In my work, I meet superbly talented individuals who do a great job limiting their own progress, and I meet people who would describe themselves as having distinctly average intellect and talent, who consistently exceed others’ expectations of them. The difference? In my opinion, the thinking patterns a person has – whether helpful or unhelpful – have a lot to do with it. We all have thought patterns that work away, like the mind’s operating system, in our subconscious. Examples include mind-reading, filtering, and personalisation. It requires curiosity and humility to become aware of and address the more distorted patterns that cloud our judgement or limit our potential.  More below.

Olivia Meyrick, Founder & Executive Coach, Cadence

CADENCE CURATION

READ:  Live in the Present | Marshall Goldsmith | (5 mins)

One way to stop unhelpful thinking is to become a “master of being present”, according to management guru, Marshall Goldsmith. Through the analogy of golf, he explains that “when [top] golfers play the shot in front of them, they are being supremely rational and disinterested (that is, neutral), divorced from past or future concerns that may cloud their judgment”.

CADENCE TOOL-KIT

Many people confuse what they think and feel (their perception) with factual reality.

Use this Cadence tool – Beating Unhelpful Thinking (PDF) – to become familiar with common thinking traps and learn practical ways to overcome them.

ANY OTHER BUSINESS

“Am I being the person that I want to be right now?”. This question is the most useful tool for promoting mindfulness (i.e. being more present) that I have ever used. I recommend it to other ‘Type As’ out there – try it.