Mark Twain once said, "I am an old man and have known a great many
troubles, but most of them never happened." In our lives, we might
also say, "I have encountered a great many impenetrable obstacles,
but most of them never existed."
So many people spend their lives limited by assumptions that are either
only partially true or completely untrue. The assumptions typically
bring dreams to a screeching halt through some variation on this theme:
I want to [goal/dream], but [limiting assumption]. So, for example, they
end up saying things like, "I want to change careers, but I'm too old."
Assumptions are necessary. Without them, we would need to evaluate each
and every little choice we make. But when they create a wall that
doesn't actually exist, it's time to blast past them. Here are some
questions to help you do that.
Is that true?
You would be amazed how often we treat a limiting assumption as a
cast-in-stone reality when in fact it's just a projection from inside
our minds. Questioning the basic validity of a limiting assumption
encourages you to take the glasses off and check what the world really
looks like.
These three words - "Is that true?" - have the potential to dynamite
the assumptions that keep us stuck and open a world of possibility.
Can I prove it?
When you hold them up to the light of critical examination, limiting
assumptions often wilt. Their rigid black and white view just doesn't
stand up to the test of reality.
Try to prove that the assumption is true. If your basic assumption is
that, "I can't change careers because I'm too old," set out all the
reasons that being too old means a career change is impossible.
Most often, you'll find that it's easy to find a bazillion reasons why
a given situation makes your goal challenging, but much harder to find
reasons why that situation absolutely, no-exceptions, unquestionably
makes it impossible.
How can I prove that it's false?
Another spin on using critical analysis as a tool for blasting past
your assumptions is to try to prove it false. Challenge yourself to
find ways to prove the assumption wrong. Make it a game to see how
many reasons you can find why that assumption isn't 100% true.
How could it be different? What are alternative ways of looking at
this?
When you make an assumption, you create a picture of "the truth." Step
back and ask, "Is there any other way of looking at this? Could there
be another 'truth' here?"
How could I get to a place of possibility?
Often, limiting assumptions are only "true" when we look at them from
a static perspective. If I want to start a business, but I have no
money, "I want to start a business but I don't have the money to do it"
might be true at this immediate point in time. But life isn't static.
It's fluid and full of movement.
Instead of looking at the assumption only from the viewpoint of the
here and now, explore what steps you might be able to take to reach a
place where possibility looks realistic.
So instead of looking at your bank statement and throwing up your hands
in defeat, you might ask, "How can I get access to the money I need to
start a business?" That might include waiting and saving up money,
finding a partner, or getting a loan.
Why do I think that?
Sometimes the key to blasting past your limiting assumptions is
understanding where they came from to begin with. If, for example, you
can see that an assumption has its genesis in an experience that is
either no longer relevant or only offers a partial picture of reality,
it is easier to let that assumption go.
Who has proven this wrong? How did they do it?
If someone else's reality has proven an assumption wrong, it's a little
hard to hang on to it as gospel truth. Not only do these two questions
help you shine a light on how the assumption is inaccurate, they also
help you learn more about how to get past the obstacles that assumption
is based on.
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Time for a career change? Launch it with
The Occupational Adventure Guide:
A Travel Guide to the Career of Your Dreams
