067 | Language is Powerful
I had an epiphany last week that has been such a gift of grace to myself. In a moment it unwound an old tape that I didn’t even realize still had such power over me until I felt my emotions welling.
Growing up, one of the messages I internalized was the importance of discipline. Achieving anything important required discipline. I also internalized the message that I was not disciplined, that I lacked the discipline to work hard. Even though I fully believe in the power of a growth mindset, this aspect of a fixed mindset fueled self-doubt and self-talk for decades and has been hard to shake.
Last week I was scrolling Instagram when I saw a quote from Boss Babe, Inc. that read, “Everything you want is waiting for you on the other side of consistency.”
Consistency. Not discipline. This struck me so profoundly. This language of consistency is so empowering. The old tapes say “You’re not disciplined enough to ...” If I’m not disciplined, it’s a character flaw. But, if I’m not doing something with consistency, what’s required is a behavior change. I simply need to alter what I’m doing or how often. I have the knowledge and skill to do that or I can figure it out.
Language is powerful.