Moving Beyond Limitations
As a results coach, I spend my time helping people overcome problems and create better results for themselves. The work I do is not about necessarily fixing something that is broke. It’s about looking at constant improvement.A common misconception when we have a problem is that something within ourselves is broken and if we can find the answer, we can fix it and everything will be ok. That mindset is limiting because instead of striving to be better we get “stuck” in the same pattern constantly fixing and re-fixing the same thing, never moving forward just staying on the same playing field. We fail to acknowledge that there is more, more outside of this mindset, more for us, more to our lives and more for us to achieve – our potential is limitless.
So think about that right now-what is an area you feel stuck in? You might be generalizing like career, relationships or health. Or you might be specifically stuck somewhere on something you specifically want to improve.
Our problems are problems of the imagination. Our problems have solutions, solutions of the imagination. Your beliefs and beliefs about whether you can or you can’t do something happen at an unconscious level. You might be taking in feedback from times you didn’t achieve something and that will determine whether you do it again. For example, you believe you can’t do something because you didn’t do it before and so you might not even try. Your automatic response is such and this is simply without even consciously thinking about it.
Beliefs are aspects of life that we believe to be true. I believe that nothing is actually true, right or real. I believe that we all have our own concept of reality. What I believe determines my reality - what you believe determines your reality. Beliefs are something you shaped and created in your early childhood years, however, with some understanding you can change the ones that limit you and open yourself up to a whole new way of thinking. Are you ready to open yourself up to a new reality?
You can change your reality by changing your interpretation of your experiences. What you decide when something happens will determine where you go. When you experience something you will decide whether it’s an opportunity or a setback and that will then influence how you respond. In turn, your belief structure will be shaped by this interpretation of that experience. You can change a bad experience into a good one by changing the way you view the event.
A simple example to demonstrate this is in selling. What happens when someone says ‘no’ or rejects your offer? Does this mean you are no good, or your product is not useful OR does it mean that with each no you are closer to a yes? Does each ‘no’ discourage you or encourage you towards your success?
So often when we think about what we want we limit ourselves. We think “we gotta be real”. Or we have to make this our goal because that’s reality, that’s really all I can do. You wouldn’t want to aim higher and disappoint yourself – would you? There is nothing wrong with going for it and maybe falling short of the mark… but at least you are going for it.
To do this, you have to get over what you rationally think is right. There is no absolute truth; it’s just what you see and what you put out as reality. To move beyond your limitations you have to create your new reality, believe in it and yourself and rid yourself of your old limiting beliefs. It is possible to go for gold and to create and reach your dreams.
Annette Huygens Tholen is a former international beach volleyball player and participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She experienced the difficulties of transition from sport and is now a Master Results Coach and International speaker using her learnings and experience to empower athletes to reproduce emotional and financial success in their life after sport. For more information on how to successfully transition after sport, please visit www.annetteffect.com and sign up for the free mini-Ecourse.
