Challenging Our Constraining Assumptions
Like Margaret and Barak we are capable of achieving things beyond what we think possible.
Over time we build a set of constraining assumptions about possibilities. Some are visible to us, while others are hidden. These assumptions restrict our thinking and constrain our actions on what is possible. Although our assumptions may originally seem justified, time invalidates many of them. If we surface our hidden assumptions and then question them, many will fall away as inappropriate. Challenging our hidden assumptions allows us to reset our ambitions higher and achieve greater results.
Pushing the Edge of Your Thinking ...
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Do you remember achieving something that you thought was impossible?
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What assumptions did you have about that situation that caused you to originally hold it as impossible?
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What caused you to challenge those assumptions?
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How and when were those assumptions formed?
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What were the consequences of those original assumptions on your actions at work? In your personal life?
Next month, I will discuss the possibility of resilience -- bouncing back from adversity.
As many of you know, I am a "work in progress." I continue to realize what is possible. If you want to explore this topic further, click on this link.
Feel free to share this mailing with friends and colleagues.
January 2009