Sometimes the biggest limitations we have in life are the ones that we impose on ourselves and have in our own minds.

We are all born with unlimited potential but on occasions we simply get in our own way and make life more complicated than it needs to be. There is a great quotation by Confucius, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated!”

When I was completing my coaching skills training in 2001, I was taught a very simple but powerful formula that I have subsequently used with thousands of people to help them identify and deal with the obstacles to them being the very best that they can be.

The formula is:-

Performance = Potential – Interference

It was devised by Timothy Gallwey who previously worked as a tennis coach. He said that on a tennis court the biggest opponent is not the one you are playing against but the one up in your own head.

His book “The Inner Game of Work” is all about helping people overcoming mental obstacles for maximum performance. His has also written books called “The Inner Game of Tennis” and “The Inner Game of Golf”.

Gallwey claimed that performance in any activity, from hitting a tennis ball to solving a complex business problem, was equal to one’s potential after the interference factor had been subtracted from the equation.

Performance rarely equals potential. A little interference is all it takes to greatly diminish one’s actual performance.

Some common examples of interferences (obstacles) are self- doubt, fear, lack of confidence, self- condemnation and negative self –talk, procrastination, self-consciousness, busy mind etc.

One of the biggest interferences is fear or as I like to call it “False Expectations Appearing Real!”

I was once told we are only born with just two fears – the fear of noise and the fear of falling down. Every other fear that we have is a learned behaviour.

The good news about interferences including fear, is that as it is a learned behaviour, we can unlearn it! It requires us to form some new habits and behaviours

90% of what we do each day is habit! Changing our daily habits and rituals allows us to get out of our own way.

In his book “Habit busting” Pete Cohen gives guidance and tips on how to break habits. He suggests that it takes 21 days to break a habit. So patience and determination are required to achieve a change in habits.

This week why not spend some time thinking about how you get in your own way? Is there something that you would you like to change or are you happy to keep things as they are?

If you decide that you would like to change something, you may find it helpful to get clear on your motivation for doing so. Getting clarity on your motivating factors ensures that if the going gets tough and challenging you can remind yourself of your reasons for wanting things to change so that you persevere.

Also you may find it helpful to think about what resources and people are available to support you with the change?

When you are clear about the above you can start taking some action.

Remember small actions are better than no action and that nothing happens or changes without action.

Good luck!

This week’s quotation:

“Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have” Norman Vincent Peale

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk