Why ‘Believing in Yourself’ is NOT Enough!
Roger Federer won an astounding 8th Wimbledon title yesterday, taking his grand slam total to an unprecedented 19. His on court interview, post victory, was very interesting and gave a glimpse into the mind set of a champion. When questioned by Sue Barker, he had this to say,
“I always believed that I could come back and do it again. And if you believe, you can go really far in your life and I think I did that and I’m happy. I kept on believing and dreaming and here I am today for the 8th. It’s fantastic.”
What can you learn from this?
Clearly, belief in your chances of winning and the freedom to have an outrageous dream (even if you’re Federer, winning Wimbledon 1 month short of your 36th birthday is still unheard of), alongside his amazing natural talent, is a big part of Federer’s success.
But how far can belief take you?
My own experience is somewhat different. I have a cast iron belief in my book (and future books) selling 1 million copies (my equivalent of winning Wimbledon) and have never stopped dreaming since I first had this idea back in 2002. However, I’m SOOO far (at least in numerical terms) from realising this dream that it makes me wonder if belief alone, is enough to ensure success.
I don’t think it is. In fact, I think there is something more powerful than the power of belief — THE POWER OF FOCUS.
What you continually focus on with passionate intensity, will determine what you experience. Let me explain.
Although I have not achieved my stated life’s dream, my life has dramatically changed since 2002. Back then I was lost. I had hardly any friends, no social life, no girlfriend, zero interests or passions that could I possibly make money from, was living with my parents and had no money of my own. What’s more, I felt completely disillusioned with life. Most days I felt numb. Maybe I wasn’t clinically depressed, but I never felt happy or excited.
Now, I do the work I love, earn enough money to support myself without worry, have a huge amount of positive energy, am happy, have a wonderful girlfriend and friends and am no longer lost.
I’ve come to realise, through religiously journaling these last 15 years, that I made this transformation through the power of focus. At every stage in my life and progression, since 2002, I have always focused on getting to the next level. And with enough time, I always did.
You see I believed right from the start, but this wasn’t enough. I had to focus as well. I had to discipline my mind to constantly dwell upon the things I wanted to experience and achieve. I also had to be actively involved with the life I desired. Sometimes it’s not enough, or very difficult, to focus your mind on greatness when your reality is working in an environment that drains you of your energy. Therefore, a big part of the power of focus, is spending time engaged or involved in the life you want to live.
Looking back on my journey, I also saw how I’d held myself back through incorrect use of the power of focus. All of those mental arguments I engaged in over the years, wasting hours, weeks, months, arguing with people in my head, attempting to convince them of my point of view. All the distractions and trivia I allowed myself to dwell on (what was happening on TV, why my favourite fighter/player should have won the contest, what I was going to eat that evening) only weakened my power. Then there were the self-doubts (although, admittedly, these were more at the start of my journey). My mind was a breeding ground for what I couldn’t do.
Looking back, it’s clear why I haven’t achieved the 1 million book sales I desire. It’s had little to do with belief, it’s down to a lack of focus. I’ve spent too many years drifting, arguing and doubting in my head. That’s what’s stopped me, and I wonder if it’s stopping you?
Please don’t get me wrong, though, I don’t mean to rubbish the power of belief. I’m a huge believer in it. In fact, you can’t achieve anything unless you first of all believe. Belief makes the dream possible. However, I don’t think that belief alone is enough. Unless you’re Roger Federer that is!
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Image taken from Marianne Bevls photostream flickr.com
