No more bacon

Guess you’ll be giving up bacon and ham after recent media reports.

 In case you missed it, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a statement in recent days that says “Bacon, ham and sausages are carcinogenic substances along with cigarettes and alcohol”.

 Carcinogenic substances are linked with increased cancer risks.

 So will you change your eating habits on this basis?

 This could spell the end of the ‘Full Irish’ or ‘Full English’ breakfast, which consists of bacon and sausages ,amongst other things.

 My own feeling is that this will have very little effect on people’s habits.

 The same way 30% of the population continue to smoke, despite all the clear warning signs. Imagine being told that one of your habits means you have a 50% chance of dying younger from a smoking related disease and yet you continue on.

 I’m guessing many smokers think “That will never happen to me”.

 Our beliefs are powerful things.

 I was a smoker for years and tried giving up a few times. Once I was off them for 18 months but during that time, I still wanted to smoke and eventually went back on them.

Then about 15 years ago, I read a book called “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” by Allan Carr. This book did not use will-power but tackled the beliefs most smokers have like

“John up the road lived until he was 90 and smoked every day”.

“I won’t enjoy my holidays if I’m not smoking” and lots more.

One in two smokers die young so John up the road is an exception.

This book took all of my beliefs around smoking and challenged them.

Shortly after reading the book, I quit smoking. And it felt different from previous attempts, which had used will power alone. On those previous attempts, when I saw my friends smoking in the pub, I still wanted one.

After reading Allan Carr’s book and changing my beliefs, my attitude to smoking changed. When I saw my friends smoke having a drink, I felt sorry that they were addicted to that disgusting habit.

Changing my beliefs around smoking changed my actions.

Previous attempts worked on will-power alone. Will power alone won’t bring any lasting change.

If you want to change any result in your life, you first need to change your beliefs.

Only 1% of business owners ever hit the nirvana of financial independence, which means they could stop working and never have to worry about money again.

Numerous studies have found this 1% are not more intelligent or have any other special qualities compared to the other 99%.

But they do think differently.

Their belief systems are different.

And the good news is anybody can change their beliefs. But like giving up smoking or losing weight, it can take some work. But it is doable.

As business owners, your beliefs affect every result you get. Your bank balance, your customers ….everything is determined by your beliefs.

 If you want to grow your sales or change any other aspect of your business, you first need to know and change your beliefs.

 The good news is you can change your beliefs.

 Changing your beliefs can change and improve your business results. Just like my example above, when I changed my beliefs around smoking, my actions and results improved.

 One areas where I see beliefs holding back business owners is their selling prices.

 If I said to you “You must put up your prices 10%, how would you respond?”

 Most likely with fear, thinking “I can’t do that, as I’d lose lots of customers”.

 I have worked with hundreds of business owners, who responded the exact same way.

 I have developed a 3 step process that can be used to help change your beliefs, increase selling prices and grow sales and profits.

 I’m working on something very special in this area, so watch this space.

 Neil