The 5 Lies You Tell Yourself Before Lunch

If you read bestselling business books like First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths, you might buy into the notion that you shouldn't waste a lot of time trying to fix your weaknesses but rather, concentrate on focusing your efforts in areas where you naturally excel.

That's great, but what if the parts of your personality, aptitude, and/or skill set that you consider to be your weaknesses are just great big lies you (or others) tell?

Let me give you an example.

Actor, Reese Witherspoon, who won an Academy Award for singing and acting as country music singer June Carter in the movie Walk The Line wanted to be a singer when she was a girl but had been told in summer camp by an instructor, "I like you, but don't ever sing again."

When she was offered the June Carter role she said, "As long as I don't have to sing. I can't sing." Although she was initially assured she wouldn't have to sing, the director later changed his mind. Witherspoon says,

"When this came up, I said, 'I can't sing. So I'm not going to sing.' He said, 'I need you to try.' It ended up being a good thing because this little seed that was planted in my mind became a huge thing, and it was good to conquer that fear."

"I can't sing" was a belief she held onto until someone "planted the seed" that this belief might not be true. Only from there could she begin to expand her possibilities.

Witherspoon's story is not unique. Here are some lies I heard clients, colleagues, and friends admit to in the last 7 days:

• I'm not a good marketer.

• I'm not smart enough.

• I'm not an "idea" person.

• I can't be social because I'm an introvert.

• I'm not an organized person.

Sometimes these statements are made with regret. Other times they are made with pride. These beliefs have become part of the speaker's identity. It's part of who they are, "I'm not an organized person. Take it or leave it."

It's easy to use what I call the "5 Lies You Tell Before Lunch" as an excuse not to try, not to explore possibilities and to instead, stay stuck in a rut, doing business the only way you know how.

And, let's face it, don't nothing is much easier than facing your fears or putting in some extra effort to overcome a challenge.

To explore whether this concept applies to you, ask yourself these 3 questions:

1. What stories do I tell myself about who I am as a business owner?

2. What stories do I allow others to tell me about myself? (Look to the people who "know you best" like your family and friends from past episodes in your life such as high school, who now pop out of the woodwork via places like Facebook and Classmates.)

3. How do you know that these stories are true for you today, no matter what your past track record shows?

And maybe these stories are true for you. No judgments from me. That's when it's time to delegate or work around your weaknesses.

Go out and buy books like Now, Discover Your Strengths and Strengths Finder 2.0 and knock yourself out.