In today’s results-driven world, coaching has become one of the fastest-growing industries globally, and with good reason. Whether you’re a life coach, business coach, or performance coach, your clients come to you with one primary goal: transformation. But if you’re not trained in the science of how people think, behave, and change, you’re operating at a disadvantage. That’s why I believe Coaches should learn Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).
NLP: The Missing Link in Coaching Mastery
Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, is a behavioral science developed in the 1970s by Richard Bandler and John Grinder. It explores the relationship between neurological processes (neuro), language (linguistic), and learned behavioral patterns (programming). Simply put, NLP is the study of how our mind works, how we communicate internally and externally, and how we can reprogram unhelpful habits and thought patterns.
For coaches, NLP is not just useful — it’s transformative and that’s why Coaches should learn Neuro Linguistic Programming.
💡 1. 90% of Success Comes From Mindset — And NLP Is Mindset Mastery
There’s an often-cited principle in high-performance psychology that says:
“Success is 90% mindset and 10% strategy.“
While this may sound cliché, it’s backed by research. Studies from the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center found that people with a growth-oriented mindset — one rooted in optimism, self-belief, and resilience — consistently outperform others, even when skill levels are equal.
So what does this mean for coaches?
If you’re only giving your clients strategies, but not addressing how they think, how they process failure or how they internally speak to themselves, you’re likely watching them sabotage progress again and again. It’s like giving someone a map but never teaching them how to drive.
With NLP tools, you gain access to techniques that help reframe limiting beliefs, remove internal blocks, and install powerful success-oriented thinking patterns. And when your client’s mindset shifts, everything else follows.
2. NLP Offers Practical Tools You Can Use Immediately
Unlike some abstract psychological theories, NLP is hands-on. It provides real-world tools that can be used in coaching sessions right away. Some of the most powerful include:
Anchoring: Installing empowering emotional states like confidence or focus on demand.
Reframing: Helping clients change how they perceive setbacks or trauma.
Swish patterns: Breaking destructive habits or thought loops rapidly.
Meta-model questioning: Cutting through vague or limiting language to reveal core beliefs.
These tools allow you to go far deeper than surface-level advice. You’ll be able to shift someone’s internal world — not just their external actions.
3. The Science Behind NLP’s Effectiveness
While NLP itself has had mixed reviews in the academic community (largely due to inconsistencies in early definitions and methodologies), newer research into neuroplasticity, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and language-based change models supports many of NLP’s foundational principles.
For instance:
Neuroplasticity shows that the brain is capable of rewiring itself based on thought patterns and repeated behavior — a concept NLP embraced decades ago.
CBT relies heavily on reframing thoughts and changing internal dialogue — techniques mirrored in NLP.
Research published in journals like Frontiers in Psychology confirms that language plays a critical role in shaping our reality and decision-making.
NLP may have been ahead of its time, but modern neuroscience continues to validate the core idea: change your thoughts, and you change your life.
4. Most Clients Are Stuck Emotionally, Not Strategically
As a coach, you’ve probably seen this pattern: a client knows what to do, but they’re not doing it.
They have a plan… but can’t get started.
They have goals… but keep sabotaging them.
They’ve read the books… but feel stuck.
This isn’t a strategy issue — it’s a mindset issue.
Until you can help a client shift emotionally and neurologically, progress will be slow, frustrating, and unsustainable. NLP gives you the tools to identify emotional blocks and shift them in real time — sometimes in a single session.
5. Stand Out in a Crowded Coaching Market
Let’s face it: the coaching industry is booming — but it’s also crowded. Everyone claims to be a mindset expert or transformation guide. So how do you set yourself apart?
By bringing measurable, rapid change to your clients — something NLP-trained coaches can consistently deliver.
NLP gives you credibility, structure, and outcomes. When your clients experience profound internal shifts and achieve faster results, you become unforgettable — and that leads to more referrals, better testimonials, and increased demand.
6. If You Can’t Help Clients Change Their Mindset, You’re Just Spinning Your Wheels
Here’s the hard truth: If you can’t help your clients change the way they think, you’re just giving them temporary band-aids.
You’re telling them to push harder, try more, be more disciplined — but not showing them how to remove the internal resistance that’s creating the problem in the first place.
Without mindset change, strategy is futile. You’ll spend your sessions repeating the same surface-level advice while your client wonders why nothing sticks.
NLP cuts through that cycle. It allows you to go beneath the surface, diagnose the real issue, and shift it for good.
7. Clients Are Demanding Deeper Results
Today’s clients are more self-aware and expect transformational results, not just accountability or cheerleading. They want to:
Overcome fear and self-doubt
Break long-standing patterns
Feel empowered, confident, and clear
Create lasting change — not just temporary motivation
In summary: If you can deliver this level of impact, you’ll be in the top 5% of coaches. NLP is your gateway to delivering that depth and transformation consistently.
As a Master Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Brain Untrainer, and Coach, I regularly work with individuals who feel stuck, trapped in loops of self-doubt, burnout, and mental roadblocks. Often, the real issue isn’t a lack of ideas or talent. It’s a lack of creative flexibility and a mindset that’s become fixed in frustration.
One of the most inspiring stories I’ve had the privilege to witness is that of Mary Coz, a student in our Life Coach + NLP Practitioner Training program. Mary had created something incredible—a unique number puzzle she believed had the potential to rival Sudoku. For over 11 years, she refined her idea, iterated versions, and approached countless publishers. Yet the response was silence, closed doors, and disappointment. Despite her dedication, her belief in the puzzle’s commercial potential began to fade. She was burnt out and emotionally exhausted.
Enter Mary’s brother, Peter Malliaros. With a background in entrepreneurship and a keen eye for mindset, Peter made an astute observation: the real challenge wasn’t Mary’s product, but her neural patterning—a deeply ingrained loop of frustration and anticipated failure. Mary wasn’t lacking in creativity. After all, she used it to invent her puzzle in the first place. But she was stuck in a fixed idea of how her creation “should” come to market.
What Creativity Really Means
Many think of creativity as simply the act of producing something new. But research tells us otherwise. According to a 2016 review published in Frontiers in Psychology, creativity is the ability to generate ideas that are both novel and useful. Importantly, it requires cognitive flexibility—the capacity to switch perspectives and break habitual thought patterns.¹
That’s exactly what Mary needed. She didn’t require more work on the puzzle itself—she needed to rewire how she thought about success, opportunity, and distribution.
Unlocking a New Vision
When Mary and I began working together, it was clear that her brand needed a creative shift. The original puzzle was called Buskpal—a name that lacked immediate resonance or clarity. Given its diamond-like shape and its goal of sharpening the mind, I suggested a new name: DiMINDz—a play on “diamond” and “mind.”
Mary loved it. A small act of creative rebranding became a catalyst for a much larger mindset shift. We continued to pitch the product—to publishers, distributors, even major media outlets. One distributor offered us a deal to stock DiMINDz in Aldi and Woolworths… for five cents per copy. A hard no.
Even though The New York Times had recently acquired the viral game Wordle for an undisclosed sum, other major players like News Limited failed to seize the opportunity DiMINDz offered. Rejections continued, often due to closed submission policies, lack of literary agents, or legal red tape like refusing to sign our Non-Disclosure Agreement.
At that point, many would have quit. But as Richard Branson once said:
“I’m not a quitter. I’m a tryer” – Richard Branson
We took that to heart.
Creativity + Grit = Momentum
Psychological research backs what we did next. A 2018 study published in Personality and Individual Differences found that creativity, when combined with grit—the perseverance to push through obstacles—is a powerful predictor of long-term success.² This blend of flexible thinking and relentless action was exactly what Mary embodied.
So we backed ourselves.
On May 6, 2025, we launched DiMINDz independently on Amazon. On its first day, it hit #5 in the Sudoku category. Within days, it became a #1 Amazon Best Seller, eclipsing Sudoku itself.
“It took 11 years to bring this product to life—but only a few months of the right mindset to bring it to the world”- Mary Coz, DiMINDz creator.
The Science Behind Creative Breakthroughs
From a neurological perspective, creativity isn’t just a personality trait—it’s a trainable cognitive function. According to neuroscience research published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, creativity is associated with increased activity in the default mode network (DMN), a brain system involved in imagination and introspection.³ By “untraining” habitual thought patterns and shifting into states of curiosity and possibility, we can literally open new neurological pathways that fuel innovative thinking.
In NLP, we call this pattern interruption—deliberately disrupting entrenched thought loops to invite new interpretations and strategies. When you’re stuck, it’s not your intelligence that’s failing you. It’s your rigid thinking. And that, fortunately, is changeable.
Final Thoughts: Creativity Is a Choice
Mary’s story is proof that creativity isn’t just for artists or inventors. It’s for anyone facing a challenge with no clear solution. Whether you’re trying to launch a product, change careers, or simply find your way forward in life, your ability to shift perspective is your greatest asset.
And if you need a little help getting unstuck? That’s where I come in.
Benedek, M., & Fink, A. (2016). Toward a neurocognitive framework of creative cognition: The role of memory, attention, and cognitive control. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 611.
Karwowski, M., & Lebuda, I. (2018). The Big Five, the Huge Two, and the Complex Creativity. Personality and Individual Differences, 118, 96–100.
Beaty, R. E., et al. (2016). Creativity and the default network: A functional connectivity analysis of the creative brain at rest. Neuropsychologia, 92, 92–97.
Back in the 1960s, martial arts icon Bruce Lee shared a powerful insight:
“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
Lee, known as “The Little Dragon,” was likely unaware that around the same time, researchers at George Williams College in Chicago were conducting pioneering work in exercise science. In 1961, they published findings that would align perfectly with Lee’s philosophy of going beyond limits.
Pushing Beyond Limits: Are Human Boundaries Real?
We now understand that human performance isn’t fixed—it’s flexible and influenced by numerous factors. There are moments when we surprise ourselves with unexpected endurance or strength, and others when we fall short of our known capabilities.
This idea—that we can consistently go beyond limits—was a central theme in Dr E Paul Zehr‘s book Becoming Batman, and continues to fascinate both scientists and athletes alike.
A Groundbreaking Study on Human Strength
In a landmark 1961 study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers Michio Ikai and Arthur H. Steinhaus explored the psychological and physiological influences on muscle strength. The title was modest—“Some Factors Modifying the Expression of Human Strength”—but its impact was huge.
Participants were asked to perform maximum-effort biceps contractions under various conditions, including:
Loud vocal shouts before exertion
The sudden firing of a pistol
Hypnosis suggesting either strength or weakness
Use of alcohol, amphetamines, and adrenaline
These intense and sometimes ethically questionable methods aimed to test what helps people push beyond their limits. The results showed that motivation and psychological state could significantly impact strength—by as much as 30% in some cases.
The Mind–Muscle Connection: Going Beyond Physical Limits
Although some of the substances used (like adrenaline and amphetamines) directly affect the muscles, the takeaway was clear: mental state plays a major role in determining how much force our bodies can produce. In their words:
“In every voluntarily executed all-out maximal effort, psychological rather than physiological factors determine the limits of performance.”
Though slightly overstated, the underlying truth holds up: we are often capable of more, and unlocking that potential means learning how to go beyond limits.
Hysterical Strength: Breaking Barriers in Emergency Situations
We’ve all heard stories of people performing superhuman feats under extreme stress—lifting a car to save someone, for example. These cases, often labeled as “hysterical strength,” show just how far we can go in fight-or-flight situations when safety regulators in the brain are bypassed.
The study showed up to 30% increases in muscle force under high-stress conditions. If you extend that boost to the entire body, it represents a major leap in capacity—another clear example of what it means to perform beyond limits.
Why We Can’t Stay in the Red Zone
However, living at those extremes comes at a cost. The body has safety systems in place for a reason. Pushing to maximum output constantly would lead to injury or breakdown. Evolution has hardwired us to stay within a safe operating range, using peak capacity only when absolutely necessary.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t train ourselves to expand that range—gradually and safely going beyond limits in everyday life.
Training for Disinhibition: How Athletes Push Beyond Limits
One of the most interesting aspects of the original study was the observation that trained weightlifters were less affected by external stimuli. These individuals had already learned, through experience and conditioning, to access their full capacity.
This process involves disinhibition—removing mental or neurological “brakes” that limit performance. It’s not always about trying harder; sometimes it’s about unlocking what’s already there.
Biologically, this concept has a parallel: the myostatin gene. It acts as a molecular limiter for muscle growth. In animals (and rare human cases) with reduced myostatin, muscles grow dramatically because the natural cap has been removed. In other words, the body goes beyond limits when the genetic restriction is lifted.
Beyond Limits in Everyday Life
You don’t need to lift cars or inject adrenaline to push beyond limits. The key lies in making conscious, daily decisions to challenge your perceived boundaries. Whether it’s sticking to a workout, learning a new skill, or simply staying focused when it’s hard—you have the power to go beyond what you think is possible.
Bruce Lee said it best:
“Using no way as way, and having no limitation as limitation.”
That mindset—limitless, adaptable, and determined—is the foundation for unlocking greater performance in every area of life. If you’re aiming for growth, whether physical, mental, or emotional, make it a habit to lean in when it gets tough. That’s where the real transformation happens. That’s what it means to live beyond limits.
Every leader appreciates that stress-free decision-making is a key component of growth. More so, decisions shape your career and define history. Decisions determine your pedigree and lead to your greatest victories or your vilification. We judge our best leaders at the worst of times. We scrutinise their ability to make high-impact decisions quickly. Usually while they are under pressure, and in a complex and uncertain environment.
To reach the height of your career aspirations, stress-free decision-making must develop as early as possible. While Navy Seals embrace a 3-Step Decision process:
Gather Input
Decide When to Decide, and
Be Willing (and Ready) to Course Correct
The business leader’s landscape is like a battlefield. Whether you’re a manager or business owner, the terrain is a political minefield of conflicting agendas. Any one decision may rouse the rebels. Shareholders, department heads, staff, unions, governing bodies all have differing goals and rules. The job of making decisions is a balance point between achievements and casualties.
Making laser-fast decisions requires one decision first.
Jeff Bezos bares a reputation in Amazon of making laser-fast decisions. His first decision determines if the decision is a one-way or two-way door. Two-way doors are decisions that have little real consequence. You can always change your mind and walk back through the door. One-way doors are the opposite. Once you go through, you can never go back — at least not without significant consequences. Bezos relies on a simple framework to make decisions. He rations overthinking and instils more clarity and confidence. Bezos believes it’s costly to wait too long with two-way door decisions. He figures that it’s better to go ahead and make the decision than waste precious time. If it happens to be wrong, you can always go back and do a Navy Seal course correction. You’ll still be moving through life much more quickly, allowing you to focus on other areas of your business(es).
Great decisions need all three brains.
The greatest recipes come from unusual combinations. Take the topic of decision-making. Now add three experts in the areas of the gut-brain, the heart-brain and the mind-brain. Enter Dr. Arun Dhir MD, a GI Surgeon and gut specialist. Dada Nabhaniilananda a Monk and an intuitive specialist. Finally, R!k Schnabel a Brain Untrainer and expert on the mind and predictive behaviour.
All agree that while most decisions utilise the cephalic brain or head brain. Their decisions so-often deny the cardiac or heart brain and the enteric or gut brain. This is why overwhelm and procrastination stifle many decision makers.
For this reason, Dhir, Nabhaniilananda and Schnabel are running The Leadership Edge. A retreat for decision makers to hone their decisive skills. The retreat will be a combination of education and implementation, coupled with some restorative activities. For more information visit: the Leader’s Edge Retreat Website or watch the video below …
Managing finances can be challenging, especially for women. In today’s society, women often struggle with issues like the gender pay gap, which means they get paid less than men. Societal norms can also limit women from achieving high-paying jobs, as they often face more scrutiny regarding their abilities and expertise. Many also lack financial know-how, as men usually handle the money in the family’s budget. However, times have changed, and while these issues haven’t been eliminated, women now have more tools, resources, and opportunities to manage their money and do so independently. How do women improve their wealth? Here’s how independent women can elevate their finances:
Take control of your money
As an independent woman, your finances should be under your personal control rather than letting a spouse or partner manage your funds entirely. In the case of a separation, divorce, or death, you might find yourself struggling with regaining financial control and navigating money challenges. Some of the best wealth-building tips encourage you to be involved and engaged in every aspect of your financial health. How do women improve wealth? Take personal control.
You can start by taking care of your debts to avoid being weighed down by the money you owe. Be intentional about your savings and create separate accounts for individual savings, emergency funds, and retirement plans to ensure you have enough stored away for any situation. Even if you earn money from a job or business, you can diversify your income and look for additional revenue streams to earn more funds. By taking control of your finances and taking the initiative to save and earn more, you can enjoy your independence even more and have enough finances for personal and emergency use.
Set saving goals
Bills and significant purchases can be tough to pay for, especially if you’re an independent woman who’s likely handling these expenditures on your own. It’s also easy to get caught off guard by large payments that can leave you scrambling for enough payment. Rather than spending a large amount in one go, setting savings goals and being strategic with your money can help you set aside enough funds to take care of any expected purchases.
Strategies likesinking funds can encourage you to put away money for upcoming bills or expenses you can plan for. You can set up a sinking fund for purchases like home renovations, birthday or Christmas gifts, vet bills, vacations, or any expense you want to have enough money for. You can consider how much the costs will likely be, when it’s due, and how many paydays you have until payment. This can help you calculate your goal and how much to set aside monthly to reach it. By setting saving goals or sinking funds, you can be prepared for any expenditures and spending without coming up short.
Adjust your mindset
Being an independent woman can still be a challenge in an unequal society, and this can cause you to underestimate your abilities and the value of your work. However, being stuck in this mindset won’t be helpful financially. You may end up undercharging for your services or be too reluctant to pursue more income opportunities due to fear or a lack of confidence. Managing your mindset can help you elevate your finances and empower your efforts. Rather than stay paralyzed, take the initiative to build financial literacy and be open to continuous learning to equip yourself with the knowledge and know-how to manage and grow your funds.
You may also undervalue your work and accept less than you deserve for your services compared to your male peers. Shift your thinking by making it a point to speak up when you feel you aren’t being paid your worth, and don’t settle for less. If you’re planning a business venture, you don’t have to play it safe with your ideas. Somecraziness in business can help you find success and give your business a unique edge, allowing you to generate revenue doing something that’s out of the box.
One common question people ask me is, “Why does Life Beyond Limits teach nlp trainer training?” I get it. They know my company, Life Beyond Limits also teaches NLP and upon gaining a Trainer Training qualification, they know that my students will be able to teach NLP. What they don’t get is why anyone in their right mind would create competition for themselves. Here’s why we do that.
Firstly, we care about the state of the world and we care deeply about mental health. That’s the first reason we train people to teach NLP. I know what you might be thinking. Yes, that’s all good and well, but aren’t you creating more competition for yourselves? Well, that would be true if NLP Trainers were coming out of the woodwork in their millions but that’s not true at all.
There is One Accredited NLP Trainer for Every One Million Australians – That’s Nuts!
The Neuro Linguistic Programming Association of Australia Inc. (NLPAA) is the only governing body that determines if you are accredited to teach NLP. At the time of printing, its website lists a mere 26 accredited trainers in Australia and that’s including me! If you’ve done the mat, that’s just one trainer for every one million Australians. There are not enough trainers to meet demand and Life Beyond Limits is doing our bit to make a difference, not only in Australia, but in the world.
Even if Australia increased it’s number of Master NLP Trainers one-hundred times over to 26,000, there still would not be enough.
Over the years, I have offered NLP Training in Melbourne. I’ve provided NLP Training in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra. I’ve even traveled over 3,000 kilometers to teach NLP in Western Australia and Tasmania, and still there are not enough people who know NLP. But why do I do it? The answer is simple and certainly motivating …
We are Fighting a War on Consciousness
More than at any time before, there are so many distractions, addictions and misaligned disinformation in our world. While mental health is at an all-time high, productivity is at an all-time low. According to a Gallup Poll, 85% of workers hate their jobs and are disengaged. I have come to understand that the reason behind the complexity of this problem is simple. People make poor choices when our civilization has a poor infrastructure. Good choices come from when we know ourselves well enough, to know which avenues are right for us. However, in our schooling, we were never asked questions to discover ourselves with any level of detail. We never learned to uncover our values. We rarely were asked enough questions to define ourselves. So unknowingly, we entered into careers that didn’t suit our personality styles or our values.
Our students, who have become society’s adults were not conscious in the first instance when they chose their career and so their job. This is due to a lack of self-understanding and metacognition; understanding why they think a particular way.
When our students attend NLP Practitioner Training, they learn to improve their conscious decisions. They gain an understanding of metacognition and why they have become the person they are today. But sadly, a small portion of the population has learned NLP and remain largely unconscious. The process of wisdom is modeled in our Master Coach and Master NLP Practitioner training. I have referred to “The Ascension To Wisdom” in another article, “How To Change Your Frequency And What You Attract.”
Here is Our Vision
Now while it could be true that we are creating more competition for ourselves by teaching our students to teach NLP. We are not in competition with our students. In fact, we’re in an informal partnership with our students. We promote them and in NLP Trainer Training, we even give them all the PowerPoints, manuals and all the business files and templates they need to become a successful NLP Trainer. Call us crazy. Call us stupid. But the reason we’re doing this is to duplicate the good work we’re doing in the world and helping our students to do good work in the world too. That’s our vision.
If you want to change anything in your life, then you must change your frequency. Your brain, your body, and your words emit a frequency. So if you want to change what you attract into your life, then learning how to change your frequency is critical.
Our emotions can either be tripwires to debilitating downward spirals or opportunities to manifest magnificence. Imagine if you had one simple strategy that guides you to improve your emotional state? A tool that keeps you sane, even in a crazy world. Would it be helpful today to know where to start to untrain your brain’s fear responses? What would your world look like if you knew what to do to manifest your wildest dreams into your life. Today, I would like to give you a tool to get you started.
Now in my 63rd year on earth, I’ve seen a great deal of chaos and craziness in the world. Financial collapses, continual changes in technology, climate change, conspiracies, and global tension. These are as much a part of modern-day life as are the shocks that come from emotional trauma and tragedy.
With all this and more going on in your life. How do you rise above the craziness and remain sane? Let me answer this harrowing question. From the standpoint of a coach, a Life Beyond Limits NLP Master trainer and a brain untrainer.
While our students and clients come to us to get beyond their limits. There is one thing we like to teach them that helps them enormously. It is a measurement tool designed by Dr David Hawkins, author of “Power vs Force.” Hawkins passed in 2012 and was a mostly known as psychiatrist who specialised in treating schizophrenia and addiction.
How to Change Your Frequency Comes Down to Where You Are on the ‘EV Chart’
The chart is called the “Emotional Vibration Analysis Frequency Chart.” I call it the ”EV Chart” for short. The EV chart gives you a guide to know where you are emotionally, and energetically, and then shows you where to direct your focus. So let me help you to understand the EV chart by making sense of vibration otherwise known as hertz frequency. Hawkins’ book presents a fascinating framework for understanding human consciousness and its impact on personal and societal well-being.
This is a key measurement tool and as a trainer of coaches, I’ve come to realise that measurement is just as important as the means to get to where you’re going. As Lord Kelvin said, “If you can not measure it, you can not improve it.” But I think Peter Drucker said it better in, “What gets measured gets managed.” Now Dr David Hawkins measured vibration.
So let me share Hawkins’ chart. It’s organised as a hierarchical scale ranging from 0 to 1000. Each level corresponds to specific emotional states and attitudes and each has an associate resonance, measured in Hertz. Lower levels (below 200) represent states driven by force, such as shame, guilt, apathy, grief, fear, desire, anger, and pride. These Hawkins believed were aggressive, harmful, and egotistical states of consciousness. We’ll refer to these as coercive states to emphasise that these are undesirable and hurtful.
In contrast, higher levels (above 200) include courage, neutrality, willingness, acceptance, reason, love, joy, peace, and enlightenment. These signify states of power. Just to be clear. These are not states of power over others. These are empowered states.
Force is primitive thinking and related behaviours while Power is within the realm of wisdom.
By the way. When I speak of the Power being within the realm of wisdom – I’m talking about my model of the ascension to wisdom. It’s where I believe we all start unconsciously. It’s when our behaviours are automatic, without conscious awareness, so we are unaware, easily startled and we experience own fears for the first time. Then we progress to awareness where we are starting to build our conscious mind, so we’re curious, adventure seeking and starting to perceive our world. Then around 7 years old, we move into consciousness. Our world starts to come together and we learn to avoid pain and are motivated by both pain and pleasure. The next level is the success level. It’s where we learn the value of knowledge and courage, and come to understand that these can lead us to acquisition. This is where come to terms with our free will and the cost of our choices which leads us to experiment and set goals and direction.
To ascend to wisdom, we cannot miss any steps as wisdom is ultimately the knowledge of self, the world and the universe. Here we move to understand the interrelationship of all things and how one thing affects another. This is where we learn to manifest as we come to realise that our thoughts are not just silent thoughts. They hold a power to repel or attract physical constructs such as all matter and energy. This is what I believe Hawkins meant when he suggested that courage, a hertz rating above 200 is where we step into true power. If you think about it, to do anything new, you must start with courage.
How Did Dr Hawkins Measure These States?
To measure states, Hawkins used a technique called Applied Kinesiology to ‘calibrate’ these emotional states. According to his theory, each level has a distinct energetic frequency or vibration. Lower frequencies are associated with negative, debilitating emotions, while higher frequencies correspond to positive, empowering emotions.
The chart postulates that an individual’s level of consciousness not only affects their personal life but also contributes to the collective consciousness of society. Higher levels are associated with constructive, life-affirming behaviours, whereas lower levels are linked with destructive and life-diminishing actions.
Hawkins suggests that personal development involves moving up this scale. This progression is not just a journey of emotional change but also a transformation in one’s perception of self and the world. As individuals ascend the scale, they experience a shift from ego-driven motives to actions based on empathy, understanding, and a sense of interconnectedness with others. This is why I say that the best power is not power over others, but power to empower others. When you heal, we all heal, we all benefit. To illustrate this point, you just have to ponder for a moment. What if the large majority of the world vibrated at say love or 500 Hertz, then you could only imagine what world you would be living in.
Imagine if the World all Vibrated at 500 Hertz?
Now I use the EV chart coaching and it also has implications in psychology, spirituality, and even leadership and management. It provides a framework for understanding human motivation, decision-making processes, and the potential for personal and societal transformation.
Every person on this planet is vibrating at a subtle hertz frequency rate. Some are calm and attract calm situations into their life. While others are frantic and attract drama and frenetic energy. We have a base metabolic rate when at rest. But when events occur in our lives that trigger our emotions, our vibrational rate changes rapidly and often dramatically.
From the moment we are born, our emotions are engaged. As a coping mechanism, our mind starts to learn defense reactions. These are imprinted and stored deep in the mind’s unconscious.
As we move through life’s experiences, the large majority of our reactions become automatic or more-so, unconscious. Those emotional reactions are often negative and become learned habits. This leads us to believe that our own behaviours are uncontrollable.
In Western society, we are not taught how to view each life experience separately and appropriately. We’re either a success or not. We are seldom taught how to learn from those experiences. To process them. But most importantly, we’re never taught how to let go of the negative emotions, without emotional blocks appearing.
Negative Emotions Become Stored in our Unconscious
These negative emotions become stored in our unconscious. We are programmed until that program is dissolved and replaced by another. By the time we’re adults we have so many unresolved experiences. Many of our responses are automatically negative. These negative thought patterns perpetuate ever more negative events. All due to our vibration or frequency. We become caught in a negative emotional events cycle. Often based on long-forgotten past-memories.
Once in these negative cycles, negative events and consequent negative emotional reactions become more and more frequent. These are a natural life lesson occurrence triggered to keep giving you opportunities to see the pattern, process it and dissolve it. This is called ‘fractal time.’
Reactions that trigger negative interactions include—judgement of others. Feelings of being the victim. Comparing yourself to others. Perception that we are not all equal, are just a few. These are often the things that my clients engage me as a brain untrainer for.
Breaking negative cycles is paramount in raising your emotional state. To experience higher frequency emotions such as joy, love, acceptance. This begins by making the decision, using your Will, that you no longer wish to behave in this way. Then you begin the journey of finding new information. Discovering tools, and techniques to start breaking the constancy of these lower emotional reactions. Choosing to act from love as often as you can. Congratulating yourself when you do move through challenging situations in a higher and higher emotional state. Self-scrutiny becomes a habit and an effective tool.
What Would Love Do Now?
A great question to ask yourself. Whenever you doubt yourself or come from a position of fear is this.
“What would love do now?”
The power of this question is that it can take you from low vibrational feelings such as shame, guilt or even fear, right up to courage or even love or joy.
When caught in a lower vibrational frequency, things can seem hard to overcome. However, in today’s world, we are fortunate to have many tools, therapies and information available that can powerfully help us.
Choosing to observe yourself in how you react in situations. Objectively looking at why you felt and reacted a particular way. To seek ways to dissolve those negative emotional hooks to past events. These all empower us to greatly improve our life experiences and to living in a much happier state. Living in a higher vibrational state most of the time, your interactions with others dramatically improves. You are much happier and wider options and opportunities appear.
Love is Calibrated at 500 Hertz
To clarify a high vibration, such as love or 500 Hertz, this is what Hawkins meant by love.
The state of Love is very close to being unconditional, unchanging, and permanent. Love does not fluctuate nor does it depend on external factors. Love is a state of being. It is a forgiving, nurturing, and a supportive way of relating to the world. It is not intellectual and does not come from the human mind. Love radiates from the heart Chakra. Which by the way is also a brain – it’s our cardiac brain. At this level of consciousness, the core of an issue becomes the centre of focus. As reason is bypassed, there arises the capacity for instantaneous recognition of the totality of a problem. Reason only deals with particulars, whereas Love deals with entireties. This ability, often called intuition, is the capacity for instantaneous understanding without resorting to sequential symbol processing. This level opens the door to benevolence, mercy, and forgiveness through understanding and nonjudgment. According to Hawkins, only 4% of the entire population of the earth attains this level. Because of the dominating power of light over darkness, one individual at this level counterbalances 750,000 people below the 200 levels. This is the level at which spirituality starts, since below this, individuals are still caught up in the linear and material world. 500 Hertz is also the level of a songbird’s song, cat’s purr, and a dog’s wagging tail.
The Abundance Frequency is 500 Hertz and Higher
You might be surprised to know that the abundance frequency is 500 Hertz and higher. Want to manifest great things into your life? The key is to get your frequency higher and raise your standards as well. Conversely, this makes sense why someone in the frequency of say Anger at 150 Hertz is likely to only manifest more opportunities to be angry. This is what people mean by the term ‘like-attracts-like.’ Your vibration attracts to itself same vibration. So, if you are vibrating at 500 Hertz, you will attract the things you love. I hope this helpful for your understanding and gives you a new measure to aim for. And if it has, please give my channel some good energy with a quick like, share and by subscribing to my channel.
So let me summarise this for you. The key to living a life beyond limits is to improve and heighten your emotional state which in turn will increase your Hertz rate, your vibration.
But what if you can’t manage your emotional state and find yourself going down negative spirals. My suggestion? Work with a qualified coach or better still an NLP practitioner. Do the inner work to alter your outer reality.
My name is Rik Schnabel and I’m a Master NLP Trainer, author and brain untrainer. Let me show you how to remove the low-frequency programs that are hurting you and undermining your life. Let me help you to understand what you can do to attract your ideal life into your existence. You change what you attract, when change your frequency. Want some help or coaching to be more abundant and attract more into your life? Book a time with R!k to find out what you need most.
Thank you for the Videos used in our video from Pixabay by
NLP, short for Neuro Linguistic Programming, holds the power to deliver happiness. Happiness for most is their Everest. Conquer it and everything falls into place. Though many ask, can NLP help you to heal your life for good?
Though if you’re not feeling right or you think that you’ve lost your mojo then sound the trumpets, because I’ve got some great news for you! If you can’t seem to generate the success you desire, you’ve got money challenges or you can’t start or keep your relationships? Read on because I’ve found the answer to all of your problems (well most of them I hope).
NLP means you can completely change your thinking and so improve your life.
Can NLP help you to heal? Well, let’s start with money problems.
About 15 years ago I had a serious poverty mentality. My parents were poor immigrants and money seemed to be a real problem in our family. I can certainly recall many flighty emotions around that topic. However, my problems didn’t stop there.
I used to be a target to bullies. So I also developed anger issues, sadness issues, anxiety, and numerous phobias which led to depression. I was a wreck. I seriously thought I was a mental mess. I have since discovered that we all need a friend. When you don’t serve the inner friend, you go looking for one outside of you to fill that hole. I found alcohol and drugs. While my situation was pretty crappy already, the drugs and alcohol made them much, much worse.
I needed a solution. I so wanted to start feeling ‘normal’, though in truth back then I couldn’t tell you what normal was. I couldn’t even tell you who I was!
“I felt like a keg of dynamite and my fuse was getting shorter!”
I tried the traditional medical system without success. It just seemed that for every problem there was a pill. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti pharmaceuticals as I believe everything has its place and use, it’s just that I already had a whole lot going on in my mind and body and I didn’t want to create any further chemical disruptions. My anger issues were getting worse and I felt like a keg of dynamite and the fuse was getting shorter.
A good friend suggested some alternate therapies and I tried many of them, far too many of them to list here. Nothing seemed to get me feeling ‘normal’.
Again, I’m not poo-pooing alternate therapies either, as I believe they certainly have their place in our society too, they just didn’t seem to get me on my feet. I then came across an article in Psychology Today Magazine that said, “NLP is the most powerful vehicle for personal change in existence.” It got my attention! I read on and discovered that NLP was an acronym for “Neuro Linguistic Programming”. I had heard of it, but frankly, I didn’t know much about it. It’s amazing how when you’re really committed to finding an answer, the right one soon arrives. I wanted to know, “Can NLP help you to heal for good?”
The answer came from a trusted friend who offered me a ticket to an NLP introductory weekend and within just hours of hearing all about NLP and experiencing it live, I was gob-smacked by what you could do with NLP. I immediately signed up for all the trainings; “NLP Practitioner, Masters and Trainers training” – you’ve got to remember, I was desperate and this seemed like a positive way forward and thankfully it turned out perfect!
The decision was so right that not only did I move forward, I never looked back. In Practitionertraining I learned how to actually speak to my mind so that I could alter the programming that was causing my issues and giving me so much grief. I didn’t realise that your brain only responds to 6 methods of communication and your language must be structured in a specific way to get great results.
I also learned to change my core beliefs that are responsible for so many unwanted behaviours. I saw the proof in changed outcomes. A very exciting moment for me was learning how to change how I viewed the past; it was like a massive weight was removed from my shoulders. Then another life changing shift occurred when I learned how to shift my values in my Master’s training. This helped me to more than double my income. Mind you, the rapport and communication training in NLP Practitioner and changing (in essence) my operating system had a huge influence too.
My relationships are much better these days, with others and myself. Anxiety, depression, sadness and anger issues are gone. I’m not saying I don’t get a little low or angry from time to time, but these days I can manage my emotions and things don’t seem to affect me as they once did.
I became so impassioned by NLP that I kept learning it until I ran out of training and my only option was to start teaching it. My life is like chalk and cheese these days and I’m so happy that I can help others by helping them to make a positive influence in their lives. I can now produce the income I used to earn in a year, in just a weekend. I know that might be hard to believe for some of you – and that’s the very reason you don’t achieve it. My trainer used to make between $3 million and $6 million in a weekend – at the time I hardly could believe that, even though the evidence was right before my eyes!
I now live where I want to live (by the beach in southern NSW), I live with the love of my life and my two gorgeous girls. Though let me dull the picture for you a bit. I still have my challenges from time to time, but I now have NLP tools to help me. Each tool is designed to reimprint your past; change your beliefs; remove conflicts; build rapport; illicit your values; improve the quality of your communication; see more than most will ever see; and help you to create your ideal self.
If you’re interested in learning NLP, let me share one disclaimer. NLP is a set of powerful tools and insights and you may hear of some negative publicity around it. Just as there are good teachers, there are also bad ones. In the wrong hands, these powerful tools can be used to manipulate so my suggestion to you, is find someone to teach you NLP that you get a sense that they’ve got a big heart and they really care about people and the future of the planet and its well-being.
So if you’re having some challenges take heart, there is a solution, give NLP a go. Trust your instincts and reinvigorate your faith in yourself because there is always an answer and a solution. I love the question that Neale Donald Walsch asks when a problem arises, “What would love do now?” Yes, Tony Robbins is certainly right, “The quality of your life comes down to the quality of the questions you ask yourself every day.” I urge you to follow your heart, learn NLP and you’ll conquer your Everest and find happiness. It will be somewhere on your journey. Just keep looking, it’s closer than you think.
Rik Schnabel is an internationally recognised and nationally accredited NLP Trainer.
Your life, career, business or anything for that matter improves when you ask better questions. Though is it really that simple?
First, you need to understand that questions cause your unconscious mind to answer. Your unconscious mind cannot resist answering your questions.
Go ahead. Try it right now. Ask yourself, “Why do I have an itchy scalp?” and soon enough you will feel to scratch your itch. Be patient, not now, but in a moment you will feel to itch your scalp or somewhere else on your body. But don’t scratch it right now, you’ve got this finish this article.
If you’re feeling a little unsettled right now, you should be, because you asked an unsettling question. Though instead, get excited. Because the quality of your questions can improve the quality of your life.
Did you know that your entire life is made up of the questions you ask yourself on a daily basis.
Ask, “Why am I so busy all the time?” and your mind will soon deliver all the reasons, but it won’t give you more time. Ask a better question, “How can I get an extra 30 minutes of ‘me time’ each day?” and your wish may may soon be granted.
Want more time or more money? Ask a better question!
Making money and lots of it is easy when you know how. I can tell you right here and now that anyone who has mastered money will concur that asking better questions will lead you there. Ask better questions and your financial world will never be the same! Avoid them and you will feel the ups and downs in the pit of your stomach of a financial rollercoaster.
Last Friday morning, I looked out my kitchen window. It was a glorious sunny day. I was staring at the ideal conditions for the perfect wave. I sprinted downstairs to grab my surfboard and head off to my favourite break. Hoping to beat a crowded line-up.
When I got to the beach no-one was enjoying those perfect waves. It was just me. Finally, it dawned on me. It wasn’t the weekend, it was Friday — a workday. Everyone was working while I enjoyed a perfect day, with perfect waves – but life wasn’t always perfect.
It was only a few years ago that I was working feverishly at my clinic, six days a week as a Life Coach. Day in, day out I untrained my clients’ brains. Most of my day was spent changing people’s minds. Untraining their brains of anxiety. Helping them to remove the dross of depression. Showing them richer ways to think to make more money. My clinic was choc-a-block, brimming with clients when I hit an amazing sweet spot with my business.
I specialised in wealth coaching and easing depression and worked from 7am to 7pm most days. Some nights I would work until midnight. While my friends lit barbeques and shared an ale. Others kicked back on the sofa watching TV after a hard day at the office.
I won’t say I wasn’t envious. Though I was working for something bigger — I looked further than most. The wealth mentors that I assigned to myself gave me insights that were worth far more than the money I paid them. They are the very reason I’m sharing this with you right now. My mentors are why I can go surfing while the large majority must go to work.
So, before I share their wisdom with you, let me prepare you like my wealth mentors prepared me. You see, financial success is all in the preparation. Before working with my mentors, they each said the same thing. They must have all had the same mentors.
Paul, my short but confident mega-millionaire mentor would start each session by asking me questions. At first, they frustrated me to no end. He says it’s the reason I no longer have hair. I would ask Paul a question and nine out of ten times, he would say, “Ask a better question.” Can you see why it was frustrating at first? But he was right. Most people can’t create anything much because they have no idea of what question to ask in the first instance. I get it now.
As I said, back in 2012, I was crazy busy. I was coaching, speaking, training, writing and rarely having much time for myself. I asked one question that at first I couldn’t answer, but eventually, I did. That question?
How can I make even more money and only work 4 days a week?
Today, I live on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales. I surf. I play music and I work four days a week. Am I making more money? A little more, but I’m much happier.
A business owner asks, “How can I grow my business?” Today I would say, “Ask a better question.” I’ve earned my stripes now; I can ask those infuriating questions. “How can I grow my business?” tells me nothing and so how can I provide advice? A better question might be, “Who can help me to get more people to call me about my services?” or “Who is the best person at getting traffic to my website?”
Over the years I’ve found that rich people stick at things for long enough. Long enough that their knowledge about their industry, their intimacy with their product or service goes deep. This only comes from asking a better, more specific and less generalised question.
Otherwise, akin to asking, “How are you?” and getting the standard one-syllable answer, “Good.” Asking a better question causes our minds to dig deeper, to think deeper.
So it’s time to think.
What’s a better question?
What is the one question that you haven’t asked yourself, that should you ask it… will have you double, treble, even ten-tuple your income?
What’s that question?
Answering better questions creates the opportunity to solve your bigger problems. Solving bigger problems will have you build a bigger life. What challenge are you facing right now? What question could you answer that would remove the problem altogether?
If you recognise that you suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), have you ever wondered how to heal PTSD? Did you know, that statistically, 7 out of 10 people have suffered severe trauma in their lives?
But more importantly, how does trauma impact our lives? Are there reasons behind sad patterns and stilted growth?
Trauma can make you more vulnerable to developing mental health problems at worst, and at best it will cause you to stop taking risks and seek safety instead. It can also directly cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To overcome PTSD, some people misuse alcohol, drugs, or self-harm to cope with difficult memories and emotions. Some seek professional help. Depending on how you’re affected, trauma may cause difficulties in your daily life and stunt your growth. Often, trauma will have us recede.
After personally being raised in an abuse cycle and experiencing far too many traumatic events, I came to realise how strong the neural pathways become. I felt less in so many ways and hid for most of my life. This caused me to feel alone.
From the age of 7 years old, I invested most of my after-school hours in the library in the psychology section. I wanted to answer a burning question, “how can I be normal?” This question evolved to become “how can I heal PTSD?” This led me on a mission to find out how to reduce and remove trauma altogether in my own life. I know firsthand, how trauma stunts growth, as we the traumatised, move into protective, safe environments to shield our fearful thought patterns. Often forecasting our own worst futures, we attract our fears into our lives.
I discovered a solution.
In 2004, after 33 years of searching, I found the solutions I was looking for and began testing and trialing psychological processes – some of which I designed myself. It wasn’t just one solution or one pill. It was a process.
By 2006 – I was working in a clinic and was able to remove depression, anxiety, and PTSD among other recessive states. My theories turned to practice and success finally arrived. For my clients, it seemed like a miracle was born. However, I believe miracles come from effective strategies that arrive only after considerable research and understanding.
If you ever wanted to know how to avoid making mistakes? You’re about to get the answer and you might not like the answer.
Have you ever witnessed ignorant stupidity over dinner from a friend, colleague, or family member? Throughout the meal, they take a stand on a topic. They spout off at length, boldly proclaiming that they are correct and that everyone else is stupid, uninformed, and just plain wrong. While it may be evident that this person has no idea what they are talking about, they prattle on, blithely oblivious to their ignorance.
The effect is named after researchers David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the two social psychologists who first described it. They performed a series of four investigations in their original study on this psychological phenomenon.2
People who scored in the lowest percentiles on grammar, humor, and logic tests also tended to dramatically overestimate how well they had performed (their actual test scores placed them in the 12th percentile, but they estimated that their performance placed them in the 62nd percentile).
The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe they are smarter and more capable than they are. Essentially, low-ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognise their own incompetence and how to avoid making mistakes. The combination of poor self-awareness and low cognitive ability leads them to overestimate their capabilities.1
The term lends a scientific name and explanation to a problem that many people immediately recognise—that fools are blind to their own foolishness. As Charles Darwin wrote in his book The Descent of Man, “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”
The Research
In one experiment, for example, Dunning and Kruger asked their 65 participants to rate how funny different jokes were. Some participants were exceptionally poor at determining what other people would find funny—yet these subjects described themselves as excellent judges of humor.2
Incompetent people, the researchers suggested, were not only poor performers but were also unable to accurately assess and recognize the quality of their work. This is perhaps why students who earn failing scores on exams sometimes feel they deserve a much higher score. They overestimate their knowledge and ability and cannot accurately assess their performance.
Low performers are unable to recognise the skill and competence levels of other people, which is part of the reason why they consistently view themselves as better, more capable, and more knowledgeable than others. If you want to learn how to avoid making mistakes then metacognition is key.
“In many cases, incompetence does not leave people disoriented, perplexed, or cautious,” wrote David Dunning in an article for Pacific Standard. “Instead, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge.”
Effects on Behavior and Decisions
This effect can have a profound impact on what people believe, the decisions they make, and the actions they take.
In one study, Dunning and Ehrlinger found that women performed equally to men on a science quiz, and yet women underestimated their performance because they believed they had less scientific reasoning ability than men. The researchers also found that these women were more likely to refuse to enter a science competition due to this belief.3
Dunning and his colleagues have also performed experiments in which they ask respondents if they are familiar with various terms related to subjects including politics, biology, physics, and geography. Along with genuine subject-relevant concepts, they interjected completely made-up terms.4
In one such study, approximately 90% of respondents claimed they had at least some knowledge of the made-up terms. Admit you don’t know is one way to master how to avoid making mistakes. Consistent with other findings related to the Dunning-Kruger effect, the more familiar participants claimed that they were with a topic, the more likely they were to also claim they were familiar with the meaningless terms.
Why It Happens
So what explains this psychological effect? Are some people simply too dense to recognise it? Dunning and Kruger suggest that this phenomenon stems from what they refer to as a “dual burden.” People are not only incompetent; their incompetence robs them of the mental ability to realize just how inept they are.
Incompetent people tend to:
Overestimate their skill levels
Fail to recognize the genuine skill and expertise of other people
Fail to recognize their own mistakes and lack of skill
The very knowledge and skills necessary to be good at a task are the same qualities that a person needs to recognize that they are not good at that task. So if a person lacks those abilities, they remain not only bad at that task but ignorant of their inability.5
This effect has been attributed to several different explanations, including:
An Inability to Recognise Lack of Skill and Mistakes
Dunning suggests that deficits in skill and expertise create a two-pronged problem. First, these deficits cause people to perform poorly in the domain in which they are incompetent. Secondly, their erroneous and deficient knowledge makes them unable to recognize their mistakes.6
A Lack of Metacognition
The Dunning-Kruger effect is also related to difficulties with metacognition. Metacognition refers to the ability to step back and look at one’s behavior and abilities from outside of oneself.
People can often only evaluate themselves from their own limited and highly subjective point of view. From this limited perspective, they seem highly skilled, knowledgeable, and superior to others. Because of this, people sometimes struggle to have a more realistic view of their abilities.1
A Little Knowledge Can Lead to Overconfidence
Another contributing factor is that sometimes a tiny bit of knowledge on a subject can lead people to mistakenly believe that they know all there is to know about it. As the old saying goes, a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
A person might have the slimmest bit of awareness about a subject, yet thanks to the Dunning-Kruger effect, believe that they are an expert.
Other factors that can contribute to the effect include:
The use of heuristics, or mental shortcuts that allow people to make decisions quickly
A tendency to seek out patterns even where none exist
Our minds are primed to try to make sense of the disparate array of information we deal with daily. As we try to cut through the confusion and interpret our abilities and performance within our worlds, it is perhaps not surprising that we sometimes fail so completely to judge how well we do accurately.5
Are You Less Competent Than You Think?
So who is affected by the Dunning-Kruger effect? According to the researchers, everyone is prone to this effect. This is because no matter how informed or experienced we are, everyone has areas in which they are uninformed and incompetent. You might be smart and skilled in many areas, but no one is an expert at everything.
The reality is that everyone is susceptible to this phenomenon, and most of us probably experience it with surprising regularity. People who are genuine experts in one area may mistakenly believe that their intelligence and knowledge carry over into other areas in which they are less familiar.
A brilliant scientist, for example, might be a very poor writer. For the scientist to recognise their lack of skill, they need to possess a good working knowledge of grammar, composition, and other elements of writing. Because those are lacking, the scientist in this example also lacks the ability to recognise their own poor performance. They don’t know how to avoid making mistakes.
Recap
The Dunning-Kruger effect is not synonymous with low IQ. As awareness of the term has increased, its misapplication as a synonym for “stupid” has also grown. It is, after all, easy to judge others and believe that such things simply do not apply to you.
Dunning-Kruger Effect vs. Imposter Syndrome
So if the incompetent tend to think they are experts, what do genuine experts think of their own abilities? Dunning and Kruger found that those at the high end of the competence spectrum did hold more realistic views of their own knowledge and capabilities. However, these experts actually tended to underestimate their own abilities relative to how others did.2
Top-scoring individuals know that they are better than the average, but they are not convinced of how superior their performance is to others. The problem, in this case, is not that experts don’t know how well-informed they are; they tend to believe that everyone else is also knowledgeable.
This can sometimes lead to the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect—imposter syndrome. Since the Dunning-Kruger effect involves overconfidence in one’s abilities, the opposing tendency would involve underconfidence in one’s abilities. In imposter syndrome, competent people doubt their own abilities and fear that others will discover them to be frauds. Do you want to know how to avoid making mistakes …
How to Overcome the Dunning-Kruger Effect
So is there anything that can minimize this phenomenon? Is there a point at which the incompetent actually recognize their own ineptitude?
We all want to know how to avoid making mistakes, yet “We are all engines of misbelief,” Dunning has suggested. While we are all prone to experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect, learning more about how the mind works and the mistakes we are all susceptible to might be one step toward correcting such patterns.
As people learn more about the topic of interest, they begin to recognize their lack of knowledge and ability. Then as people gain more information and become experts on a topic, their confidence levels begin to improve again.
So what can you do to gain a more realistic assessment of your abilities in a particular area if you are not sure you can trust your self-assessment?
Keep learning and practicing. Instead of assuming you know all there is to know about a subject, keep digging deeper. Once you gain greater knowledge of a topic, you will likely recognize how much there is still to learn. This can combat the tendency to assume you’re an expert, even if you’re not.
Ask other people how you’re doing. Another effective strategy involves asking others for constructive criticism. While it can sometimes be difficult to hear, such feedback can provide valuable insights into how others perceive your abilities.
Question what you know. Even as you learn more and get feedback, it can be easy to only pay attention to things that confirm what you think you already know. This is an example of another type of psychological bias known as the confirmation bias. To minimize this tendency, keep challenging your beliefs and expectations. Seek out information that challenges your ideas.8
Get a coach or mentor. Working with someone you can trust; someone who you can share your fears, limits and doubts in a confidential environment is the best way to get beyond not only your own cognitive biases, but also you can get help to shift your beliefs and remove your limits. If you would like to speak with a mentor or coach about how they can help, complete this form and book a complimentary chat.
Sources:
The Dunning-Kruger effect is one of many cognitive biases that can affect your behaviors and decisions, from the mundane to the life-changing. While it may be easier to recognize the phenomenon in others, it is important to remember that it is something that impacts everyone. By understanding the underlying causes that contribute to this psychological bias, you might be better able to spot these tendencies in yourself and find ways to overcome them. If you want to know how to avoid making mistakes, perhaps book a complimentary coaching call.
Physical well-being and weight management are something many people strive to improve, but it’s hardly as straightforward as it seems. Despite being crucial for daily life, many are falling short of the standards for physical activity. Over three in ten (35%) Australian adults aged 18–64 are insufficiently physically active, and that issue increases with age. Nutrition can also be difficult to achieve, as many may not know how to balance meals or have access to healthy ingredients.
Apart from difficulty eating nutritiously or exercising regularly, a poor mindset can easily bring a person down. Restrictive habits and negative beliefs affect one’s reality without them even knowing, making it harder to stay motivated on the journey to improvement. Apart from the physical things you can do, changing the way you view yourself and wellness can make a huge difference in your progress. Here are some ways you can elevate your thinking to improve your physical well-being:
Focus on you
When people try to lose weight, they often try all sorts of solutions and tricks. Many of them tend to be restrictive and limiting. Cutting things from your lifestyle or comparing your progress and routine to others’ can quickly lead to discouragement. Rather than focus on what you cannot do or what others are doing, prioritising sustainability is essential if you want to improve your physical well-being. Instead of following trends, find a strategy you love and know works for you and incorporate it into your diet, exercise, and other health habits.
Even modern weight loss programs have adopted this mindset to make the process more enjoyable and less like a chore. They help you create a plan tailored to your needs and lifestyle, allowing you to build healthy habits instead of restricting or comparing yourself to others. When you focus on what’s realistic and attainable for you, you’ll have a more positive outlook on your well-being and your journey.
Work on what you can control
Most people think the scale is the best way to measure your progress towards or success in improving your physical well-being, but frequently and obsessively monitoring the numbers won’t do your mindset any good. You can’t control how your body burns fat or when results will show, so focus on the aspects of physical wellness that are in your control. Beyond eating nutritious meals or working out regularly, things like sleep quality and stress management matter for weight loss and physical health. They’re crucial for balancing your body’s hormones like ghrelin, leptin, and cortisol, which play a role in regulating your appetite.
One thing you can do is switch up your routine to go to bed earlier and sleep for longer. Starting a bedtime routine to unwind can help you adjust how and when you sleep. Pointing out the source of your stress can also help you address it. For instance, your workplace could unknowingly be causing you stress or hindering your physical wellness. One in seven Aussie workers struggle with physical health as many employees spend the majority of the day at work sedentary, so it might not be as unlikely as you think. If you are worried that your physical health is slipping, you should find ways to help you manage it. Activities like exercise, meditation, or enjoying a hobby can help with de-stressing for better health.
Challenge your beliefs
Setbacks are inevitable when you’re on a journey to improve your physical well-being, but it can be easy to fall into the belief that you’re a failure or just not cut out for a fit or active lifestyle. However, constantly holding onto these beliefs about yourself can affect your reality, making it harder to see and celebrate your progress and stay motivated. That’s why challenging your beliefs is so crucial for self-improvement, not just physically.
Turning your pessimistic beliefs into something more hopeful can shift your mindset and your experiences. You can believe that you’re capable of recovering from a setback or that you’re making progress, no matter how small or slow. Once you change your mindset, you’ll find more confidence and compassion for yourself, and you’ll be in a better headspace to make your goals a reality.
The mindset is an essential yet often underrated part of your journey to enhancing your physical well-being. It sets the stage for your habits, perspective, and behaviours, all of which greatly contribute to your drive and outlook. You can celebrate every victory knowing you’re overcoming something you may have seen as an impossible feat before.
Are you wondering why your coaching hasn’t taken off?
It’s okay, I too was confused. At first.
When I started my coaching biz. I was asking myself over and over the wrong question.
“Why isn’t my coaching business taking off?”
Sure, I had some clients, but not many.
Then I realised, “Hey! I’m a coach! Ask a better question!”
And so, I did. What was my question? That’s a great question!
Well, in truth it wasn’t one question. It was 4 questions actually.
This question is actually, four vital questions that every life coach must ask.
If you’re a coach and you want to grow your business big time, here are the four vital questions that every life coach must ask. If you don’t answer these questions and create a marketing structure based on your answers? Then your coaching business is going to feel like you’re collecting aluminium cans from rubbish bins.
Here are the four vital questions that every Life Coach must ask or flounder or worse, fail.
1: WHAT is the biggest problem you solve?
2: WHO needs that problem solved most or WHO will pay the most to solve that problem?
3: WHY do YOU want to help them? And
4: HOW do you help them?
Here’s what led me to answer those questions.
When I was learning NLP, I realised how many dumb beliefs I had that were limiting my income.
As I was nearing the end of my NLP training, I had a HUGE epiphany that multiplied my annual income over four times! This epiphany led me to earn more than the then Prime Minister John Howard! But you’re not here about my epiphany. That’s for another time. So, let’s get back to my answers to those four vital questions that every life coach must ask.
Here are my answers to the four vital questions that every Life Coach must ask…
Then I got a coach, and after our first session together. I got clear. That’s when I answered those four questions, and this is what it looked like:
WHAT is the biggest problem you solve?
ANS: Money worry.
WHO needs that problem solved most or WHO will pay the most to solve that problem?
ANS: People who want to make more money. Why? Because they’re unsatisfied about what they’re earning now. At some level, they know they could do better.
WHY do YOU want to help them?
ANS: Because I once knew that that felt like. How much it hurt me, almost physically when I worried that I wasn’t even going to survive. Somehow in my brain, I thought I was going to die – or at best, become homeless, destitute.
HOW do YOU help them?
ANS: With our Life Coach + NLP Practitioner program.
Candidly, I didn’t answer these questions all too quickly. It took me one coaching session with my amazing coach and one whole day to answer those four vital questions that every life coach must ask.
I got coached that Friday and I had the weekend off. So I decided that that Saturday, I would sit down and commit to answering those four questions.
Hell! I was committed.
After all, I had invested so much time and money to be a coach only to fail. No way!
I’d already quit my job and had no other income. It was boom or bust for me.
What happened next?
The upshot? I didn’t waste my entire weekend going around in circles.
I realised that all that was needed from me to STAMP! my foot on the ground and make a full-hearted decision. A declaration to the Universe that I was IN! I was committed to helping evolve my peeps.
I was committed to helping me, help the Universe.
So, I said to the Universe, out loud and in my head…
“I’m doing this, and I need your full, financial support. I’ll build the program and do the marketing, and you find the people that need me most. Speak to their souls, not their human (because I know how scared the human can be. And how courageous the spirit is).
Speak to their souls so that they get that I will look after them. I’ve got their back. I will help them to evolve and help them to make more money. How?
I will teach them how to remove their fear of money. I’ll educate them. I’ll coach them. Hec! I’ll even do some of the work for them if I have to!
Send them to me and I’ll do rest.”
Things can change just like magic when you make a full-hearted decision
Like magic, my coaching world changed overnight. I got my first positive sign that something had shifted as people enrolled in my coaching.
Then large numbers of people came to my premium program, my “Life Coach + NLP Practitioner” training.
Fast forward to today…I’ve now made millions of dollars and I don’t know if I have helped millions of people – but I’ve certainly trained thousands of people who have helped thousands more.
All of this happened after asking four of the most powerful questions that you can ask yourself as a coach, trainer or change agent.
The question is – when will you ask and answer those questions?
And if you already have – welcome to the world’s leaders.
I welcome you as a change agent, whose job it is to wake people up.
Because my friends – the majority of the world’s population are in one huge, big, out-of-control (through control) trance. They’re adults, still running off programs that came from their parents and their childhood.
Finally, if you know you’re here for a bigger reason and need some guidance or help?
Let me reward you for reading this far…
Let me reward you for reading right until the end.
I have now been a successful commercial coach for 20 years with over 38,000 hours of transformational work under my belt. No-one stays in business for 20 years without knowing a trick or two.
There is nothing more certain in life than at some stages of our journey will see conflict arise. Conflict however, is similar to our nervous system and a signal of pain. Conflict simply tells us that there is a problem that requires attention. Though how do we navigate our way through that pain when there are others involved. The answer is mediation. Though effective mediation requires some rules that all parties must agree to in order to come to a point of acceptance and ideally, agreement.
Why ‘Pride’ Has No Place in Mediation
Though, before we provide those rules, let us first give you some understanding of human psychology. Human beings like to appear as intelligent and logical. Why? Because it keeps us within a social hierarchy; a pecking order; our place in the tribe. We don’t like to fall down that social hierarchy, so we engage pride. Pride is an ever-vigilant protector of our social standing and intelligence; a kitten, appearing like a tiger. Though pride is cancer to agreement and it is one trait that must be left outside of the door in mediation. Keeping an open mind; an open heart and a desire for resolution is more desirable to pride. Though this takes conscious effort on your part. After-all, you do want to resolve this issue don’t you?
We Are Emotional Beings Pretending To Be Intelligent People
We humans like to think of ourselves as intelligent, though the first time we fall in love highlights how foolish we can be when our emotions take hold. Don’t get us wrong, love isn’t bad. It’s just not logical because it’s an emotion. Now think to a phobia you might have. A fear of spiders, snakes, deep water or even phobophobia; a fear of fear itself. Phobias don’t make intelligent sense, because they’re not logical. They are emotional or correctly, an irrational feeling or a tightly wound neurological connection that is difficult to unravel – without therapy. So please understand that prior to mediation, your feelings may have been hurt. You may have become upset or emotionally triggered by something that someone said or did.
Finally, Be At Cause Not At Effect
A key understanding that helps us to progress and move on with our lives is being ‘at cause.’ While being at cause in ones’ life means that the world does things for you. Versus being ‘at effect’ suggests that the world is against you. Another way to look at this is do you get results (at cause) or do you have reasons for not getting results (at effect).
While we can’t be responsible for other people or other people’s decisions, we can be totally ‘at cause’ for ourselves. In mediation, it is best to be at cause. Manage your emotions and be patient with yourself and let others speak fully. Though when you speak, remember, mediation isn’t a therapy session, nor is it about venting and having your say – you are not a victim (at effect). The intention is to get to a resolution. So be ‘at cause’ and do not allow yourself to go into a victim mentality and don’t make anyone else out to be the victim either. This takes courage, patience and some wisdom too.
Mediation: 8 Rules for Success
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution that can be used in most non-criminal cases, including disputes involving contracts, leases, small businesses, employment, child custody, and divorce. In a successful mediation, all interested parties work cooperatively toward a settlement or fair resolution of their dispute, with the help of a neutral mediator who facilitates the process. So what are the keys to keeping your mediation on the path toward a fair and agreeable resolution? Here are ten rules to follow.
Rule 1: The Decision Makers Must Participate.
Who is a decision maker? This seems like an easy question. When a party in a lawsuit is an individual person, then that person is the decision maker. But when a party is a business or other entity, the answer is less clear. When it comes to businesses and other entities involved in a mediation, the person who needs to participate is someone who has the power to accept any offer of resolution made by the other party.
In a family dispute, it is important that all people who enable the dispute to end, all participate.
Participating in a mediation means being personally involved in all of the events that occur during any mediation session, getting the opportunity to gain a realistic understanding of the dispute, and having the chance to voice opinions and concerns. The best form of participation is physical presence, but participating in a mediation by videoconference (Zoom) or speakerphone may be appropriate when physical presence isn’t possible. Who should also be invited to the mediation – but be mindful, this is not stacking the numbers against the other party or parties?
Rule 2: The Important Documents Must Be Physically Present.
Mediation involves working through the differences of opinion about a dispute, and documents can be invaluable in achieving that goal. For example, in a dispute between a homeowners association and a condominium owner, it is important to have the covenants, conditions, and restrictions physically present at a mediation session. And in a dispute between an insurance company and a policy holder, it’s important to have the policies present. In a family dispute, you may require any Wills or Agreements to be present. Are there any documents that should be present?
Rule 3: Be Right, but Only to a Point. This is not about winning, but resolving.
In every dispute, every party typically believes their position is the right one. In a mediation, the question “Who is right?”— that is, who is likely to ultimately prevail if a resolution isn’t reached and mediation is followed by a lawsuit—is important because realistically predicting the chances for ultimate success defines which of the options for resolution are realistic. However, parties in a mediation should not focus exclusively on demonstrating that they are right (or more right than the other side) because this tactic rarely does much to bring about resolution. Remember, the intention is for a resolution, not to win a battle.
Rule 4: Build a Deal Before You Come or Create One.
In a fight, the goal is to win. But fighting involves pursuing your own demands without regard for the effect on your opponent. And fighting requires a significant expenditure of effort in resisting your opponent’s moves.
In mediation, the goal is resolution. Achieving resolution requires a significant expenditure of effort toward finding options that will satisfy both parties. Finding options that satisfy both parties is much like building a deal in a commercial context. It must work for both parties or else there is no deal. So in mediation you should be concerned not just with your own interests, but also with the interests of your opponent. Think about a solution that would resolve the issue for all parties – before you attend mediation.
Rule 5: Treat the Other Party with Respect.
Consent (agreement) is essential to any deal that is made in mediation. A party who has been insulted is not usually inclined to give consent. And a party who is feeling disrespected tends to be distracted by this to the exclusion of all else, which is counterproductive to the mediation process. This is not a matter of “making nice.” It is a matter of avoiding mindless or gratuitous disrespect. Think sometimes with your heart and not your head.
Rule 6: Be a Problem Solver for Interests.
In achieving resolution, the task is to reconcile interests. Options must be identified or created, and those options must allow both parties to achieve enough of their interests that the options are better than no deal at all.
Reconciling interests requires problem solving, and problem solving requires creativity and an open mind. A good technique for generating this type of open thought is brainstorming, which is a process in which parties identify every idea they can think of to reconcile the interests. No idea is rejected or criticised, and ideas can build on one another. The better ideas usually come late in the process, after people believe they have run out of ideas. Once a number of options are identified, then the parties can evaluate them and select those that result in the maximum benefits for each party.
Rule 7: Work Past Anger – 12 Second Cooling Off.
At some point in the mediation process, the parties begin to understand that perhaps they are not “most right” about the substance of the dispute, or that they will need to take less (or give more) in order to make a mutually acceptable deal. When this happens, the parties often start to get frustrated, and then angry. Many parties believe that their own anger is a sign that things are not going well and that they should stop the mediation. This is incorrect. A deal can still be achieved if the parties can consent to a resolution that satisfies their interests better than having no deal. Developing such an option is work that can continue even if—and in part because—the parties understand that they will not get everything they initially demanded. Should tempers flare up, the mediator will ask you to take a 12 second break and instruct you to breath two six-second breaths – one in and one out. There is actual science behind this. This breathing pattern balances out your parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system.
Rule 8: Be Patient with One Another.
Mediation involves change. Parties in a dispute typically believe they are right (and most right) about the dispute. Each side may or may not understand their own interests and those of the other party, and each may have unrealistic expectations. Each party may be unwilling to treat the other with any degree of respect. It takes time to address these issues, and it takes time for people to change their minds. It is important for parties in mediation to allow time for these changes to occur. Of these eight rules for a successful mediation, this one is the most important.
R!k Schnabel is not only Australia’s #1 Brain Untrainer and teaches company executives how to be confident communicators. He is a Master NLP and Life Coach trainer, Coach and an international, multi-best-selling author with Life Beyond Limits. https://lifebeyondlimits.com.au/ – he will help you to resolve your issues and mediate a successful resolution.
Brown haired woman talking to her interviewers in bright office – Confident Communicator
Are you a confident communicator? Did you know that the moment a stranger notices you, they decide who you are? Their brain makes 11 major decisions and a multitude of computations. Are you safe? Can you be someone to trust or avoid? Do you have status or authority? Could you be a potential intimate partner? Are you competent? Will you be friend or foe? Do you come across as selling, compelling or repelling? As a confident communicator, these are things you must know or be relegated down the social order.
Your listeners’ unconscious computations decide who you are at lightening speed. Researchers from New York University Graduate School of Business found a startling fact. They discovered that we make eleven major conclusions in seven seconds.
We make 11 major decisions about a person in 7 seconds
First impressions can attract or repel. Get it wrong and you’ll soon discover the cost. You cannot stop people from making instant decisions about you. Though you can help them to see you in a favourable way. A confident communicator knows that one of the greater influencers are our non-verbal cues. Studies have found that non-verbal cues are over four times more powerful. More influential than anything you say.
7 Keys to be an Influential Confident Communicator
1. Adjust your attitude. We seek out attitude in milliseconds. Before you go anywhere or do anything, adjust your attitude. Before you enter a meeting or do a presentation or catch up with a friend or client. Make a conscious choice about the attitude you want to completely embody. Say to yourself, “Right now, I’m deciding to be problem solver.” Then completely embody who you think a great problem solver is. We often think in archetypes and identities, so shift yours to be the best you can be and be that confident communicator.
2. Smile. This one decision sends a cacophony of signals to whoever you approach. While it’s a no-brainer, so often we forget to do this one simple thing. A smile is an invitation that says, “I’m friendly, helpful and come in peace.”
Can Eye-Contact Make All The Difference?
3. Make eye contact. If we look into the eyes of the person we’re about to meet sends a signal that says, “I’ve got nothing to hide”. Looking at someone’s eyes indicates interest and openness.
4. Raise your eyebrows. This is a universal sign of recognition and acknowledgement. You’ll see this as a typical behaviour among friends when they first spot each other from afar. You can do this by opening your eyes a little more than normal and you’ll create an “eyebrow wave.”
5. Straighten your posture. Nothing says confident communicator more than posture. It’s the non-verbal boost to trust. Lift your sternum (breast bone) a few centimeters. Not only will you look more confident, you will also feel more confident. Standing tall, pulling your shoulders back a little and holding your head straight is key. It sends a raft of signals including confidence and competence.
6. Shake hands. Did you know that in the context of rapport, a single handshake is equal to three hours of interaction?
7. Lean in. Uniquely and powerfully, leaning forward shows that you’re engaged and interested. Most people like us to be about one to two feet away. Yet those who are more kinesthetic prefer us to be little closer and in business, I would suggest a two foot rule. Regardless, leaning forward shows that you’re engaged and interested.
Finally, the quality of our relationships are the difference that makes the difference. Being a confident communicator helps others to feel more comfortable in your presence, creates long lasting relationships. Ignoring these skills means you risk eliciting fear or a lack of trust in others. Worse, it can send a signal that says something’s not right here.
The 11 Major Decisions Keys
Not surprisingly, 7 Seconds is all it takes to decide to buy from someone or run for the hills. Our human need for safety will have us judge at every opportunity. Here are the 11 decisions we make in 7 seconds.
1. Education level 2. Economic level 3. Perceived credibility and believability 4. Trustworthiness 5. Level of sophistication 6. Sexual identification 7. Level of success 8. Political background 9. Religious background 10. Ethnic background 11. Social and professional desirability
R!k Schnabel is Australia’s #1 Brain Untrainer and teaches company executives how to be a confident communicator. He is a Master NLP and Life Coach trainer, Coach and an international, multi-best-selling author with Life Beyond Limits. https://lifebeyondlimits.com.au/
How do we realise our dreams and make our dreams come true? As children growing up, we all got ideas in our heads about who we wished to become or what we desired to achieve.
While some of us dreamt of owning fast cars, yachts or other aspirational status symbols. The rest had simpler dreams. A happy marriage or to pay off our mortgage before retirement.
Though recent statistics tell us that many of us fall well short to make dreams come true.
Regardless of how grand or simple our dreams were, our life is the net sum total of our self-esteem. Better said, “Our lives are the sum total of our unconsious programming.” A fact you are soon to discover.
As we get older we, most of us experience our first heart break. As our dreams go up in flames on receiving our first reality check. The job we didn’t get. The income we never achieved. The house we will never buy all become the aged photos that peal off our vision boards.
I once thought that the majority of people achieve their dreams. Afterall, as a Brain Untrainer, the large majority of my clients get what they want – but I was wrong.
I had to do more research. I found a disturbing study by Wealth Research Group. The reason why most people don’t make dreams come true. The study found that 98 percent of people die without fulfilling their dreams.
After my horror. I decided to do more research to find some answers only to discover I was wrong again.
I knew the reason that most people don’t make dreams come true comes down to mindset. It is due to their unconscious programs that govern 90% of their behaviours. But according to Harvard professor Gerald Zaltman, that figure is now 95%!
While this is a horrifying fact, it makes simple your solution.
If you want make dreams come true, stop focusing only on strategies and heavy grunt work. Instead, get busy on changing your unconscious programming.
If you want to make your dreams come true, you need to get busy on changing your unconscious programming. Stop working hard and work smart. While strategies and work are always a key part to make your dreams come true, they’re not the full picture. A 98% failure rate is quite a reality check.
People often ask me, “Why is everyone getting a coach these days?” These in your face facts reveal the answer. 98 percent of people don’t achieve their dreams. 95 percent of our behaviours are unconscious. In other words, we do not make dreams come true consciously.
Dreams come true through altering our beliefs that stand in their way. Limiting fears and negative emotions are cancer to our dreams. These staggering statistics tell us why football teams need coaches. Why smart high level executives demand coaches as part of their packages. They know that they are going to need a coach to get beyond their conscious mind to achieve their goals.
Afterall, if you haven’t yet achieved a goal, the numbers suggest you won’t. But more importantly, your mindset says you won’t. Unless you get out of your mind and into some unconscious coaching or brain untraining.
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R!k Schnabel, is Australia’s #1 Brain Untrainer with www.LifeBeyondLimits.com.au. Life Beyond Limits is a transformational training and coaching company. Located on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales Australia.
“We believe that everyone deserves a life beyond limits.”
To be a success in business is to do the abnormal or trying to be found is akin to a needle in haystack. When people think you are a weirdo or plain crazy – celebrate! Because crazy is what you need to be to be a success in business – let me prove it to you.
Back in 2000 I had this crazy idea. Build an online university! Most of my peers said I was crazy, yet their jaws dropped in disbelief when they saw our US$998 million EBIT! That’s success in business in my book.
Crazy is good. Crazy is the kind of thinking that launched companies like Apple, Amazon and Uber.
Aiming to be a success in business, in our careers, in our relationships is natural. We all want success. I do. You do. Your desire to grow is natural. It is normal. But climbing that metaphorical ladder to God knows where is far from normal. Think about it. Normal thought patterns give you normal behaviour. Businesses that succeed are anything but normal. Besides, normal thinking gets you the business or career that you currently have. That’s normal. But it is not growth and it is likely not what you want – right?
Can you remember the last time you started a new business or jumped into a new job? Now cast your mind back and begin to recall the contorted faces of your friends and family. Did they think you were crazy? Nuts? They even thought there was something wrong with you. That is how crazy success is to normal folk. They don’t get it.
Taking your business or career to the next level needs you to act as though you’re mad! And if you don’t believe me, congratulations you’re normal. But success is anything but fitting in.
To be a success in business, you need to learn to become comfortable with discomfort.
Walt Disney used to say that if everyone liked his idea, it wasn’t dangerous enough to succeed. He would change it. Acceptance and normal are not your friends in business. I learned that what we did yesterday, no longer works today. Old ideas are not your friends either. Crazy ideas are what most people will criticise you for, but they get attention. You must learn to become comfortable with discomfort and change.
Steve Jobs said, “For the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been no for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” It was this level of change that made him fiercely unpopular with his Apple board. But it was Jobs’ desire for constant change, his madness is what made Apple who they are today.
The real success in business will at first sound crazy.
Success is crazy and illogical. In 2004, my mentor showed me how to create in a weekend, what most call ‘an annual income!’ The whole idea seemed crazy to me. He gave me a crazy golden formula. I remember, I used to go numb after hearing an idea that was bigger than me. It’s normal to feel fear.
My mentor had proven his system time and time again. His crazy idea worked! To be frank, it scared me senseless. Because I could not see myself in my mentor’s shoes. Though a bolt of lightning that ran through me when I realised my problem wasn’t trying to be normal. My problem was my inability to be crazy.
What I needed was coaching. But not your ordinary run of the mill coaching. I needed a neurological and behaviour specialist. Someone who could gain access to my neural pathways and clean out those thoughts to conform. I needed to change my software. Because who I had to become to get those same results that my mentor shared, wasn’t me. I knew, that until I became that person who followed my mentor’s advice… The success I wanted would elude me. The proof was in the pudding, the pudding was my brain. Success had eluded me for most of life already.
I got that coach. I changed how I thought and the price I paid came back to me a thousand-fold. Today, I value anyone who can untrain a brain to think like a winner – and win.
Do you want success, real success? Then stop aiming to be your normal self. Stop showing up as you and start showing up as the successful future you. But don’t think that you can get there on your own – because you won’t.
You’ll need a coach that challenges your current, normal thinking. I promise you, success starts when you start to realise where it begins – in your thinking.
—————– END ——————-
R!k Schnabel, is Australia’s #1 Brain Untrainer with www.LifeBeyondLimits.com.au. Life Beyond Limits is a transformational training company. Located on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales Australia, the company enjoys a global audience.
Overconfidence is the tendency for people holding incorrect, overly optimistic views and failing to comprehend the limits of their own actual knowledge and abilities. Research suggests distinguishing three different types of overconfidence: Overprecision, overestimation and overplacement.
3 categories of overconfidence and negative consequences
Overprecision is a type of behaviour where believing that
one’s own judgments, predictions and decisions are more accurate than the
reality without question or justification. One of the underlying causes of
overprecision is human nature trying to resolve internal dissonance in a
stressful situation. We could make low quality decisions or serious mistakes in
getting things done because overprecision discourages us from listening to
others, taking advice, or accepting different ideas and suggestions. Because of
overprecision, you could implement the wrong strategies and never get things
done.
Overestimation refers to a tendency to believe that one can
be better/more capable/perform faster than true performance or ability, which
is based on an absolute personal evaluation of one’s own performance, not
anyone else’s. It is a common tendency as it is a good feeling to believe in
yourself! Because of overestimation, we may enhance ourselves too positively
instead of accurately, misunderstand the level of control we have therefore
estimate the time and cost incorrectly for getting things done. One simple
project, such as decluttering your wardrobe may be completed after costing more
time and money than the original plan. Sounds familiar? Overestimation could
throw us into the deep end if we believe we are capable of handling a risky
situation or believe everything is under control when in reality it is not.
Overplacement is called better-than-average effect. As the
name suggests, it is the term used when people believe they are better than
others, which is an incorrect perception. Recent studies find evidence of
underplacement, meaning people view themselves worse-than-average, particularly
when you have so many things to do and you are overwhelmed. Both overplacement
and underplacement occur due to a disregard of the accurate point of reference
or standard to compare with. People who overplace themselves are highly
unlikely to take advice from others, more eager to engage with competition and
new ventures without consideration of the risks. People who underplace
themselves would often miss a significant opportunity while they could have
succeeded if only they had the courage to make decisions and take actions. It
seems that both overplacement and underplacement are so extreme that we could
be emotionally and/or financially damaged either by getting involved with
unnecessary competition or missing opportunities to grow.
In sum, the analysis presented so far has made it clear
that any type of overconfidence is harmful for optimal decisions to get things
done and becomes a hurdle for us to be successful.
Benefits of overconfidence
In contrast, other studies provide evidence that
overconfidence can be beneficial for our success. Johnson and Fowler state that
“overconfidence can actually be advantageous on average, even if costly at
times.” Research suggests that overconfidence is not only useful but essential
to succeed in a competitive environment. Robinson and Marino confirm that overconfidence
is connected with fast decision making in a dynamic environment thus new
initiatives would never start without some level of overconfidence. In this
case, overconfidence works as a motivator to achieve chosen outcomes regardless
of the individual and the situation. Overplacement provides individuals with
higher status and higher grades by colleagues even if the reason for confidence
is unjustified. Those who believe they are better than others give an
impression to other people that they are competent, capable of engaging with
others and possess efficient interaction skills, all of which display
leadership ability of an overconfident individual. Kennedy et al. conclude that
benefits from overplacement are more significant than any possible costs. The
analysis by Galasso and Simco indicates that CEOs with overprecision judge the
failure probability lower than the actual. They are more innovative,
particularly in competitive industries, and they are keen to bring new
technology into organisations, that results in organisational success.
Therefore positive impacts of overconfident CEOs may balance out the negative
effects.
Is being overconfident the way to make fast decisions and
get things done? Given both positive and negative outcomes, we now know that
any type of overconfidence can be a
two-edged sword.
How to overcome negative effects
Although overconfidence can be
advantageous, sometimes we’d better assess our own beliefs and reality. When is
the time for the reality check? Prior studies show that overconfidence can
amplify results for the situation where one can influence outcomes. In that
case, assessing our own beliefs and reality is recommended when it is
impossible to control events. Helzer and Dunning suggest taking the
third-person perspective and questioning the expected outcomes to be achieved
by others will solve the negative effects of all types of overconfidence. It
fills the gap between predicted and actual behaviour. Considering a possibility
that we might be wrong and the reason why we could be wrong can help in
adjusting our own judgment about confidence. Since over/underplacement occurs
due to the lack of comparison or point of reference, having full information of
the situation is helpful to avoid the negative effects of this bias. People
with overprecision and overplacement are highly unlikely to take advice or
suggestions from others. Establishing the systems to force us to consider
perspectives of others or hypotheses can make us aware of the differences
between our own beliefs and reality and assist us in avoiding the negative
effects of overprecision and overplacement. For example, provide an explanation
of our decision processes to the family and friends. We can establish our own
systems which give us no option but to consider alternatives to defeat negative
effects in making decisions to get things done.
If you are not living the life of your dreams, then let me share how you can do that…
Today I’m sitting on another beach in Tugan, Queensland. I am literally living the life of my dreams right now. It’s a delightful 21 degrees. The sun is shining and the day is filled with the promise. I can do whatever I want.
How did I get here? How did I get off that endlessly spinning hamster wheel to create a life of freedom?
18 years ago, I was working in a busy office and had no idea how to create the life of my choosing. I’d been working for too long with the same old belief, that this is what people did. With crusty eyes, thinning hair and a look of bewilderment, I would wake-up at 6:30 am, stumble into the shower. Then after breakfast I brushed my teeth and hurriedly jumped into my car and into the bumper to bumper city traffic. Leaving home, just 5 minutes meant another 10 to 15 minutes stuck in traffic. This was not living the life of your dreams.
I was told it’s a part of the human race, but I was coming last.
Arriving in the office an hour and a half before I needed to was the norm. It was expected. Leaving work at 7 pm or sometimes 9pm was typical. Finally, at home around 10 pm in the evenings, I was too tired to do anything but have dinner and go to bed. On weekends, the highlight was a breakfast out somewhere and perhaps a zombie stroll through the Botanical Gardens. I was tired all the time yet, I had to appear like I was at least partially interested in what I was doing – but really, I just wasn’t. Life at the time, felt like I was dragging myself across a cheese grater. I used to think, “Is this what living is supposed to look like? Surely, there must be more to life?” I was a part of the human race and sadly, I was coming last. This was not living the life of your dreams.
The thoughts in my head weren’t pretty, but thankfully, no-one but me knew it. I had to start asking myself better questions, but I just wasn’t. It was actually my wife Rebecca who did.
It was a Saturday and I was laying on the couch waiting for my family to get themselves ready to go out for breakfast, thinking, “Another weekend and all I want to do is nothing but rest.” When my wife said, “You know how we love going to warm places near beaches on our holidays?” At which I agreed in a drone. She continued, “What if we started living that resort lifestyle now, instead of just on holidays?” To which I dejectedly replied, “How?”
Sometimes, when your energy is low, the last thing you want to do, is work out some complex or near impossible solution to an unfathomable outcome. I think you get where I was at. On reading my response, Rebecca began reciting some of our friends and even two of my mentors who had created freedom in their lives. She then set the challenge. She said, “You’re just as smart as they are, why don’t you just ask them how they did it?” Not a bad strategy, I thought. So I did and here is their advice, which I followed. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I decided that I’d had enough and from now on, it was going to be “Beach or Bust!” Let me share how I did that in 7 simple steps. Not easy steps, but simple to do. I did want to create the life of my dreams.
Here is how I created the life of my dreams.
STEP #1: Work out how much money you need to survive, not thrive.
Tony Frederick wasn’t just my best friend, he was also a clever man and mentor with a ‘can do’ attitude. I shared our idea with Tony and he said, “The first thing that you need to do is do the numbers. Work out how much money you need each month to survive, not thrive. Get rid of all of those needless expenses that are not needs, but wants. You know, the extravagances that are nice to have, but not necessary. Reduce your overheads so that financially, the transition is simple.” It was great advice and in the first month, I was shocked at how much more money we had in the bank. Tony said, “Build a financial buffer that might equate to about half a year of your normal income.”
STEP #2: Start researching a mobile business and study that business or get the skills you need.
These days, there are so many ways to make money, without having to go into an office or be located in the one spot. These days, you can search Google for “mobile business ideas” and you’ll get 800 million results. Now, I had completed my life coach training and I could coach anyone from anywhere to improve their life, all on Skype! That was truly a mobile business. (In fact, today from the beach, I’ll be coaching a client in China.) This is living the life of your dreams.
STEP #3: Start your mobile business now and keep your full-time job.
This was sensible advice. Tony suggested that I continue my job AND build my mobile business in the evenings and on the weekends. Sure, I was going to be one busy guy, but the mission after all, was “Beach or Bust.” Tony insisted that if it was a true mobile business, I would be able to create it from anywhere at any time. Life Coaching was perfect, because most of my clients wanted to work with me out of working hours.
STEP #4: Prove your product and master the marketing.
Starting a business is one thing and building your skill is another, and mastering getting clients or customers is something altogether unique as a set of skills. Now I was already a good marketer, however most of my skill was offline, not online. So I started some extra study to master the online game. (As a trainer of Life Coaches, I also built an online program to show coaches how to get clients and build a business with my Business of Life Coaching program). In just four steps, I was almost ready to launch my laptop lifestyle. But Tony suggested one more step.
STEP #5: Make a third of your current income in your new business and bank it as a business buffer.
In just 3 months, I had money coming from everywhere! I had my regular income and my business income coming in. I did what Tony suggested and I banked the money and built a buffer. After 6 months of starting my new venture, I was ready to quit my job. I remember it was March 2004. It was the first day of my life where I felt truly free. No bosses. No bureaucracy. No reports and I could design my business and my life, however I wanted.
It’s now October 2019 and I’m heading into my seventeenth year of freedom and you can too – if you want it? You just have to follow these five steps.
R!k Schnabel is Australia’s #1 Brain Untrainer – if you want to achieve anything in your life that you haven’t been able to on your own – have a complimentary chat with R!k to see how he can help you.
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Hi There! Would you like to live a life beyond limits?
By Akiko Kawakami – December 11, 2019
