Six tips to turn belief into opportunity

Like it or not, what we believe is key to what we achieve. Look at it this way, to be successful you must first believe that you can achieve success in the first place. People who believe that they can be successful, organise themselves towards their chosen objective and pursue it until they achieve success. Meanwhile, those who doubt, choose not to organise their effort towards an objective and therefore succeed in achieving nothing. Isn’t it sobering to think that doubt is indeed its own belief system, albeit one that traps people in mediocrity and limits their access to opportunity?

So how do you re-model and recharge your belief system? Well here are my six steps to turn belief into opportunity.

1. Aim for something that you don’t have 

If you have nothing to aim for you have nothing to believe for and if you have nothing to believe for you have nothing to reach for. Whether you have a big vision or a smaller personal target, having something to aim for means that your belief can provide a bridge to get you from where you are to where-ever you want to be.

2. Start with reasons why you should, not the reasons why you shouldn’t 

If you are going to change your belief system your pre-disposition must be geared towards the reasons why you ‘should’ do things as opposed to the reasons why you ‘should not’. A can do attitude opens up your thought pathways to fresh ideas, new possibilities and innovative solutions that take you closer to your success. By contrast, a can’t do attitude crowds out solutions and makes it easier for you to do nothing.

3. Be comfortable with being outside your comfort-zone

Everyone knows their comfort zone. It is a place where we feel least threat, least risk and are most assured. However, it is also the place where we are least likely to be tested and least likely to experience dynamic growth and progression. As a rule of thumb, anything that doesn’t require investment will invariably deliver a nil return.

4. Beware the path of least resistance

Someone once said that ‘you should never second guess your first instinct’, well I beg to differ. Remember, when we face challenges or crises our first instinct is often to travel the path of least resistance. Unfortunately, the path of least resistance often delays and defers until tomorrow what we ought to do today. Things that are easy may be attractive, but ultimately they offer little reward. By contrast, real recognition and a true sense of accomplishment is to be found, when we do the awkward and difficult thing.

5. Be inspired by yourself and others

There is nothing more inspiring than the experience of getting something done or seeing others do it. When you have experience of succeeding it inspires you to go again and to reach further and higher than before. Likewise, the achievements of others can blaze a trail and open up opportunities that you might not have thought possible. Yes it is possible that you may believe and still fail, but for sure if you do nothing you will achieve nothing.

6. Do not make or accept excuses 

Few things are more self destructive than the excuse. Those who make excuses only serve to disempower themselves and justify their mediocrity. People who get in the habit of making excuses quickly become complacent and those that believe their excuses end up in a state of denial. By all means assess evidence, appraise options and reflect soberly, but never make excuses.

Belief is an incredibly powerful tool that, once harnessed, can have a transformational impact on our lives and on the lives of those around us. However, in order for this to happen, we need to make sure that our belief system is working for us and not against us.