Persistence - in breaking down you own resistance

By John Sproson

Tenacity is usually defined as “the refusal to give up, specifically when confronted with opposition”.

There are are numerous tips and techniques for bringing about change and becoming more confident as a result. We can only make progress by giving up old habits in favour of the new ones; by changing old beliefs. It demands a different kind of persistence.

The resistance we encounter here originates from inside.

We can be our own worst enemy.

We become expert at finding ‘evidence’ to support our current beliefs and talking ourselves into keeping them. Conversations like “I knew that would happen,’ ‘It’s always the same”. And worst of all, “‘I’m never any good at doing that kind of thing.’ So we form a comfort zone that puts a limit on our abilities.

We have to choose knowingly to set ourselves brand new values and persevere with ourselves in implementing them.

- Write down a belief you have that stops you performing at your best ("I can’t walk into a room full of strangers.", for example).
- Write down the self-talk that goes with this belief (“I am hopeless at this.”).
- Describe the comfort zone this places you in (“Meeting strangers fills me with fear so I don’t include it in my list of skills.”).
- State the opposite of your limiting belief (“I look forward to walking into a room full of strangers and feel genuinely positive about doing so.”).
- Write down the new and positive self-talk that goes with this belief (“Walking into a room full of strangers is something I feel confident about.”).
- Describe the new and expanded comfort zone this places you in.
- What is it like having this new belief?
- Visualise yourself when you have this new belief ("I see myself walking into a room full of strangers, being welcomed and chatting confidently.").
- As someone with this new found belief, take a walk and act as if you are living this new belief; become your new belief.

Now persist until your new belief becomes your “real belief”.

About the Author:

John Sproson works as a business coach and mentor to build self-confidence in professional business people and in organisational teams. He writes extensively online and blogs on how to build self confidence and uses a solution focussed approach.