To Succeed You MUST Change

To Succeed You MUST Change

We have all heard the expression “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Some people seem to live by that notion and some people simply feel it’s too late to learn new tricks … or to change.

That sounds INSANE to me … and to Albert Einstein (a smart OLD DOG) who supposedly stated “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

In order to SUCCEED you MUST be willing to CHANGE.

And if you think you are already successful, then perhaps your personal goals are not ASPIRATIONAL enough.

I have spent a lot of time studying what drives people to change the way they do things. As a Leader and Coach for over 20 years, I have been fascinated by what motivates people to stretch themselves, learn new skills and attempt new strategies.

In most cases, people are willing to CHANGE if the end result creates a better life for themselves, their staff, their customers and their families.

Therefore it is ESSENTIAL you identify what a BETTER LIFE looks like. Make it ASPIRATIONAL. Strive to achieve a GREAT LIFE .

Yet despite this understanding, some people are still reluctant to embrace change or learn new “tricks” … and seem content with their current life.

It is evident that for some people, the unwillingness to change is greater than the willingness to succeed.

So how do you overcome your fear of change or reluctance to learn new “tricks”?

Let’s consider three common reasons why some people are unwilling to embrace change and offer suggestions to overcome these limiting beliefs.

1. Old Habits Die Hard

It’s difficult to change old habits and create new ones. Especially if we have done something a certain way for years.

If your personal goals are TRULY ASPIRATIONAL, then you have to accept the reality that you will NOT achieve these goals unless you update your Sales Playbook.

Research, learn and diligently practice at least one new proven habit or new sales technique a month. Share your results with colleagues and add this new “trick” to your Sales Playbook.

2. Don’t Have Enough Time – Competing Priorities

I always hear there is never enough time to do our job, let alone learn new skills and practice them. But are you investing enough time on tasks that directly help you and your Bank/Organization achieve your goals?

If you are not spending at least 33% of your time on business development activities/training you are NOT going to achieve your aspirational goals.

We all know that every great athlete and entrepreneur has achieved success by consistently learning and practicing new skills and strategies. You will never hear them say they were unable to train or develop their skills because of competing media commitments, paperwork or other non-productive meetings.

Sit down with a colleague (or direct report) and critically assess your weekly schedule and priorities. Consider tools and strategies to better manage your time/workload and prioritize business development activities/training.

3. Fear of Failure or Rejection

If your fear of failure or rejection is greater than your desire to succeed then you will never adopt new skills or ideas … and frankly, you will NOT achieve your aspirational goals.

This is why I always encourage people to make their goals HIGHLY aspirational, deeply personal and life changing.

Always understand what your worse case scenario will be if you try a new skill and are unsuccessful. I promise that the pain of failure or rejection will be fleeting and never life threatening.

But I guarantee that the pleasure of success will definitely be EUPHORIC and LIFE CHANGING.

Don’t let your desire to avoid momentary pain oppress your need to acquire long term pleasure.

I started with an Einstein quote and I will finish with one …. “If you’ve never made a mistake, you’ve never tried anything new.”

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Can you relate to any of these limiting beliefs? Discuss these with a friend, colleague or mentor and seek ways to improve your capacity and willingness to change. Or feel free to Contact Me for more advice.

Achieve a BETTER LIFE by embracing change …. try one new skill, or new idea, or new “trick” at a time.

Article written by Joe Micallef – Sales Strategist & Coach – Grow UP Sales. For advice on how to improve your capacity and willingness to change please email joe@growupsales.com or visit the webpage www.growupsales.com

If you found the content valuable then please feel free to share this article with your broader network. Lets help more sales people make the changes necessary for success.