Did you know that on average, most of us are only tapping into 10% of our total potential? That leaves an incredible 90% just waiting to be discovered and used to get you to the next level of your performance. But how do you access that 90%?
First off, let’s take a look at how you determine what you are capable of. Where does your brain go to look for proof? When I ask this question to my clients, most of them say they look back at what they have accomplished before, in the past, to determine what they are capable of in the future. Unfortunately, this can be a very limiting way of determining what you are truly capable of.
Looking back on past experiences can limit you if you only use that frame of reference for what you can actually do today or tomorrow. What if you are attempting to try something new? A new skill that is required to improve your overall performance? Where do you find the evidence that you are indeed capable of mastering that new skill?
The brain is fundamentally designed to keep you safe. That is its main job. And it takes this job very seriously. When you attempt to do something, anything, your brain will look for proof that there will be a positive result or payoff to that action or behavior. If it can’t find the proof, it won’t believe that the payoff will be positive and therefore, it won’t allow you to make the choice to engage in that action or behavior. Unfortunately, this is where most of us get stuck.
To capitalize on that 90% of untapped potential, try creating the belief before having the experience. There are several ways you can do this, but the most basic and easy to try today way is for you to create the resources mentally for your brain to use as proof that you will have a positive result. Try imagining exactly what that positive result will look like; the more descriptive and specific the better. What will you see, hear and feel when experiencing that positive result?
The magic behind imagining the result you want is that the brain cannot tell the difference between what it vividly imagines and what it is actually experiencing. Think watching a sad movie (you know it is a movie and therefore not real but you still cry like a baby). Therefore, by envisioning the experience first, you will actually be creating the resources your brain needs to create the experience for real. Thus, providing your brain with the proof to support the empowering belief it needs to turn the imagined experience into reality.
Remember to make every performance count!
-Coach Susan
