Have you read John Maxwell’s book Thinking For A Change?
In it, Maxwell asks a provocative question: “Do you know what most people’s number one challenge is when it comes to making positive personal changes?”
Several answers came to mind:
- A positive support system is missing.
- Limited finances.
- Lack of knowledge.
Here is Maxwell’s answer: “It’s their feelings. They want to change, but don’t know how to get past their emotions.”
Feelings? Really?
I thought about this from the perspective of small business owners. In the clients I coach, 1-3 come up regularly.
- “My family doesn’t believe in me.”
- “We’re broke.”
- “I’m good at _____, but I don’t know how to run a business.”
Yet there are entrepreneurs who have all those things in place and are still not reaching their goals. Why aren’t they? Why aren’t you?
Maxwell proposes that the only way to make positive change is to change the way we think. He suggests that our actions/decisions come from our feelings and our feelings come from our thoughts. He believes that if we control our thoughts, we will control our feelings which will in turn, cause us to make good decisions.
Thoughts →Feelings→Actions.
Our Beliefs Determine Our Success
I agree with Maxwell and I’d like to take this idea a bit further. It is my humble opinion that every action we take, every decision we make stems from not just what we think, but what we believe about ourselves (internal beliefs) and what we believe about the world around us (external beliefs). This is an important distinction because at times, our core beliefs are different from what we logically know. And often, we are led more by our core beliefs than by the objective data we hold in our minds. Our core beliefs are at the root of our behaviors.
Haven’t you seen this in yourself or others:
- I’m not as smart as _______. = Declining invitations to work on projects.
- I’m not good at sales. = A low closing percentage.
- God doesn’t want me to be successful = Consciously or subconsciously, this person sabotages their own success.
- I must be perfect = Not taking risks.
- If an employee believes nothing he/she does will impact the company, this person becomes complacent.
Conversely,
- If you believe each “failure” brings you one step closer to success, you will keep trying.
- If you believe you are fully able to overcome challenges, no mountain will ever be too big to climb.
- If you believe in the greater purpose of what you do, you will have a well-spring of energy and enthusiasm.
Beliefs→Thoughts →Feelings→Actions→Success.
Our beliefs drive our thinking. Our thoughts impact our feelings. How we feel determines our actions. Our actions determine our success.
The First Step To Correcting Your Course
Assuming our success comes from our beliefs, it becomes even more important to evaluate our core beliefs – particularly those that are false and limiting. This is the first step to change our actions and increase our success.
If I may, that is my challenge for you this week: Identify the core beliefs that are holding you back.You may be able to name them immediately or you may need to dig a little bit. In either case, knowing what they are will bring you closer to changing them (which I’ll address in upcoming posts.)
What do you think? Or perhaps the better question is what do you believe?
Photo courtesy of Chris Runoff via Flickr
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
It is a battle I fight everyday, trying to think/talk myself into positive action. Thanks for the post, it helped me think about this issue in a different way.
It is so easy to let your feelings get in the way. But I suppose if it were easy….
Right on, sister. One of my favorite writers/poets/lyricists wrote:
“I believe in what I see. I believe in what I hear. I believe that what I’m feeling changes how the world appears.”
And it does. As I inch towards my new endeavor, it seems that one minute I’m Atlas and the next minute the world has flattened me like a pancake.
We can’t believe the axiom — Failure is not an option — because it always is. As long as we elevate from it, learn from it, reevaluate and execute again and again and again, then we’re on our way to our subjective success.
You’re welcome Todd. I heard a quote you’ll like although I don’t remember who said it: “Luck is disguised as hard work.”
What a phenomenal point Kevin. Failure is not just an option, it is inevitable for those who choose to take risks. Congratulations on stepping out into the unknown!
I read that book awhile ago and enjoyed it as well. Thank you for the insight and re-introducing that thought it to me. It reminds me of this quote by Frank Outlaw:
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”