You wake up every morning wanting more. More success, more money, more wins, better relationships, an improved appearance. We do not have to search hard in our lives to find areas we want to change or the negative self-image we hold of ourselves. These are the beginning stages of blocking off our ability to be the person we desire.
This outlook causes us to live in the world of “Some Day”. It gives us an excuse not to take control of our lives and not to achieve the goals we want. You might even find yourself saying common things like “I will change when X happens”. The problem here is that you will never find yourself living the life you want by waiting on external forces.
Over the last decade and working with business owners, college coaches, professional athletes and leaders this limiting belief is the primary culprit that keeps people from achieving optimal performance.
The Limiting Belief
People believe that they will change their personality once they become the person they dream of and that is not how it works. Unfortunately, you are delaying or even blocking yourself off from ever becoming that person.
You do not become a millionaire after you make a million dollars. It’s the habits, rituals and mental image you hold of yourself years, months and days prior that allow you to become that person.
The athletes I work with on a daily basis have this completely backwards when I first start working with them. Many of them have a dream of becoming a college athlete, yet when I first start mentoring them and begin to ask about their habits or commitment levels it does not match up with their expectations.
For example, I recently started mentoring a freshman basketball player. One of his goals, like many others, is to become a Division 1 basketball player. He could not make his normal scheduled time, so I suggested to him that he come early in the morning…
Immediately there was push back that it was way too early for him to come see me. Calmly I asked him what are you going to do when you have training early morning in college? His response…
“I will get up early when I get to college”
Backwards Thinking
The underlying issue here is one that this young person is unaware of yet. He does not see himself as a college athlete yet! Now they would never admit that outright, but that’s really what is happening here. The self-image they currently possess is not in alignment with the type of performer they desire.
It’s the same when kids tell me they have poor grades in math and I ask them why. The overwhelming majority of people follow up with statements like “Because I am bad in math”. They fail to realize this as a self-image problem not a math problem!
Many people understand that there is a blueprint for success but they tend to not follow it correctly.
It’s kinda like when we think about investing and who would be a good role model for us to follow the first person to come to mind for many is Warren Buffet. The problem lies is that we try to do what Buffet does now as a multi-billionaire rather than the habits and mental images that propelled him to success.
Another easy example I use for business owners and coaches on the habits to push them to become even higher performers. One of those habits from Fortune 100 CEOs to high performance athletic coaches is the investments made in themselves like reading books.
When you begin to suggest this to people as the quote goes “Leaders are Readers” they push back, I believe because it seems too simplistic! People often confuse achievement with complexity but it’s really the exact opposite.
The Greatest Gift: Self-Image
So what if I told you that the greatest gift you can give yourself to achieve high levels of performance is the self-image you hold of yourself!
The image that we currently hold is primarily based on our beliefs from past life experiences. As I mentioned before if we had a poor experience on a math test then we might hold onto the belief that we are bad in math.
Even better news is that the self-image can change. We can change the way we see ourselves but most importantly is that the image we hold in our minds is one that we choose. Not one conditioned by outside influences including society.
In a recent survey of college male and female students showed that 90% were dissatisfied in some way with their appearance!
How unfortunate that so many young adults do not wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and see true beauty. Beauty and the ability to love themselves!
As someone once told me to really LIVE, you must find yourself acceptable to you!
It’s very difficult to wake up every morning and not know which “mask” you need to put on so that you can fit in with society or a certain group of people.
When you create a self-image that you can be proud of that leads to greater levels of self-confidence! People that have confidence within themselves are achieving greater levels of performance.
Who Do You Want To Become
We crave high performance but lack the adequate self-image to achieve this at the level most of us would desire. If you could create that person that is consistently growing and making progress what would that person look like? How would they talk and carry themselves? Determine the standards you would have.
You will not become that person once you reach a certain goal!
Sadly this one principle will keep you reaching from many of your goals.
It’s not “some day” it’s TODAY! It’s not waiting on someone or something it’s YOU! You hold the power and were engineered to be happy and successful! You are in control!
Live your life as the powerful performer you were designed to be. Continue to grow in confidence and self-love and the performance will fall into place!