What's the difference between coasting along at a comfortable pace and reaching that next level where we all want to be?
In any field of endeavour, there are countless people that are perfectly suited to the job, have incredible talent and skill, but fall short of the elite level. They may very well be driven, having spent countless hours perfecting technique and strategy, yet when it comes to the crunch point, they fail when everyone around them are assured of their success.
There is a lot to be said about the power of visualisation. But it has to go further than just imagining the success, you have to truly believe you are going to win before, during and after the success. You can't just be confident, but rather have to convince yourself that you deserve and are capable of it.
Ever wonder why Ali was so good? The following quote is thrown around a lot to help describe him
"I am the greatest" - Ali,
but if you dig a little deeper, the rest of the sentence speaks volumes.
"I am the greatest, and I said that even before I knew I was." - Ali.
Ali didn't just think he was good enough, didn't just know he was in the top ten or even the best by a little way - he KNEW in his very core that he had put in the effort to be the greatest. He was brash, bawdy, belligerent, he didn't shy away from the press, he didn't talk his opponent up, he talked himself up, and each prophecy he made about himself he fulfilled, meaning his confidence grew in an upwards spiral, a positive feedback loop that became stronger with every win that HE predicted. He kept telling people he was the best until THEY believed him as well. He will be studied by athletes, pyschologists, leaders, motivators, politicians and sport scientists for centuries as the perfect example of the power of belief and true inner confidence.
"Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." - Goethe
So, if you want to go out with that girl, become a guy she would date. If you want that raise, do more work than you get paid for. If you want the new job, do the work for it. If you're going to bust a defensive line, run like no-one can stop you. If you want a black belt then train like one. If you want to get stronger then lift heavier. Smarter, then act smarter. Faster, think faster. Shifting the paradigms and perceptions you have of yourself can yield more results than all the preparation and tactics in the world. They are the references frames we view the world by, they can either set the obstacles or clear the path to success.
So, I've said how I think about self fulfilling prophecies, what's the expert definition? Here's a good one from that great store of human knowledge, Wikipedia:
The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. - Robert K Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (1968).
This is a beautiful theory - that society, and, by direct backwards correlation, the human mind, can essential deceive itself into achieving previously "impossible" tasks. And copious amounts of psychological studies and sport science in particular have proven it true over and over. This is often stated as "Fake it until you make it". It has also been called the "Pygmalion Effect" after a play by George Bernard Shaw.
Here's a great example - the belief that the stock market might crash, if held by enough people, can actually cause it to do so, even if the original belief was completely false! Anyone familiar with the classic tales of Oedipus or Macbeth would understand the devastating power of belief and self-perception. In some cases, it is not just your own beliefs that impact on you, although these are the most powerful. Children who have more expected of them often achieve more. Anyone who has ever read a self help book has probably encountered this idea. So why am I bothering to say it?
Because I think that most people don't realise that this mindset isn't just for elite sportsmen or life changing decisions - it is crucial to success everywhere. It can be applied to the smallest things - like breaking an annoying habit or improving your self confidence. Just try holding your head half an inch higher than normal for a few days. Force yourself to look people in the eye a little more. You'll be constantly amazed at the powerful changes you can affect in yourself just by acting differently.
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France
b.
In any field of endeavour, there are countless people that are perfectly suited to the job, have incredible talent and skill, but fall short of the elite level. They may very well be driven, having spent countless hours perfecting technique and strategy, yet when it comes to the crunch point, they fail when everyone around them are assured of their success.
There is a lot to be said about the power of visualisation. But it has to go further than just imagining the success, you have to truly believe you are going to win before, during and after the success. You can't just be confident, but rather have to convince yourself that you deserve and are capable of it.
Ever wonder why Ali was so good? The following quote is thrown around a lot to help describe him
"I am the greatest" - Ali,
but if you dig a little deeper, the rest of the sentence speaks volumes.
"I am the greatest, and I said that even before I knew I was." - Ali.
Ali didn't just think he was good enough, didn't just know he was in the top ten or even the best by a little way - he KNEW in his very core that he had put in the effort to be the greatest. He was brash, bawdy, belligerent, he didn't shy away from the press, he didn't talk his opponent up, he talked himself up, and each prophecy he made about himself he fulfilled, meaning his confidence grew in an upwards spiral, a positive feedback loop that became stronger with every win that HE predicted. He kept telling people he was the best until THEY believed him as well. He will be studied by athletes, pyschologists, leaders, motivators, politicians and sport scientists for centuries as the perfect example of the power of belief and true inner confidence.
"Boldness has genius and power and magic in it." - Goethe
So, if you want to go out with that girl, become a guy she would date. If you want that raise, do more work than you get paid for. If you want the new job, do the work for it. If you're going to bust a defensive line, run like no-one can stop you. If you want a black belt then train like one. If you want to get stronger then lift heavier. Smarter, then act smarter. Faster, think faster. Shifting the paradigms and perceptions you have of yourself can yield more results than all the preparation and tactics in the world. They are the references frames we view the world by, they can either set the obstacles or clear the path to success.
So, I've said how I think about self fulfilling prophecies, what's the expert definition? Here's a good one from that great store of human knowledge, Wikipedia:
The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. - Robert K Merton, Social Theory and Social Structure (1968).
This is a beautiful theory - that society, and, by direct backwards correlation, the human mind, can essential deceive itself into achieving previously "impossible" tasks. And copious amounts of psychological studies and sport science in particular have proven it true over and over. This is often stated as "Fake it until you make it". It has also been called the "Pygmalion Effect" after a play by George Bernard Shaw.
Here's a great example - the belief that the stock market might crash, if held by enough people, can actually cause it to do so, even if the original belief was completely false! Anyone familiar with the classic tales of Oedipus or Macbeth would understand the devastating power of belief and self-perception. In some cases, it is not just your own beliefs that impact on you, although these are the most powerful. Children who have more expected of them often achieve more. Anyone who has ever read a self help book has probably encountered this idea. So why am I bothering to say it?
Because I think that most people don't realise that this mindset isn't just for elite sportsmen or life changing decisions - it is crucial to success everywhere. It can be applied to the smallest things - like breaking an annoying habit or improving your self confidence. Just try holding your head half an inch higher than normal for a few days. Force yourself to look people in the eye a little more. You'll be constantly amazed at the powerful changes you can affect in yourself just by acting differently.
“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.” -Anatole France
b.