Change, the Necessary Ingredient for Improving Performance

Improving performance in life, business, or sport, always involves the process of change. In fact, it is the most important ingredient. The premise that I use when coaching is, “if you are not getting what you want, then you need to change what you are doing.” If a person does the same thing over and over again, and expects a different result, they will always be disappointed. Change is absolutely necessary in order to get a new and better result (improved performance).

Is change easy? Not always. But, it is a lot easier when you apply the following 4 steps and what I call the 3 MUSTS:

1. Identify what it is that you want in positive terms. That is, state what it is that you want verses what you don’t want.
2. Identify what it is that you are presently experiencing. This includes the symptoms (problems) of your current situation and their probable causes.
3. Identify the resources that you need to get from where you are to where you want to go. Resources include: your physiology (feelings and behaviors) your internal thoughts (sights, sounds, and beliefs), information (what you know, what you don’t know, and what you don’t know you don’t know…unconscious) skills (strategy and actions that you need to take to get what you want).
4. Using your resources, begin removing the “road blocks” (interferences) that stand in your way from getting what you want.

In order for change to actually occur, there are 3 MUSTS:

1. YOU MUST WANT TO CHANGE
2. YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO CHANGE
3. YOU MUST GIVE YOURSELF THE CHANCE TO CHANGE

Using the example of improving (changing) a forehand in tennis, here’s how you apply the 4 steps and the 3 MUSTS:

1. I want to hit my forehand with greater power, depth, and direction.
2. I am currently hitting the ball into the net with very little power or ability to direct the ball.
3. In order to change (improve my performance), I need the following resources: Information (what I need to do), Thinking (sights, sounds, associated with improved performance), Physiology (how to do it with my body), Belief (I believe I can do it), Skills (the organization of my thoughts and actions).
4. Continue to repeat the changes (practice) until I can hit my forehand with power, depth, and direction in social or competitive matches.

In order for me to make the above changes:

1. I must want to change.
2. I must know how to change.
3. I must give myself the chance to change.

The above steps are paraphrased from the writings of Robert Dilts, Tim Hallbom & Suzi Smith in their book: Beliefs, Pathways to Health and Well Being, Copyright 1990, page 7.