Stop "Sh*tting" On Yourself.

Confused?
Let me explain.

Every time you tell yourself “I should…” you’re doing exactly that.

• “I should be further along.”
• “I should know more by now."
• "I should have more money."
• “I should be ______.”

You’re “sh*tting” all over your confidence — and crushing your self-esteem in the process.

I’ve done it too.
Recently I caught myself thinking:
“Luke, you should be further ahead in business… you should be selling more books… you should be ______.”

The result? My confidence and self-esteem plummet.

So... if you’re stuck in “shoulding,” you’ve likely fallen into one of two traps:

1. Comparison

You’re looking sideways at someone else running their race and labeling yourself “behind.”

2. Idealizing

Having a vision for yourself can be great, especially at first — it gets you moving in the right direction.
But holding yourself to an unrealistic ideal for too long?
That’s the fast track to burnout, frustration, and self-disdain.

The Shift? Focus on Progress.

“Among all forms of human motivation, the most effective one is progress. A small, concrete win creates momentum and affirms our faith in future success.”
— Greg McKeown

And it’s not just motivation… focusing on your progress and wins is a powerful confidence booster as well.

“Confidence is accumulated when we reinforce what we’ve done well in the past. Confidence and skill sets can be developed quickly when we learn from our strengths.”
— Craig Manning

So instead of “shoulding” all over myself… I looked at the progress I’ve actually made:

• I wrote a book — that alone is huge.

• I launched my own Mind Strength business — and surpassed the financial goal I set for this year.

• I’ve had multiple viral posts across my platforms.

• My newsletter has grown 10x since the start of the year.

• I’ve spoken to athletic teams, business teams, and corporate groups.

• And much more.

Yet those wins seem to escape my mind when I start sliding down the rabbit hole of where I “should” be and the traps that come with it. I'm sure you can relate. 

Make the Shift Today:

At the end of your day, ask yourself:
What were three wins I had today? What did I do well?

Then do the same for your week.
Then your month.
Then your year.

Over time, those small wins turn into a snowball — eventually an avalanche — of confidence and self-belief.

Want to kill your confidence? Keep “shoulding” all over yourself.

Want to develop confidence? Focus on your wins & progress. 

Easy Easy,

-Luke Falk