THE NINE PRINCIPLES OF EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENT (2)

2.THE “I CAN” CREDO


You are capable of those things you are capable of believing. Or, to put it another way, you should always “act as if you can.” With this right mental attitude, you can then find out the truth regarding your innate potential by living out the experience.

Far too many of us do the opposite: we decide ahead of time that we can’t. We think we’re too old, too young, too poor, too hopeless, not blessed with the right parents. The list goes on and on, developing into a litany of negative, limiting language and beliefs. And the outcome is always the same : “I can’t!”

Negative thinking limits performance. Turn the negative around, and suddenly the impossible becomes possible. When you believe and think “I can,” you activate your motivation, commitment, confidence, concentration, all of which relate directly to maximum achievement. If you think “I can’t,” on the other hand, you sabotage your chances of achieving your goals.


Over the years, I’ve interviewed a wide range of high achievers – from Olympic athletes to Nobel Prize honorees – and during those interviews I’ve noticed one clear and consistent pattern : The most successful people think like winners!

The “I can” belief forms the foundation of their approach to all things in life. They refuse to accept “I can’t” unless they’ve collected objective data showing that a goal is beyond their grasp. Even then, they don’t say “I can’t.” They simply reformulate their goals to move them within reach. The same approach will work for you.


Excerpted From What Makes The Great GREAT?, Dr. Dennis P. Kimbro, PhD, First Main Street Books, 1998.