Bolster Your Belief
Another important area to understand is how our beliefs affect our performance. A belief is different than a fact in that a belief is a feeling of certainty about something, while a fact is indisputable. For example, I could believe I am a good husband and say, “I feel certain I am a good husband.” While I can find references—life experiences that back up a belief—to support this statement, such as telling my wife, Stevi, I love her and doing things for her, there is no indisputable evidence or scientific facts supporting this feeling of certainty, therefore it is a belief and not a fact.
Focused goal-setting and solid beliefs about yourself and your potential are as much a part of success as practicing good riding habits. Photo by Kailey Sullins
This is important to understand, because many times, we think beliefs about ourselves are indisputable facts. We do not realize our beliefs are supported by references we choose. I could find references supporting my belief that I am a good husband, but unfortunately, I can also find references to support the belief, if I wanted to have one, that I am a bad husband. There are plenty of times I behaved in ways Stevi could believe I am a terrible husband. Which belief you choose to focus on is what makes the difference in how you feel about yourself, which determines the actions you take.
If you believe you are a terrible competitor and that you are not capable of achieving your goals, you can probably find references to support your belief. You can think of times you choked or tried and were unsuccessful. However, if you wanted to believe you can become a good competitor and accomplish your competition goals, I bet you could find references to support this new belief. I bet you could think of several times you had to learn new skills to achieve a goal, such as studying to pass a test to advance to the next grade or learning to drive a car so you could get your driver’s license. If you chose to do it, you could focus on these references to support a new belief that you have everything it takes to become a good competitor, as long as you are willing to do the work.
It’s truly that simple to change a belief. Find enough references from your own life or other people’s lives and think about what is possible, and with enough repetition, you will condition this new belief until it becomes second nature. This is very important to understand, because one of our deepest needs is to live up to the way we believe ourselves to be. When we believe something about ourselves, our brain works hard to make it a reality, whether the belief is true or not.
If I believe I will never compete well under pressure, I never will—guaranteed. I will constantly reinforce my belief with references supporting this as true, and I will self-sabotage myself every time I have the opportunity to change it because I have identified myself as not being capable to compete under pressure.
Like Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.” However, if I adopt the belief, backed by references, that I have everything it takes to be a great competitor and condition the new belief by doing the work required, I do indeed have everything it takes to become a fierce competitor.
Prelude of Things to Come
I understand how goals and beliefs may not seem very exciting to study, but the best peak performance strategies in the world will not help you compete better if you do not have a clear picture of what you want to achieve or if you indulge in limiting beliefs.
In the next two articles, I will discuss how you can learn to control your emotions and put on your game face, regardless of how you feel. I will also discuss how to feel confident consistently, despite your history and past performance. Remember, if you want consistent success, you must prepare to win.
This article was originally published in the April 2017 issue of Barrel Horse News. Email comments on this article to [email protected].
