Mind Over Water

In a recent newsletter I shared the story of my five year old daughter getting victory over her fear of swimming. If you haven't read it yet, click here to take two minutes to read the story. Then return here to learn more.

So, what is your story? What made the difference?

Chances are you have stories yet to be told. I’m guessing there are some areas that haven’t clicked yet for you—that are holding you back, that still have you bound by the chains of “Well, I’m just not very good at that.”

What is it that, if you actually did it, would give you a similarly joyous, “I can do this!” “I did it!” “I am a ___________!”

Here are a couple strategies I share as a coach, to help you cross the line.

A clear principle of change is that if you want different results, you must take different actions. Sounds obvious, but it’s a principle that is often ignored. Have you actually tried taking different actions? In my executive coaching practice I find too many people that have checked out on their dreams or ambitions, choosing the rut of complacency to actually changing areas of their life that would add meaning and satisfaction.

Yet let’s face it… Doing things differently is difficult. That’s why another critical principle is that if you’re having trouble doing different things, maybe what you need to do is start looking at the problem in a different way.

Click here to learn more about my book,
Navigating the Winds of Change:
Staying on Course in Business & in Life.

For example, you might really want to exercise more faithfully but always find good excuses to skip it. You’ve tried “doing different things” (creating a museum of useless exercise equipment in your closets and basement), but the excuses always win.

I have a friend who was diagnosed with diabetes. Suddenly his perspective on exercising changed from “a good idea” to a necessity. It was a different way of seeing the problem.

How could you look at your issue differently? It’s not about losing pounds—it’s about being healthier 20 years from now so you can better enjoy those you love. It’s not about being less nervous when you deliver presentations. It’s about gaining one of the critical skills required for the senior leadership position you want some day.

A wise friend and mentor, James MacDonald, teaches: “Name the lie, insert the truth.” Reframing the way we think often means we have to slay the lies that hold us captive. I’ve found those dragons are apt to reappear unless I replace them with something else: the truth.

Could there be some lies that you’ve been clinging onto, not realizing they are the fetters that are holding you back from victory?

My little daughter found a way to reframe swimming in her mind. It wasn’t a matter of sneaky mind altering techniques from daddy’s coaching practice—it came from inside, and the result will be years of fun and fitness.

I invite you to click "Post a Comment" below and share your story....

May you experience the joy that our little five year old did this last weekend. We are here to help.

Labels: leadership, managing change, reality

posted by Andy at 12:17 AM

Comments

I enjoyed the story of your daughter.

I can remember when I came back to my job at Caterpillar after serving 2-1/2 years in the Army in WWII. My job was a handtrucker, pulling skidloads of tractor material. This was not a motorized one either. I saw employees called "timekeepers" sitting on a stool by a rackful of IBM cards which the machine shop operators used to punch in and out for the different parts they would run on their machines. I thought then and there that I could do that.

I finally got to that plateau in about two years. Still I was not satisfied. I always liked accounting work and enrolled in a 100 lesson accounting correspondence course. We had two children at the time and each accounting lesson consumed quite a bit of my spare time. After completing my 100 lessons and passing the final examination, I got my diploma showing it was granted to me on July 28, 1952. By the way, we now had three children by that time!

I took the diploma to work and showed it to my immediate supervisor, who contacted office personnel. This was in 1953. In a short time, I was granted an interview with a department head in the accounting department. I got the job which was weekly salary. I think it was a year or so when I was offered a promotion in the department. My new supervisor said the top salary was $120 per week but that it would take quite a while to get it.

To make a long story short, after four years in the office I got on management payroll from which I retired in 24 years (1981).

To the best of my knowledge, I was the last factory employee who got into the Accounting Department and was later promoted to management without having a college degree.

I had the chance to go to an amusement park earlier this month. I am not one for wild rides. I thought of this article while standing in line of one of the biggest rides in the park. I decided to radically change how I thought about the situation, from fear to excitement. Not only did it turn out to be a lot of fun, it was a great memory for me and my son.

Yeah i really enjoy your daughter's story.

It reminds me many events of mine with full thrill , fun and excitment.