similar situations who made it happen, too (in this case, look for authors in your genre who got six-figure deals). Each example will make you think, “Hey, maybe this is possible”—which will fuel actions that help you achieve your goal.

On that note, do your best to act as though you already believe it. (Not sure what that looks like? Journal on the question, “If I already believed this, what would I do differently?”) Beliefs begin in your mind, but actions solidify them.

And be gentle with yourself. Sometimes you won’t believe or do the “right” thing, but it’s not a sign that you won’t reach your goal; it just means you’re human.