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.⁣