The Art of Overestimating
Picture this: You’re standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down at the sparkling blue ocean below. You’ve never dived off a cliff before, but you’ve seen others do it, and you’re convinced you can do it too. You’re not a professional diver, but you believe in your ability to pull it off. That’s a positive delusion.
You might be thinking, “Isn’t that just being overly optimistic or even self-deceptive?” Sure, you could see it that way. But the fascinating thing is, science backs up this seemingly irrational behaviour.
Before you can start to plan your success goals, there are many things that you need to understand before you can be sure that the goals you set are really the ones you want.
One of those things is to determine if there are any Limiting Beliefs that can stop you from actually achieving those goals.
I have a self-study Limiting Belief Program that you can go through to determine what your Limiting Beliefs are and how you can remove them.
You can read more and register for the program at Limiting Beliefs Program on my Confidence and Life Coaching website.
Start your journey on your path to success by identifying and removing your Limiting Beliefs so that you make the journey a lot easier.
Research shows that people who overestimate their abilities, who dive headfirst into new endeavours with a ‘can-do’ attitude, actually perform better than those who approach the same tasks with a more realistic or pessimistic mindset.
So, if you believe you can nail that presentation, learn to play the guitar, or even dive off a cliff, you’re more likely to succeed than if you were filled with self-doubt.
The Magic of High Expectations
Here’s the deal. If you expect the best, you’re more likely to roll up your sleeves and get stuck into learning that new skill. With high expectations – even unrealistically high ones – you’re boosting your chances of success.
Doesn’t that sound like a good deal?
Let’s look at some ways you can harness the power of positive delusions to your advantage:
- Positive delusions kindle hope. When you tell yourself, “I can do this. Things will get better,” you fuel the hope needed to keep going. Yes, there’s a chance things might not improve, but if you believe they will, you’re stacking the odds in your favour.
- If you were a pessimist, you’d be stuck in a rut, right? Would that make you more likely to succeed?
- High expectations spur action. Whether you’re keen to learn salsa or start a conversation with someone you fancy, you can only take the first step if you believe something good will come of it.
- Would you be as motivated if you expected failure?
- Remember, we all harbour delusions. Our understanding and interpretation of past experiences are far from perfect. Much of what we believe to be true is, in fact, a delusion. So why not make it a positive one?
- Curb your negative self-talk. Negativity is a dream killer. It squashes your spirit, motivation, and future prospects. Don’t let it gain momentum. The moment it rears its ugly head, shift your focus.
- Envision your future self. Think about your goals and the person you need to become to achieve them. What qualities do you need to cultivate? Now, visualize yourself already possessing those traits.
- Visualize success. Picture yourself overcoming every hurdle and achieving your goals with confidence. This is one of the most effective ways to use positive delusions to your advantage.
- Believe in the power of positive delusions. Being practical and realistic has its place, but it can also be limiting. Overestimating your abilities and being optimistic can yield incredible results in the long run.
There’s a time and place for realism, but it might not be as frequent as you think. Overestimating your abilities and the likelihood of your success can significantly improve your results.
So, why not give yourself the benefit of the doubt more often and see how it transforms your life? If it doesn’t work out, you can always revert to your old ways.
Choose what works over what makes logical sense. Conduct an optimism experiment on yourself and see the results. You might just surprise yourself.
To talk about any aspect of success or working with a Life Coach to help you to achieve success, you can book a 45-minute call by clicking on the blue button below.
Don’t try to do all of this by yourself, ask and receive the guidance that can get you moving towards your own success.
Nothing happens until action is taken.
To your success.
Michael
P.S if you want to find out more about my programs just check out the site Confidence and Life Coaching
P.P.S. I am offering a free, no obligation Wheel of Life consulting and exercise session for three people each day. You can book the session at https://calendly.com/michael-coach/focused-program-45-minute
