Written by: Kerrie Campbell, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
High achievers are no stranger to ambition, drive, and the thrill of pushing boundaries. But in the relentless pursuit of success, it's easy to get caught in a reactive cycle, believing external factors are largely responsible for outcomes and, at times, feeling powerless to change them. This can produce a victim mentality that hinders true progress and fulfillment. The key to unlocking your full potential lies in self-mastery: taking accountability for your thoughts, emotions, and actions, and consciously shaping them to create the life and success you desire. I have recently used the steps I share below to completely transform my health and physical body within the span of three to four weeks. This was after a wake-up call from my doctor when I realized I was not taking full accountability for my overall health. That day, I realized I had a choice about my health and made a decision to clean up my eating habits, be more disciplined and intentional with my workouts and become the healthiest, fittest and most energetic version of myself. Within just a few short weeks, I looked and felt better than I had in years. Once we achieve self-mastery, we can quantum leap our results. Ready to unleash the next level of your success for yourself?
Here is my exact 3-step formula I used to transform from a high achiever to a master of my reality
Step 1: Reprogram your limiting beliefs and self-talk
The first step is to identify the internal roadblocks holding you back. One thing that holds most people back is the hidden and limiting beliefs that prevent them from taking action to reach new heights. These beliefs are often formed through past experiences, societal conditioning or adopted from others in their lives. The worst part: they can whisper doubts and bring up insecurities. These beliefs are usually hidden and often we are not even consciously aware of them, as they are contained within our subconscious mind. For high-achieving leaders, these limitations can manifest in various ways. For example, if one has a belief they are not creative enough to innovate, it may hinder their ability to explore new and different ideas or disrupt the status quo. Another leader might be stuck in perfectionistic behavior, which can lead to crippling self-doubt and hinder their willingness to take calculated risks and try new ideas. Recognizing these self-imposed limitations is crucial for any high achiever to strive to reach the next level.
Personally in my health transformation journey, the first thing I did was assess my current beliefs around being a healthy and fit person. I realized while I felt that I was a generally healthy person, I saw myself as a victim to the way my body reacted to food and inflammation, and being someone who was extremely physically fit was not a part of my identity. I worked to reprogram these beliefs. Secondly, I started accepting myself exactly where I was at, while still desiring to improve. This step of radical self-acceptance was a crucial step. When we are in resistance, it creates disharmony in our mind and body. I used my subconscious reprogramming tools to shift these extremely quickly.
Additionally, self-talk can make or break your ability to rise to new heights. I have known many instances of people who have convinced themselves that negative self-talk can motivate them to do better. Instead, it erodes self-confidence and self-trust. Our subconscious mind is a recording device, absorbing information and beliefs without critical evaluation. Negative self-talk can become deeply ingrained in the psyche, impacting identity, as well as performance, behavior, and actions.
Challenge and reprogram: Techniques like Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and PSYCH-K® can help you identify and challenge these limiting beliefs. By actively questioning your beliefs and finding the ones that are holding you back, you can reprogram your subconscious mind with more updated and empowering beliefs to shift your perspective, clear the path, and move forward. For example, instead of believing you can’t do something or don’t have the capability, through the use of these tools, it can be reframed to a belief that even if you find something challenging, you know you are capable of learning and growing. This switch in your subconscious supports you so you’re more likely to try new tasks and actions outside of your comfort zone, instead of avoiding them.
Talk yourself up: By consciously harnessing the power of positive self-talk during challenging tasks, you can improve performance. This is because positive self-talk doesn’t just change your conscious mindset, it also influences our subconscious programming. In addition to reprogramming my belief system about my identity, I used positive self-talk to challenge myself during tough workouts. I found I automatically reminded myself of my strength and resilience, whereas in the past, I likely may have convinced myself I didn’t have the strength or stamina to get through more intense workouts. Think of it as rewiring your brain for success. Research shows this shift in language and beliefs can significantly impact performance and stress levels.
Step 2: Build your nervous system's capacity
High achievers often operate in a constant state of high pressure. However, our nervous system has been programmed with a finite capacity for dealing with stress, depending on past experiences. When constantly overloaded, it can lead to burnout, cause us to react in ways we feel we can’t control, and hinder our ability to perform at our best. The key is to increase your nervous system's capacity to handle stressful situations effectively.
Master your breath: Techniques like breathwork are a powerful tool to push the limits in your nervous system and train your system for optimal performance. Focused, deep breathing activates the relaxation response in the nervous system, counteracting the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn stress response. This allows you to approach challenges with a calmer body and mind, make clear-headed decisions, and take action to stretch yourself outside of your comfort zone. In addition, breathwork can help you connect back to your inner guidance, increasing self-trust and more aligned decision-making. By using breathing techniques during my own workouts, I have been able to focus on quality over quantity and increase my strength and endurance.
Meditation for mental strength: Meditation practices cultivate mindfulness and emotional regulation. By observing your thoughts and emotions without judgment, you gain the ability to choose your responses instead of reacting impulsively. This empowers you to navigate stressful situations with greater resilience. Through regular meditation practice, I have also cultivated a deep connection with my inner guidance. This allows me to take intuitive action, rather than simply reacting, and gives me a strong sense that I am on the right path. With a stronger connection to my intuition, I have been able to make better choices when it comes to eating, which has contributed to consistently choosing food that reacts better with my body and fuels me.
Visualization for mental rehearsal: Visualization, often referred to as mental rehearsal, is a powerful technique for harnessing the mind's potential to shape reality. By vividly imagining and feeling yourself achieving your goals, you engage the same neural pathways that would be activated if you were experiencing the desired outcome in real life. I use this method every day in my health journey, to see and feel being the healthiest version of myself, that looks and feels my absolute best. This mental rehearsal strengthens the neural connections associated with success, making it more likely you'll take the necessary actions and achieve your goals.
Embrace challenges: Stepping outside your comfort zone regularly can strengthen your nervous system. Taking on new challenges, even small ones, teaches your nervous system to adapt and become more resilient. Adopting a daily practice of finding different ways to challenge yourself outside of your typical routine will help your next level of success become automatic.
Step 3: Deepen your self-awareness and embrace authenticity
Self-mastery requires a deep understanding of who you truly are, not who others expect you to be. Tools like Human Design or Gene Keys can be a valuable resource for self-discovery. Human Design offers a framework for understanding your unique energy, personality, and decision-making style. This can help you leverage your strengths and operate from a place of authenticity. If you would like to know how your unique energy is naturally designed to operate, click here to download your free Human Design chart and mini blueprint.
Unmask your authentic self: Self-reflection is key. Question your thoughts, motivations, and emotional triggers. What truly motivates you? What energizes or drains you? By gaining this deeper level of self-awareness, you can make choices aligned with your core values and live a
more aligned life.
Live your truth: Authenticity is vital for self-mastery. When you live according to who you truly are, not someone else's expectations, you unlock your full potential. You become empowered to make choices that resonate with your inner compass, leading to a more fulfilling life. My own journey to authenticity over the past five or so years has been a profound one. I used to be a corporate executive and lived a life filled with constant busyness and stress, leaving me drained with no time for anything else. My health was declining rapidly and negativity and fear was always playing a large role in my mind. Despite my outward success, I woke each day feeling exhausted, unfulfilled and often miserable. Years ago, I came to a realization that this wasn’t the life I envisioned for myself, so I embarked on a journey of self-discovery. I embraced all of the tools outlined above to help manage my stress and reprogram my limiting beliefs. I discovered my authentic self and redefined what success meant for me. This helped me to completely change my life, and now I am passionate about helping others achieve similar inner transformations. Watching this positive impact on their lives fills me with purpose and fuels my desire to continue to empower others to become masters of their own reality.
In conclusion: Taking these three steps: evaluating your beliefs, expanding your nervous system capacity, and deepening your self-awareness, is an ongoing journey. But by actively practicing these techniques, you can transition from a high achiever to a master of your reality. Remember, as Dr. Joe Dispenza states, "We are not victims of our genes or our environment. We are the authors of our biology. And we can choose to rewrite the story." So, how will you achieve self-mastery and quantum leap your way to your next level? If you feel stuck and yearn to create a life and career you truly love, filled with purpose and fulfillment, schedule a free discovery call with me. Together we can explore how to harness these powerful tools and empower you to live a sensational life.
Kerrie Campbell, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Kerrie Campbell is the powerhouse behind Live Your Sensational Life. With 25 years of global business and HR leadership experience in Fortune 500 companies, she’s your go-to guru for confidently navigating the dynamic complexities of the corporate and business terrains. As a board-certified success coach and clinical hypnotherapist, breathwork pro, human design specialist, subconscious reprogramming expert and emotional intelligence maestro, Kerrie’s toolkit is as diverse as her experience. Armed with an MBA, her mission is to champion authenticity and self-mastery, empowering high achieving female leaders to claim their voice, follow their passion, unlock their potential, and find balance so they can thrive.
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