We have a bias for action because, on the surface, it appears that results are created by what we do.

But action can work against us if we don’t believe the outcome we want is possible.

Or if we believe it has to be hard and take a long time.

For example, when scaling my first business, I used to think, “I don’t know what I’m doing,” and also, “We have to hurry.”

To cover up feelings of inadequacy, I tried to control everything.

To make sure we were first to market, I took lots of frenetic action.

But instead of growing the business, I grew the circles under my eyes and the weight on the scale.

Perfect and fast is a recipe for misery.

If I could give my past self one piece of advice, it would be, “Upgrade your beliefs before doing anything else.”

Evaluating beliefs based on whether they’re “true” or “false” isn’t helpful since everything is true to the person who believes it. If asked, people will say, “I have plenty of evidence.”

Yet someone else who believes the opposite also has evidence. They both think they are right.

You can decide to believe anything you want. Beliefs are thoughts you reinforce until they are true for you.

Once I decided to believe in my ability to handle any situation, I actually could.

When I decided to believe that there was plenty of time, there was.

When our actions are aligned with our beliefs, it’s like wax on skis.

Whatever you believe will shape your reality, so choose beliefs that serve you.