Most of us have a hard time defining exactly what we want. And those of us that can answer it are likely to be much more successful than those of us that cannot. So what is the problem here? If the proverbial genie in a bottle shows up at your office today and announces “your wish is my command”, what would be your wish?
That is probably the wrong metaphor. Because if someone else could simply provide me with everything I have ever wanted, then I could produce a lengthy list rather quickly. Because they are solely responsible for fulfilling my wish list. But to the extent that I play a role in my dreams coming true, I am likely to pull the throttle back on my wish list and settle for something more realistic. Something more suited to me. Something mediocre.
I recently heard a story from a client that his ten year old daughter loves singing and dancing. She sings in the morning when she wakes up and sings herself to bed at night. Her dream would be to become the next Taylor Swift. And she’s good. But she won’t try out for the musicals at her school. She is afraid to audition. I understand that. It can be a scary thing to do, singing in front of other people. But she is so good, and would have so much fun if only…
A lot of us are like this. We are afraid to audition. And I’m not sure which is scarier to us: not being very good, or being great. Sure, we all think it would be wonderful to perform at a high level. But if you did, would you be able to live up to the expectations? Could you consistently deliver the results that someone that great could deliver?
David Sandler said “You can only perform in your roles in a manner that is consistent with how you see yourself conceptually.” If true, than the key to improved performance is improved vision – how you see yourself. Could it be that you really are great, but you have not yet allowed yourself to believe it? We all operate in a comfort zone that regulates how we behave.
Once I change my belief and begin to create a new image in my subconscious I can begin to work on my technique for becoming better at the particular skill. Change the belief, replace it with a new dominant picture that is positive, rehearse the new outcome in your mind until it becomes second nature, than just do the behavior. Do this repeatedly until you can feel the emotion of having successfully accomplished the goal, as if you had actually accomplished it in reality. You will be amazed at how easy it can be once you have done the heavy lifting in your mind.
I believe that most people could be great at what they do. By great I mean world-class, with results beyond what they could currently imagine. But that’s the key: can you imagine it? If you can, than the image of yourself and your results that you maintain in your mind will find a way to manifest itself in the real world. This is because your subconscious is committed to keeping you in your comfort zone, and this new image you have of yourself in your mind is now defining your comfort zone. That is why it seems so easy. Because it is comfortable.
It also explains why it is so hard to produce results that are not in line with the dominant picture you have of yourself in your mind. It is uncomfortable.
So if you want to achieve breakthrough results, you will need to have a breakthrough in your thinking. Deliberately create the image in your mind of the ideal performance you desire. Visualize and affirm it continually with vivid detail. Then start looking for the evidence that the picture you have created on the inside is starting to become real on the outside. I believe that you can be great. What do you believe?
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