Are you being honest with yourself?

I’ve had to get honest with myself this week; I haven’t been doing all that I can to build my career. I had six hours to spend on my business and whilst I did achieve all I set out to, in the grand scheme of things, I could have done more. Note I am not being self-deprecating merely noticing that I have been procrastinating.

Face your fears

I attended the Cambridge Social Media day run by Lenka Koppova and it gave me the jolt I needed to get focused. I have a plan, it is a good one but I have been wandering aimlessly, avoiding looking at it so I don’t see how far behind I am. Ostrich syndrome (although I believe that it is actually untrue that ostriches bury their heads!).

This, in turn, has made my limiting beliefs reappear and all the gremlins that come with them. I realised that my lack of honesty with myself about what’s going on is based in fear. What do I say about facing fears? You have to fight them with facts. I sat down and evaluated how far I was from my plan and it turns out, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. As is so often true! I made a commitment to get back to where I want to be.

Once I was honest with myself I felt liberated; I felt like a weight had been lifted and I could finally get back to being authentic. I spend time telling others how to stay focused but wasn’t following my own advice! But we are all human and we all let our fears interfere with our plans and dreams.

5 reasons being honest with yourself is beneficial

Being honest with yourself about what’s going on for you right now is critical. Change can’t happen if you are pretending to be someone you’re not or if you are kidding yourself to thinking you are achieving your goals when in reality you’re not. I am talking about acknowledging your own feelings, your fears and your anxieties. Honesty is the bridge to being authentic and self-compassionate, allowing you to set realistic goals and to be your best self.

1. Honesty is a reflection of your own thoughts and feelings. It promotes authenticity as when we are honest with ourselves about who we are we can allow others to get to know us too.
2. Honesty nurtures courage. Courage is not something we have in the absence of fear; it is doing what needs to be done or what you want to do in spite of fear. I have found with myself and with my clients, being honest with yourself about how you feel takes a lot of courage.
3. Honesty demonstrates self-acceptance. Being honest with yourself can often feel painful. If we can reflect and observe the pain we can accept it and let it be. We don’t need to do anything about it. Acknowledging what’s going on can bring acceptance in itself. Sometimes this might be accepting a limitation you have, whether temporary or permanent. It can also lead to action.
4. Honesty can build relationships by building a connection. Whether it’s your partner, child, friend, family member or a coach, you can build a safe space for you to be genuine with your interactions. You will feel empowered when you feel heard and you will be able to work through your fears.
5. Honesty feels good! That feeling of knowing you aren’t alone or by sharing a secret which is eating away at you feels liberating. By doing so you challenge those fears and break through your limiting beliefs.