I am what I am today because of what I believed about myself yesterday; and I’ll be tomorrow what I believe about myself right now.

I’ve searched and can’t find who to attribute that quote to, but it’s one I wrote out on an index card and keep where I see it often. As we start 2019, it struck me how much truth is in that statement.

This year, well really the last two years, has been a test of belief. With a career change and the launch of my book, I’ve put the strength of belief to the test. It’s been an amazing journey. When you trust your vision and make the effort to bring it to life, it seems things and people show up to help you along the way.

How big is your dream?

I fear most people don’t believe big enough. You need that big dream to stretch and grow you. You need failures to learn from. You need hurts to learn how not to treat people along the way.

As we start 2019 I’d like to challenge you to believe for that big dream. In my book, When In Doubt, Delete It!, I devote a whole chapter to the power of self belief. If you’re like me, it’s hard to believe for more when you’re comfortable. There’s fear in the unknown. It keeps us stationary. If you believe you’ll achieve something, you begin adding things in to your day that moves you closer and closer to that goal. You seek out people who encourage you or help guide you. You learn new skills. You find extra minutes in the day to do a little more that moves you toward your destination.

The opposite is also true. If you tell yourself you can’t, you won’t. If you look for all the obstacles, that’s all you’ll see. Your vision is either one of opportunity or roadblocks.

Roadblocks aren’t stop signs

I’m not saying the road will always be a smooth one. Sure there will be obstacles along the way. It’s how you approach them that makes all the difference. You either back up, make a left turn, and try to find a new path, or you can choose to sit there and watch someone else achieve your dream. Don’t let one failure stop your progress. Yes, it sucks when something doesn’t go right. It hurts when you learn people don’t always have your back. The key is not to allow that to become your focus. It takes your eyes off where you really want to go. Use those as lessons of how not to approach something or how to better pick your support force. It’s only a hard stop if you choose to quit moving forward.

Upgrade your mindset

It’s time to upgrade your mindset. I believe there’s real power in this process. Seeing it and actively seeking it makes your brain look for ways to make it possible. Your belief is the fuel. You’ll start acting differently. You’ll begin making choices based on your belief.

Ask yourself what would bring you genuine happiness. Ask yourself what you want to obtain. How do you see yourself growing? What is it you’d love to be doing? You can make it happen. Pick your first step. Focus on it. Once you’ve made that one, keep moving forward. Don’t get hung up trying to get there all at once. Slow and steady will get you there.

So I’ll ask you again…what will you believe this year?