We tend to ignore information that we think is inconsistent with our reality. Our conscious brains are trained to listen to our subconscious telling us we have never experienced this before, therefore it can't be right.
Interestingly, successful people absolutely believe that they have the ability to succeed. They do not think or talk about the possibilities of failing. They do not even consider the possibility of failure.
We usually act in a manner consistent with our beliefs. The most important belief system we can build is one where we absolutely believe that we are going succeed. This is called positive thinking, confirming our reality that we absolutely know that no matter what, we will be successful.
Often positive thinking is alien to us because our parents or guardians only gave love and approval to their children when they did something that they wanted them to do. If we grew up with this kind of conditional love we will inevitably tend to seek unconditional approval from others. When we become adults, this need for approval from the parent is transferred to the workplace and to our boss or workmates. We can become preoccupied with the opinion of the boss and some totally imagined, unreachable high standard.
If we can change the way we think about ourselves and our potential, we can open new doors to unlimited possibilities and point ourselves in the right direction to a better, more fulfilling professional and personal life. We must not think about what other people think of us, but concentrate on what we want and adjust our thinking so that we will achieve it.
To begin to change the way we think about ourselves, we need to stimulate our imaginations. This can be done by writing down a clear and detailed description of our ideal outcome. We must be absolutely clear about the outcome, but we must also be flexible about the process of achieving it.
There is a method you can use to see yourself having achieved your outcome. It is called the 'Hindsight Tool'. It works like this:
•Think about the outcome you want, visualise yourself as having achieved it.
•Then use the 'hindsight tool' - In your mind imagine yourself in, say, five years' time, picture yourself being the successful person you want to be. How would you look? What would you be wearing? What would you be saying or doing? Who would be around you, who wouldn't be around you? Where would you be?
•Then, turn round and look back to the present and see what course and actions you took, what mistakes you may have made, what obstacles you overcame and how you achieved your desired outcome.
It may be that the outcome you imagined is not exactly what you hoped for. That is fine and very normal. Re-think your outcome and do the process over again. You can do this as many times as you like until you get the outcome you want in your mind. Then put it all into practice.