Beliefs , Actions , Results

Beliefs and actions

Ever wonder why professional sportspeople can’t do what they practise every day when under pressure or sometimes they exceed all expectations, or why when you know what to do but you just can’t get going. Put it another way why was Henry Ford so right – 

If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.

Roughly beliefs lead to actions which are self fulfilling .

 So the cycle looks like this for a start -

 

The results reinforce the beliefs and become part of our background. We are back to Henry Ford. It is possible to think yourself into a set of beliefs which says that you cannot for example sell websites to engineering companies, no logic , just your beliefs leading.

So – the answer or answers – is to break the cycle; easy to say not so easy to do. A little bit like saying; Cheer up or Calm down. One technique, which is called reframing, is to reframe the situation and use some realistic and detached evaluation of the situation to find examples which don’t fit the cycle. This means that you look with detachment and not emotion at your situation where these less than useful beliefs are being reinforced by results.

One example from my coaching is a gentleman who was starting out as a consultant having worked for 25 years in accounting, first with his father’s firm and then with a major consultancy accounting firm London. He was convinced despite a very successful career that he couldn’t sell or communicate. He had himself convinced that of the stereotypical accountant this was reinforced by his father telling repeatedly that he couldn’t sell.

Just a quick note here – all good coaching life or otherwise should be based around a large degree of realism – none of this “the universe will decide …” rubbish (Universal Ordering) . There is no way I am ever going to do a triathlon. So I will say once the reality check is engaged, anything is possible.

Back to the new consultant , by looking at his achievements in his recent career , I could say although he hadn’t sold insurance or websites , he had sold accountancy and new ways of recording income to a couple of plc’s . This is selling. Once convinced of that the cycle was broken, his attitude became I can sell. 

Remember, this isn't a practice for the real thing. This IS the real thing. Right here, right now. If you want to do something, do it now. You may never get a second chance. Talk to me about how to break these cycles.

Paul Clarke 07876173444