Bolster Your Belief
Belief is a skill. Train it on purpose.
Belief is something that can be created specifically, deliberately, and consciously.Chapter 4, The Big Bold Mindset
Did I actually believe it was possible?
At the start of every big bold goal I've stared down the face of impossible. Did I actually believe I could do it? Honestly, not always.
I've often wondered whether there are concrete steps you can take to increase your belief in an idea, a project, a person or a team. I now know there are.
Belief is no guarantee of success. But it stacks the cards in your favour, because you're more likely to keep going when it gets tough.
What built your belief last time?
Think of a big goal you achieved. Did you believe you'd do it when you started?
What did you do, at the start or along the way, that grew your belief?
What could you repeat for your next big bold goal?
What you believe about change shapes whether you change.
Research suggests our beliefs work like self-fulfilling prophecies. People who believe they can change are more motivated to change, and so they do. The same goes for believing a strategy will work.
Where belief comes from
Your mind
Beliefs help us make sense of the world and reduce uncertainty.
Your group
Social norms and the people around us shape what we think is possible.
Your brain
Beliefs show up as patterns in the brain, and neuroplasticity means they can change.
If your beliefs are currently happening by accident, they can be made to happen a lot more on purpose.
Marc Lore: excited by impossible
Many leaders shy away from a 20% chance of success and look for something nearer 50%. Lore asks a different question: what's the size of the prize?
A series of smaller bets on big opportunities, tested and iterated quickly, can beat one safe bet with a small return.
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't, you're right.The old saying, now with research behind it
Six ways to build belief
Different things work for different people. Try these, notice what works for you, and do more of it.
What worked before
List what grew your belief last time. If it worked, do it again.
Celebrate small wins
Lock in the feeling of progress, together as a team.
See the future
Picture it clearly, then narrow your focus to the next stretch, like a marathon runner.
Revisit your why
Lift your head from the present and remind yourself where you're going.
Get uncomfortable
Do things often that take you past your comfort zone.
It's under your control
Your belief system is more flexible than you think.
Borrow from your own success
Write down the last big thing you achieved and three things that built your belief along the way. Pick one and use it on your current goal this week.
Build the team's belief
Shared belief is a powerful accelerator. Make it deliberate.
Want Caspar to take your team through this? casparcraven.com