The one word that changes everything...

One of my favourite areas to cover in training and coaching sessions is resilience. Because we all need it. And because a lot of it is in our heads, and I'm fascinated by the power of language and our minds.

Take a moment to think of something really big that you want. Something, that at this stage, feels like it may not be possible, you may not be able to achieve it. I know I can think of a few.

Whenever you think of something you want that feels out of reach, there's a couple of great techniques that will help.

Firstly, add the word yet.

Notice how this feels. For example "I could never do that" vs. "I could never do that...yet".

The 'yet' makes the statement open ended. It's a clever re-frame that makes us feel resourceful. We may not know all the answers now, but we will. Try applying the word yet to your challenge statement.

Secondly, improve your problem solving skills. I learned 2 interesting facts last week from psychological research, 1) we quit fast. A study involving a maths problem found that people could typically crack it in 2 minutes if they stuck with it, but the average attention span was 30 seconds!

And 2) learning problem solving skills can be as effective as medication in the treatment of depression.

So these skills are clearly worth the investment. As well as 'yet', the other technique to share this week is imaginary hindsight. Here are the steps:
1) Identify a change you'd like to make and your preferred outcome
2) Picture yourself at that ideal outcome - what are you saying, doing, hearing, seeing, thinking?
3) From that future position of success, write down the steps you took to help it happen
4) Bring your attention back to the present moment and take those steps.

This shift in perspective from 'how do I do it' to 'how did I do it' is subtle but powerful. You'll get better answers when you try this smart problem solving technique.

Hit reply and let me know what steps you're taking this week.

P.S. Problem solving skills and a resilient mindset are crucial to achieving the outcomes you want. Try these 2 simple ideas to get your brain to work for you, not against you.