The old adage says that approximately 10% of an iceberg is visible, with 90% out of sight under the water’s surface.
We can think about are ourselves a bit like an iceberg in that the results that we get in business and in life is what we see above this waterline. What we all see above the waterline are our behaviours, decisions and actions. And it is the combination of these that generate our results.
However, what drives these results in these behaviours, decisions and actions is what’s actually going on below the waterline.
There are four aspects to our own personal make up that main things there were two driving. What you see above the waterline. And as we go deeper into the iceberg or deeper into the water, these things become harder to change and take longer to change. So what’s going to change your actions and your decisions and behaviours quickly so it’s actually your skills.
What skills have you got, that you’re not currently utilising? What new things could you be learning? New skills will help you make better decisions and take better actions, which can be really easy to accomplish – just dedicate 20-30 minutes a day to reading, or listening to an e-book, a podcast or an educational YouTube video.
The next level down is Beliefs. A belief is something that you believe to be true. If those beliefs are negative, they will limit what we think we can achieve. We refer to these self-limiting beliefs; and these need to be worked on as they can be very damaging, i.e. if you believe your business can’t grow above a certain size, then it’s highly likely it won’t. It may take some time to work on your beliefs. You may need to challenge yourself – or have somebody challenge you – so that your belief system drives your positive change in behaviour.
A value is something that is important to you. Sitting a little lower under the water level, they take a little longer to change than the skills and beliefs above them. Our values will have been developed over time, and could have been built by previous experiences, what we’ve witnessed in others and how others have made us feel. But are they all contributing to success right now? Could you adopt some new values?
The deepest level is your identity. This can take a long time to change. it’s important to remember that our identity is what other people think, feel or observe in us – they’re the descriptions we’d want others to use when talking about us, our business, or our products and services. Now is a really good time to assume the identity we want to have. Now is the time to reset and adjust what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. What steps can you take to shift or reinforce your identity
Using the iceberg analogy if we were to take an iceberg, and to bring it into a sea which was a couple of degrees warmer, it will quickly start to change the shape and form. And that’s the same with ourselves. Environment has the biggest impact on all elements of the Identity Iceberg. What environment are you in at the moment? The vast majority of us have had to change our working environment in recent months. Have you given yourself the best environment you could? Is it free from distractions?
But environment goes beyond the physical space you’re in. Environment is about where you spend your time, who you spend your time with. Are you spending time with people that are helpful to you or people that have the opposite effect?
Jim Rohan, one of the founding fathers of coaching, famously said that we all are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. Are you spending time with people that help you reach your goals, ambitions and thinking?
As you can see our Identity Iceberg contains many elements, all of which are going to influence and drive our ability to get the results out of life that we wish to. At ActionCOACH Brighton we often refer to this great tool to identify where somebody can make changes that will drive better results.
If you would like to find out more about how we do this please set up some time to chat: https://bnbiz.coach/chat
