memory. She was totally unaware of how she moved and
overcame all her physical disability in that moment.
At one stage in my career I worked for the training department
of International Computers Ltd. We ran a range of skills
development courses for customers. At that time I was involved
in an influencing skills course in which we taught the delegates
choice in the way they expressed themselves verbally. We also
taught them how to choose the most effective language to
achieve the outcomes they wanted, particularly for meetings.
We returned some highly verbally skilled people to our client
companies. Then we started to get complaints from the company
sales teams. When a company salesperson was in a meeting
with a client who had attended the influencing skills course, the
company person was consistently being outmaneuvered by the
client in the way they managed the meeting. Needless to say, the
company changed its training policy. This course immediately
became a key part of the training program for the sales teams!
When Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France in 2001, part of
his success was attributed to his high pedaling speed. Most other
cyclists turn the pedals more slowly, often using a higher gear.
The effect of using a higher pedaling speed is that the body uses
different muscles (low-twitch muscles) to the ones you use if you
are pedaling more slowly (high-twitch muscles). Low-twitch
muscles can endure for longer than high-twitch muscles and
Lance Armstrong has trained in such a way that he can use both.
He can also cycle long distances either sitting or standing on the
pedals. He can excel on the mountain climbs and yet he is
unsurpassed in his time trial speeds. What he has overall is
immense flexibility in all aspects of his cycling skills.
The same is true of our mental flexibility. If we have flexibility
in our thinking and behavior, we have choice. If one choice
doesn't work we can try another until we find one that does.
How does a sports player get flexibility? They train; they
exercise the different parts of their body so that they can move
freely, so that they can vary their style. Athletes undergo an
extensive range of training programs. The most effective
exercise is often the simplest but most frequent. By regularly
THE PERSON WITH
THE MOST FLEXIBILITY
IN THINKING AND
BEHAVIOR HAS THE
BEST CHANCE OF
SUCCEEDING
Exercise your thinkingWRITE YOUR OWN LIFESCRIPT: BELIEFS OF EXCELLENCE 251