"You'll never outperform your self-image."
Wow.
Read that again. Absorb it. Process it. Think about it.
How do you view yourself? Successful? Smart? A failure? A disappointment?
I've said it before and I'll say it again: your mind is an incredibly powerful tool. There's a theory in psychology termed "cognitive dissonance," characterized by a disagreement in what one believes to be true and what's actually happening. This disagreement often leads to stress, whether it be conscious or subconscious. If you don't see yourself as a winner but you start succeeding in something, your subconscious will recognize this dissonance and make adjustments to bring you back to your comfortable state -- back to the state you believe yourself to belong in. I can personally attest to this.
For years, no one believed it was possible to break the 4-minute mile. But in 1954, one man, Roger Bannister, ran it in 3:59.4, and an incredible 50 athletes followed in next 2 years. Why? Did the feat itself change? Did a sub-4 mile time magically become physically or physiologically easier? Absolutely not. It was the perception that changed. It was the runners rewriting what they believed to be possible.
If you can't see yourself hitting a lift, making a grade, winning a competition, finishing a class, getting a promotion, or conquering any other feat of excellence, then you shouldn't ever expect it to happen.
We rarely surprise ourselves; we don't outperform our self-image.
Don't take this lightly. Redefine who you think you are and what you think you can do, then put in the work and make it happen.
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