Hey Reader,

Today, I want to talk about how limiting beliefs will stop you from reaching your potential.

The Belief That Almost Robbed Me

In high school, I wrestled.

A central part of wrestling is “shooting.” That’s when you attack your opponent's legs like this

But in 3rd grade? I sucked at it. And I internalized a limiting belief: "I'm not good at shooting."

By high school, I still carried that belief until my coach forced me to practice shooting.

I was hesitant. But over time, shooting became my go-to move. It was the reason I placed 4th at Maryland States my junior year.

My senior year, I was favored to win States... but I tore my labrum. Still, that experience taught me something bigger:

I almost missed out on one of my proudest achievements because of a limiting belief.

And I realized later, I had more of them.

The Inconsistency Identity

I used to believe:

• I can’t be consistent
• I’m not a good writer
• I can’t do fast math
• I’m the idea guy, not the executor.

"I can't be consistent" belief was the most damaging.
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I'd

• Double-book myself
• Flake on plans
• Be indecisive and disorganized
• Never finish anything
• Assume everything was doomed to failure
• Expect sympathy rather than changing

Eventually, people grew tired of my excuses.

When my first side project failed, I had two options:

1. Accept inconsistency, be mediocre, and let my dreams die.
2. Change who I believed I was.

The Identity Equation

Imagine I hadn’t changed. I’d still be:

• Stuck in an office job
• Blaming the world
• Working towards a destination I didn't want
• Numbing myself instead of growing

Instead, I adopted a growth mindset and evolved my identity.

Now, I've:

• Worked out 6x per week for more than 2 years
• Changed my diet and reached 13% Body fat
• Run a business reaching $10k/month

Everything feels possible.

Why? Because I identify as consistent and act accordingly. My brain now pressures me to protect that identity.

For example, when I think about skipping the gym, the angel on my shoulder says, "That's not what a consistent person would do. Go work out!"

James Clear (Atomic Habits) said it best:

So let's define exactly what we need to do and do it!

Become Your Dream Self

As ADHDers, our actions must align with a bigger goal; Otherwise, we'll resist doing it.

I was able to break my inconsistency-limiting belief because it was necessary to reach my dreams.

So, let's define who we need to become to reach our goals and adopt those habits.

Grab a piece of paper, turn on some music, and knock out this exercise.

Paint a crystal clear picture of your dream self

1. What are their goals?
2. How do they live?
3. What's their day-to-day life like?

Write these goals down and store them next to your mirror, so you're reminded of them daily.

Describe how your dream self lives

1. Interview people who already live this life
2. What habits do they have?
3. How do they spend their time?
4. What habits did they get rid of?
5. Who do they spend their time with?

Here's a list of habits that I adopted:

• Account for all my time
• Follow through on my word
• 2-min rule: If it takes less than 2 mins, do it now
• Get 8 hours of sleep
• Surround myself with smart people who care about me
• Work obsessively
• Learn something daily
• Workout daily
• Be punctual
• Help others
• Eat healthy

Here's what I avoid

• Waking up at 5 am
• Eating fast food
• Watching TV or social media all night
• Squandering my time
• Making excuses

Timebox and schedule these habits into your calendar

To ensure you have time, put the habits in your calendar. Here are more details.

Start with one habit and then add more as they stick.

Again, James Clear says it best:

By doing this, you're building evidence that you're this person. This is how you build confidence.

Track your actions daily to ensure you're doing them

Keep score of what you did and didn't do. If you're not doing them, adjust your strategy!

Read more about this here.

Reply and let me know what your dream self looks like — I’d love to see it. Or if you need help!

What you believe dictates what you can achieve

• Define who you want to be
• Build your life to become that person
• Give yourself proof by doing the action
• Measure your progress

​Playlist of the week​