WHAT BLOCKS THE POTENTIAL OF HIGH ACHIEVERS?
There are two distinct blocks for High Achievers: internal dialogues and the realities of the world. Of course, these impediments are not as separate as they first appear.
Let us start with the first point. Unless we question the negative stories we tell ourselves, and which we also share with others, we will remain insecure, hopeless, and unfulfilled. When we believe we are not good enough to achieve success, or when we think we do not deserve to be successful, our lives suffer.
Negative beliefs halt innovation and change. Such beliefs are absorbed through both language and experience. For example, a comment made to us when we were younger can imprint itself on our core sense of who we are, thereby misdirecting the course of our lives. As Elon Musk once tweeted in relation to business,
The reality is great highs, terrible lows, and unrelenting stress. Don’t think people want to hear about the last two.
YOUR STORY
The stories we create about ourselves, and that others make up for us, impact our thoughts and future behaviors because they find a way to imprint on our character. Unresolved stories from the past manifest themselves in current and future thinking at least until addressed. In summary, negative beliefs, stories, and narratives ensure we remain stuck.
Consider what is going on around you.
- What is it that engages your time and directs your focus?
- Whom are you listening to?
The quality of the people you are with will affect your thinking, planning, and action. It is why those who have your attention are so important, as Ajaz Ahmed notes:
Reach out and clearly communicate the things that move you, and give like-minded people every incentive to respond faster and more strongly to become advocates and allies of your brand and its message.
Taking action requires you to present the vulnerable side of who you are; yes, it can be scary but doing something every day that scares you enables you to grow.
MINDSET
All successful people struggle, make mistakes and take risks. They also accept advice. While some of their setbacks, disappointments, and failures might be known to us it is merely the tip of the iceberg of what they are going through. The secret is they get back up when circumstances knock them down. They remain positive.
To embody positivity they imagine, visualize, and then take action. They turn dreams into reality as they build the High Achiever’s mindset. This is a mix of ambition, determination, persistence, and creativity: the result is breakthroughs and change. As the late Bob Proctor said,
If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hand.
So why not take action and make the dream, vision, or idea real?
Many High Achievers create personal maps and then work to cross that terrain. In other words, their goal creates a limitless mindset as they remain open to possibilities. They invite what the Japanese refer to as Kaizen good change. They are not defeated by the limitations of what is possible now. Instead, they are ignited by the possibilities of what the future can provide.
High Achievers ignore the naysayers. Instead, they take advice from coaches, mentors, and advocates:
Sir Freddie Laker mentored Sir Richard Branson
Arianna Huffington was mentored by her mother, Elli Stassinopoulos
Tony Robbins coached Quincy Jones.
High Achievers realize they do not know it all. They read research and listen to improve their performance and make informed choices. Their inbuilt desire to reach their goals spurs them out of bed in the morning and continues to drive them late into the evening.
Unfortunately, the passion to achieve and create change can come at a cost. High Achievers break long-established conventions. By triggering change they sometimes create friction. Personal relationships come under stress and finances suffer. They frequently encounter resistance and are criticized. This is where condemnation enters the scene. ‘How dare you think you can escape?’ Given these personal pressures, coaching and mentoring serve as lifelines.
Further, resistance is not always external. Breaking barriers to achieve dreams can be painful; the glory of success often masks the private stories of physical and mental challenges.
THE FUTURE YOU
Creating the ideal future requires bold action in the present. It is time to act and follow your heart and passions. As Mary Henderson elegantly summarises: fear pulls us back to the false self.
The False Self is the version of you that is compromised; it is angry, frustrated, and resentful. Yet, when we maintain focus and act accordingly with a positive mindset we unlock our potential.
The High Achiever’s mindset is built on the foundations of
positive attention and action. As the author, L. P. Hartley commented: The past is another country: they do things differently
there. The High Achiever’s mindset flips that 180 degrees to
imagine the future as a new country. The image unlocks the mental map of a landscape populated with boundless success. Now is the time to take action and take the first steps on your new life journey. Your future needs you.