Act As If It Were Possible

Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.

—Minds are like parachutes. They only function when they are open.

If you are seeking promotion, want to start saving money for a particular purpose, or plan to improve your golf swing, act as if were possible. This will give you the confidence to make it happen.

Focus on the Possibilities

When you act as if something were possible you start focusing on it and begin to behave as if it the event had actually happened. For example, you decide that you want to be promoted at work, so you look for opportunities that you might have missed if you weren’t focused on promotion as a probability. When you start acting as if something were possible you begin to send messages to your mind that you are seeking promotion, with the result that you start dressing, talking, feeling, and thinking as if you were already the person you would be if you were doing that new job. This positive and focused behaviour will set you up for success, other people will notice that you are more upbeat and enthusiastic in your approach, and, before you know it, you’ll have landed the promotion that you had set your mind on.

Have Confidence

It’s easy to become stuck and avoid taking even the first step towards your goal because you lack confidence. Even though you probably have a reasonable track record, this lack of confidence stops you from fulfilling your potential. There will be occasions when you have achieved your goals and some when you haven’t. It is worth learning from the experience of an unsuccessful outcome, but there’s no point in carrying it with you into your future. Just because you didn’t succeed at something in the past does not mean that you will never succeed at it.

Techniques to Practise

Try to apply positive rather than negative labels to yourself and others.

Think about what you would see if you thought about others in terms of their potential and in a positive light.

• Make a list of all of your family members, friends, and work colleagues.

• Write down what you think they are good at and the things that you think they’re not so good at.

• Ask yourself whether your opinion of them is fair – could you have been wrong in your assessment, or could they have changed or developed?

• Decide that in future you will challenge any labels before you apply them to yourself or to others.

• Start looking for opportunities to give positive feedback.

• Accept the gift of positive feedback from others, and thank them for it.

Think Smart

Lack of confidence is how you punish yourself for having made a mistake or not achieving a goal. You are probably not even aware that you are doing it.

Avoid using terms such as “wrong”, “doing it badly”, “poor performance”, and “failed”. Labelling everything that happens as “good” or “bad” is a result of conditioned thinking. Learn from the situation, then move forward to achieve a positive result. The only people who never put a foot wrong are those who have stopped learning – these people never put a foot right either.

Believe in Yourself

The chances are that you would not bet on yourself being successful at living your dream. This is a test of just how much you believe in yourself. The level of your belief will either propel you forward or stop you thinking about just how great it could be. Having a strong belief in yourself doesn’t depend on what other people think of you. It’s your opinion about yourself that counts.

• Remember that there never has been another you – you are unique.

• Recognize that you have the same potential as anyone else to do great things.

• Be aware that deep within you hidden talents are waiting to be discovered.

• Have a healthy respect for yourself.

There are many examples of famous people who, against all the odds, have risen above the negative feedback of their parents, teachers, or work colleagues, to become highly successful. The thing they had in common is a strong belief in their own ability. Your lack of belief in your ability to achieve great things may be the only thing stopping you from taking the first step to achieving your goals in life.

Build Unconditional Self-Respect

Your sense of self-worth will have been influenced by your parents’ limiting and empowering beliefs. However, as an adult, you can choose to believe in yourself and take full responsibility for where you are now. Accept your parents’ empowering beliefs about you but discard the influence of your parents’ limiting beliefs. There’s no point looking back when you are trying to drive your life forward.

Practise Affirmations

Affirmations are simply things that you repeatedly say to yourself. You have been using affirmations all your life, but there’s a good chance that they have been negative. To make affirmations work for rather than against you:

• Phrase your message in a way that implies that you are already doing the action in the message.

• Using a positive tone, repeat your message over and over three or four times each day for at least a month.

• If you like, look in the mirror and smile at yourself when you repeat your message.

Eventually, the conscious effort of repeating the affirmation is picked up by your subconscious and you begin to look at your situation in a positive light.

Effective Affirmations

High Impact

• I do my best work when I’m under pressure

• I am confident and engaging before an audience

• I am feeling fit, energetic, and flexible

• I am good at sports and love to learn new things

• I am able to attract all the money I need

Negative Impact

• I always crack when I’m put under pressure

• I’m no good at making presentations

• Now I’m 54, I’m tired and stiff and inflexible

• I am useless at sports, so there’s no point in trying

• I don’t know why I never seem to have enough money