The Stretch
It's not reached by force. It's reached by seeing it first.
Over the weekend, I witnessed something that's hard as a parent, a friend or a leader. I witnessed my oldest wanting to try something new, something that would push her own abilities, but telling herself she couldn't before she even tried. I knew she could do it, but force alone would not show her the way, and telling her to just try harder wasn't the answer.
It brought me back to something I've seen a handful of times as a keynote audience member. You're asked to stand, arms out, twist as far right as you can. Then you stop, close your eyes, and picture yourself twisting just a bit further. Eyes open, you twist again, and almost every time, you go further than the first attempt. Nothing changed but the picture in your head.
I first saw this exercise in elementary school. And it still catches me off guard how easily I forget the lesson underneath it.
I'm constricted by my own beliefs and enabled by my own visions. In other words, if I think I can, I can. If I think I can't, I can't. If I see it first, it's a step in realizing it.
It got me thinking, how else am I limiting myself? What stories am I telling myself that prevent me from stretching just a bit further, with my own work, at home or in my own performance?
This week, pick one place you've quietly decided you can't. See and feel yourself going further. Then do it. There is no magic, it's just science and experience.
Regards,
Sean Zimmerman
P.S. For those who need science to support how vision influences performance, here is a link to a study that has been cited and replicated hundreds of times: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228118007_Does_Mental_Practice_Enhance_Performance