With the latest Netflix binge show hitting screens, there is not one person who hasn’t heard the name Anna Delvey of late. Anna Delvey first came to my attention years ago when I was scrolling through a news site and came across her story. The pretend German Heiress managed to swindle thousands of dollars from America’s elite, and sure, while I in no way support her methods of making money, I couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to pull it off for as long as she did. But, more than that, I was thoroughly impressed with the belief she had of herself and the ‘fake it till you make it’ approach.

Success or failure

You see, our belief system is the number factor in whether we succeed or fail in our endeavours and life in general. After spending the last few years coaching clients on how to overcome their self-limiting beliefs and harness the power of the mind, it was no surprise when I delved deeper into the brand that has become ‘Anna Delvey’ that I realised she was, in fact, using a similar approach to get to where she wanted to be. And no, I am not breeding a bunch of criminal masterminds to achieve their life goals by engaging in illegal activities through my coaching business.

But credit where it’s due, Anna Delvey had the confidence and belief system that most people can only dream of.

Believe in you

If you want to achieve your goals, you need to believe in yourself and have the confidence to match. An individual who sets a goal for themselves and then quits at first sight of defeat is one who has not yet mastered their belief system. Believing in yourself is the first step to succeeding and living your dream life.

Many years ago, when I was a grad fresh out of university, I wanted to get a job in the field I had studied. Well, surprise, like many other grads, I was forced to take a role in customer service to pay my bills until I could get into my chosen field. My day entailed listening to annoying people whine about anything and everything. I even remember a lady ringing up one day, wanting to put in a noise complaint about children making too much noise playing in their front yard. Who even does that?

Don’t lose faith

While the role I was working in could’ve made me question my existence, I focussed on my bigger goals. I had faith in my ability to get to where I needed to be and knew I would reach my destination. And guess what I did! The same applies to you, do not let temporary defeat ruin your faith or question your capabilities. As long as you focus on the end result and believe in your abilities, you will get to where you need to be.

“Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries. They just don’t let these feelings stop them.” – T. Harv Eker

Let go of your fears

Another barrier to having a solid belief system and succeeding is fear. Fear is the root of all failures and what holds an individual back from achieving their goals. The fear of making a mistake, not knowing how to do something, the list is endless, but your time is not. Richard Branson said: If someone offers you an amazing opportunity and you’re not sure you can do it, say yes- then learn how to do it later. 

And guess what, he’s right.

Do not let fear limit your opportunity to grow. If you choose to let go of the fear that holds you back and take a leap of faith, there are endless opportunities available to you.

Do not let the opinions of others control you

Everyone has an opinion of someone or something; heck, you might even have an opinion of me by the articles I write. Whatever the case may be, it is crucial to have healthy boundaries with those around you, including the faceless trolls on social media if you’re in the public eye. Learn that the opinions that others have of you are built on the image THEY have created of you in THEIR minds. You see, you can’t control what an individual may think of you, but you can control the opinions you have of YOURSELF! So, just like you wouldn’t drink poison and allow it into your body, don’t let the negative thoughts of others into your mind.

You need to focus on your own opinion of yourself and what you can do.

You can achieve great things if you put your mind to it and have a strong belief system, just don’t go around trying to defraud America’s elite of thousands of dollars or try to achieve your goals by other means of illegal activities. One thing is for sure, though, love or loathe ‘Anna Delvey,’ the one lesson you can take away from her is how you can bring your goals into reality with a strong belief system.