As a senior level executive I was always looking to up my game. I read books, I worked out, I meditated and I sought help from professional executive coaches. I found incremental value in each of these approaches. Most of what I learned were cognitive behavioral techniques aimed at helping me identify where, when and how to do things differently. Each required me to pivot my own thoughts and actions mid-stream just like one might in a tennis game. Difficult to do on the spot and it takes tons of practice. If someone consistently applies a new desired behavior, “success” can be achieved in about 21 days. Personally, I wanted a faster and more reliable way to get to peak performance.
What if it didn’t have to be that difficult or take that long? Tapping (aka Emotional Freedom Technique) is an approach to behavioral change that has been around for about 30 years. Although some call this approach “woo woo”, results from this technique have been remarkable and dramatic for many individuals. War veterans who have been suffering from PTSD for decades have found relief within days with tapping. It has helped many who lived through the Newtown shooting and Bosnian genocide move forward with their lives. Others have gotten relief from phobias, addictions, weight issues and more. So why wouldn’t we consider applying similar techniques to sports and work performance?
What if we could optimize our own work performance so that we stopped procrastinating, worrying and hedging? What if we could clear our own limiting beliefs that are getting in the way of outrageous success… beliefs that may have started in childhood like “I’m not enough,” “If it isn’t perfect, I’ve failed” or “I’m afraid of presenting in front of a group,”
How does tapping work exactly? It involves tapping on acupoints on the body (points along the meridian system, an energy transport system in the body). As we tap on the body, tension is released and the body starts to relax. If we tap while thinking, feeling or talking about a symptom, behavior, emotion, event or belief, the brain feels the body relaxing and starts to integrate the previously stressful experiences in the context of newly relaxed state, enabling the brain to get a fresh perspective. Once the integration happens, we can think about the stressful event without being triggered. Then, new positive thoughts or desired behaviors can be introduced.
What would your career look like if you were able to quickly release the thoughts, feelings and events that are holding you back? What actions would you take? What would your earnings potential be? How well would your company do if everyone on your team were able to clear old, non-productive thought patterns and limiting beliefs?