Your Mind Listens

Your mind hears what you say.

It hears what you think.

And it goes looking for ways to prove that's the truth.

What My Mind Goes Looking For

If I think I'm not good enough, I'll find the evidence that I'm not good enough. If I think I'm an imposter, I'll find the evidence for that too. My mind agrees with me, then goes to work building the case.

It runs the same way in the other direction. If I think today is a great day, that I can build a great book of business and real relationships, and that I can win if I follow the playbook, that's exactly what my mind goes and finds instead.

Cutting It Off Instantly

I had a salesperson on my team who was great at this. They'd have bad days like anyone else. But the moment we sat down and named what was going on, they could flip the switch, at least outwardly, and keep moving. They didn't let a bad day write the rest of their story.

I try to do the same thing. When I catch myself saying the things that drag me down, I cut it off right there and rehearse something better, something forward-looking. My mind is already listening, already building toward whatever I just told it was true.

Our minds hear what we say, and go looking for ways to prove it's true. Choose what you hand it to work with.

Roy Waterhouse is the founder of Lean Sales Group, where he coaches salespeople on building trust and growing accounts.