AFA #59: Your Thoughts Are Sabotaging Your Breakthrough.

As I stood on the brink of a potentially transformative career milestone, I found myself grappling with a severe case of impostor syndrome. I realised that unless I confronted the self-sabotaging thoughts haunting me, I would remain stagnant.

My journey began during my first week as a Freelance Digital Project Manager at the world's most prestigious fashion house (i'm sure you can guess it). The sheer magnitude of working at the headquarters was overwhelming.

On one hand, I was immensely proud of myself for securing this opportunity, but on the other, I was terrified of failing and losing the trust placed in me.

During every lunch break, I would confide in a friend about my challenges, questioning whether such issues were common so early in the role. His response was always reassuring: "That’s just life in project management—it's not you; it's the nature of the job."

Despite his reassurances, I struggled with pervasive negative thoughts. Considering we have around 70,000 thoughts per day, imagine the toll if they were all negative. It was evident I was engaged in a one-sided battle, so I embarked on a journey to transform my mindset, turning self-doubt into empowerment.

My transformation started with recognising these negative thoughts without allowing them to dominate. I began to view them as indicators of my fears, not my reality.

Feeling under-qualified, I proactively sought knowledge and purchased a Harvard Business Review Guide to Project Management to confront my fears directly.

This awareness marked the beginning of reclaiming control.

Reframing my thoughts became a daily ritual. Whenever I doubted an outcome, thinking, "This might not work," I would challenge myself with, "What can I do to ensure it does?" This shift was not merely optimistic but a strategic move towards a problem-solving mindset.

I also started each day with positive affirmations, telling myself, "They hired me because they believed in my capabilities," "I am highly favoured and blessed," and "Each day, my value will manifest in ways beyond my tasks. I will leave a lasting impression on everyone I meet."

These affirmations didn’t just elevate my mood—they fundamentally altered my perspective on my expertise, my ideas, and my confidence.

It became clear that the methods and strategies I used were not flawed; it was my belief in them that needed correcting.

As I devised what I now call the VIC accelerator—a framework around my strategy—I gained clarity on the 'why' and 'how' of my actions, which significantly confirmed my approach.

I initiated small, manageable experiments to share my learning, building confidence through incremental successes. This method allowed me to adapt and evolve without the crushing pressure of needing to become the next industry coaching superstar.

Through this journey, I've discovered that our thoughts can either be our best friends or our greatest enemies.

Mastering them has unlocked my full potential and paved the way for achieving my dreams.

I encourage you to question and master your thoughts. The breakthrough you are looking for might just be a positive thought away.

I am excited to relaunch my masterclasses, and this was the perfect segue to share this with you!

Join me on:

Tuesday, May 28th, at 8 PM CEST for

The VIC Accelerator: Mastering Mindset & Redefining Your Expertise.

You can register here: (https://thevicaccelerator.webinargeek.com/the-vic-accelerator-mastering-mindset-redefining-your-expertise)

Until next time, keep working on your mindset—it’s your most valuable asset!

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See you next week!

With inspiration and gratitude,