Here are a few seemingly innocent statements that we hear often and perhaps even say ourselves.

Use them at your peril, because if you live by these statements an ordinary life awaits:
  • If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,
  • Let sleeping dogs lie,
  • Don’t rock the boat,
  • Don’t make waves,
  • It’s good enough

These are the sayings of people who are happy with the status quo, who don’t want things to change and who don’t want to stand out from the crowd.

They may have been helpful and relevant 20 years ago, but not in today’s landscape where change is rapid, flexibility is valuable, true excellence is rare and leadership is required.

Let’s make sure that our mindsets are wired for success and get rid of some of these limiting statements.

As an alternative, I would advocate using the following sayings instead:

  • If it ain’t broke, break it and make it better
  • Wake up that dog and take it for a walk
  • Don’t just rock the boat, push it to its limits
  • Make waves and then go surfing on them
  • It’s never good enough, you can always push yourself to greater heights and new ways of thinking

These are the kinds of attitudes that drive great leaders, thinkers, athletes and difference makers.

Are there any other commonly used sayings that hold us back in our thinking?

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