We all know exactly what we should be doing with our time, and our lives. Despite that, sometimes we just don’t do it. Why is that?
When we think of what prevents people from doing what they know, we have to look at their learning models, as humans. We all operate through learned models. Some operate through learning models of achievement and some operate through learning models of failure. Either way, they are learning models. There’s 3 components to a learning model:
- Awareness
- Belief
- Understanding and application of the principles in the model
Take for example, a six-year-old learning to ride a bike. It all starts with the awareness of the desire to ride a bike. (As humans, we all have a desire to be, do or have more. It’s in our DNA. It’s part of us.) The child begins to explore his belief in his ability to succeed at bike riding. He lacks the belief he can ride because he hasn’t ever done it…up until now. If he didn’t believe he could do it, or do it as well as others, he might sabotage himself. He sabotages because he begins to outperform his level of belief. He defaults back to the old pattern, the status quo, of not knowing how to ride a bike.
We see this all the time in students when they prepare for the SAT test. They take the classes, learn the skills and then blow the test. We say they are bad test takers, when in actuality, they have reached their own level of belief. They aren’t sure they can perform well on the test.
We never outperform our belief level. Until our belief level about who we are and what we can do changes, we can be skilled as all get out, but we don’t export that skill.
The third part of this is understanding and applying the skillsets. Most people don’t perform their past behavior because they never get past their level of belief. At some point in the six-year-old’s life, the desire to ride overcomes every fear, doubt and worry he has about riding. He watches the others and pictures himself there with them. Someone shows up to show him, to teach him balance and encourage him. The child doesn’t even care if he is ridiculed for falling because his vision of himself riding a bike has expanded beyond his fear of failure. When he falls, he gets back up and continually tries. Eventually, he succeeds!!
This is exactly how we turn learning models of failure into learning models of success. Once we become aware of a new desire to be, do or have more, we explore our beliefs. Yes, we may not be experienced in this new desire. It might be true that we don’t have a clue on how to achieve this new desire or goal.
I don’t know who said this, but I believe it, because I have lived it.
“If the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.”
To change my learning model, my experience has been to build an image within my mind that’s an entirely new image. Then I begin living the new image I want AS IF I already in the new image that I want to express. It’s interesting how people, opportunities and ideas show up to help me understand and apply the principles in the new model that I envision. With practice, time and belief, I can build this new image on the outside. It’s just like learning to ride a bike!
I hope this makes sense. In the fall, I will be faciltating a 90 day program to challenge and change old belief systems. There will be more details to come in the next couple of emails. In the meantime, explore some of your learning models. Why do you not do what you know you should do? If you have questions, shoot me an email. Don’t beat yourself up, just become aware of where you want change. Think about who you want to become, what you want to do or have and know that it’s possible.
Dreaming bigger,
Jan
Comments are closed.