The Power of Doing
These days we’ve all become familiar with the benefits of being connected with our thoughts & beliefs and choosing thoughts that empower us. Whoever we are, “I can do it” is a powerful belief that has the potential to change our performance. “I can’t” is too. And so is “I know you can do it.”
Goal setting is intimately related to both the “I can” and “I can’t”. Positive belief in ourselves occurs more easily when we recognize our accomplishments relative to our goals. But, what about those goals in the first place? Are they realistic? Relevant? Motivating? What happens if there’s a problem with a goal, or perhaps the perception of failure on a regular basis, or skill limitations, too much going on, or lack of awareness and/or attention? And what about fear, stress and anxiety? Even with all that may underlie our “I can’t”s, believing in ourselves and our capabilities becomes a lot easier when goals are achievable through meaningful, progressive, worthwhile and acknowledged effort. This is where the power of doing comes in! Doing not only helps us get a job done, it shapes our beliefs and contributes to the health and changeability of our brains, bodies and spirits.
Belief is powerful; doing is POWERFUL!
“Do”ing links “I can” with “it” (the goal) in “I CAN DO IT.” It also links “I can’t” with “it” for “I can’t do it.” Belief launches doing & doing authenticates belief in our abilities. And the set of steps we climb has everything to do with the process and outcome. We can create these steps ourselves or take the steps created by someone who knows and believes in us.
An “I know you can do it” can mean a lot, especially when you’re not yet sure of yourself. Added value of such a statement is derived when it’s delivered in association with an understanding of the individual’s liabilities and strengths, individualized goals, and a customized plan; therapeutic intervention does just that. Along this course of action each step presents a calculated “reach” or a “stretch”, the so-called “just right challenge”, or a do-able step out of one’s comfort zone and successfully onward. Add a bit of practice and/or some variations, and before you know it, “I can” arrives, fueled by success in doing. In therapeutic intervention such step by step successes are guaranteed, although a spoken guarantee may not be specifically shared. The supportive “I know you can do it” is the important message. Belief and doing…one shapes the other, step by step.Whether we refer to children or adults, in a therapy setting or daily life, doing has power, emotionally, psychologically, physiologically, and functionally. Here are 5 tips for you yourself, or for your use as you support your favorite doer of any age.
5 Tips for Positive Doing
1. Take heed! -“Easier said than done”, “Just do it.”, “One step at a time”, “Actions speak louder than words” – How many times have we heard these sayings? Now’s the time to clearly recognize the value of doing!
2. Get personal and be specific. Assure personally relevant goals. Get a sense of what’s important to your doer, what motivates him, what he wants to do, and how his abilities relate to specific responsibilities and desires.
3. Focus on the process while keeping the desired outcome in mind.
4. Find the fun and hold a structure.
5. Work while you can, rest (or break) when you need it!
Written by: Sheila Smith Allen