Welcome to reThink Your Perspective’s blog. To listen to this episode as a Podcast, click here!
This blog is dedicated to finding, sharing and discussing a variety of topics around the struggles our clients and audience go through. Each episode we will discuss a key concept that many humans struggle with and give you a variety of perspectives for you to see the concept through so you can find one that makes it feel easier to deal with.
We hope that you get some benefit from these blog posts, and we would love to hear your thoughts! Don’t hesitate to like, share and comment at the links.
This instalment features a book which was first suggested to me in several of the ‘Thinking Into Results’* lessons created by Bob Proctor and Sandy Gallagher at the Proctor Gallagher Institute, as well as in many of the live calls, mentoring sessions and other videos I have been watching during my journey and is one that I highly recommend on all of my own live sessions.
It is a truly revolutionary book.
Considering it was first published in 1960, it is astounding to me that it has not become a key text in schools around the world as the information contained within would make every single human a better and more productive person. Not only for the good of our species but for them as individuals as well.
The book is available in most good book shops, online and in person, and I highly recommend you get yourself a copy if my write ups resonate with you. I hope they do the book justice but they are only small snippets.
Stay tuned for my reviews over the next couple of weeks as I re-populate and update these blog posts which were originally written in 2022. My version of the book has space for reflection on each of the chapters so I have included my thoughts at the bottom of each of the chapter summaries.
* – Thinking Into Results is a life altering program that opens your mind to the limitless possibilities you have within you. Using 12 lessons ranging from adjusting your self-image, through leadership qualities and praxis, to the knowing-doing gap, this program is designed and proven to change your life in every way in your relationships, finances, careers, wellbeing and many other areas of your life. Get in touch if you want to know more about this program!
Chapter 2 – Discovering The Success Mechanism Within You.
Chapter 2 of “Psycho-Cybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz is all about how our brains work like a guided missile system. Just like a missile adjusts its course to reach its target, our brains can help us achieve our goals if we give them the right instructions.
Imagine your brain as a super smart robot that follows the instructions you give it. If you tell it negative things like “I can’t do this” or “I’m not good enough,” it will believe you and act accordingly. But if you give it positive instructions like “I can do this” or “I am capable,” it will help you succeed.
Our auto-mechanism is teleological*, orientated to an ‘end results’ goal and will supply the means when you supply the goal. Brian Tracy once said,
We cannot stress or force ideas to come as they won’t. We must simply focus on the goal with full belief that we will achieve it, and the path will appear.
Brian Tracy
It is also good to note at this point that your mechanism will work towards ANY goal you give it. Negative or positive, whether you realise that you have given it or not. Your goal is what you think about, so if you think about debt, it will provide more debt. If you think about prosperity and earning money, it will provide steps to prosperity and earning more money.
* Teleological – relating to or involving the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than the cause by which they arise.
Fail Your Way To Success With Your Success Mechanism!
All servomechanisms fail their way to success by constantly responding to negative feedback and then making corrections. Mistakes are growth-spurts. The rockets that head to the Space Station are constantly making navigation corrections every time they get off course by a few degrees. A thermostat turns on the boiler and adds more heat when it notices the temperature in the room drops below a certain point. Every mechanism constantly monitors and adjusts, and our mechanism does the same.
Skill learning is by trial and error. You must train your body one step at a time. Each ‘successful’ motion allows you to imitate it and continue learning. While errors help you to correct and try different ways. Over time you forget the unsuccessful attempts. Focus on the successful attempts and your body is then able to complete the skill almost unconsciously. Like riding a bike, or writing, you hardly have to think of what to do. Your body just does it once it knows how.
For the servomechanism, the creative mechanism, to work in the most efficient manner, you must be open and relaxed. Anxiety over whether it will work or attempting to force it with too much conscious effort will jam it. You must let it work not make it work. It operates spontaneously according to the present need. Coming into operation as you act, so always act like you have whatever your goal is already.
How To Integrate This Chapter Into Your Own Life
One tip from this chapter is to practice giving your brain positive instructions every day. This could be by repeating affirmations like “I am confident” or “I am brave” to yourself. By doing this, you are programming your brain to believe in your abilities and help you achieve your goals.
Another tip is to visualise yourself succeeding. Close your eyes and imagine yourself doing well in whatever you want to achieve. This helps your brain see the outcome you desire and motivates you to work towards it.
Remember, your brain is a powerful tool that can help you achieve great things. By giving it positive instructions and visualising your success, you can train it to support you in reaching your goals.
The copy of the book I have has spaces after each chapter to write and reflect on an experience from your past that is explained by the principles given in the chapter.
This is what came up for me:
I came up with two.
Target Shooting – Whenever I was relaxed and not trying to hard was when I got the best shots and best results. My skills just worked by themselves to achieve the goal of the best score possible. Context for you. I was in the Army Cadets as a teenager and found I had a natural skill for target shooting. Starting with air rifles and progressing up to 7.62 Target rifles. I was a part of the Great Britain Under 19s Team that went to Canada in the summers of 2004 and 2005.
Exams – Those I tried to force by doing too much revision and worrying over I got low marks. Those I was care free and confident about, that I knew I knew and enjoyed the subject I passed with flying colours.
What Do You Think?
What is coming up for you after reading this summary? Comment below or send me a message. I would love to help you uncover your success mechanism and get it working more efficiently for you.
To your success,
Jaiye
