World records were knocked aside like skittles, team confidence was flying high and our Brits did us proud by delivering their impressive medal haul! And let’s not forget the greatest Olympian of all time Michael Phelps; he may not represent Great Britain, but hats off to him all the same. However you don’t have to be a world class athlete to take something positive away from the games.

Ultimately you create the levels of success you want in your life based upon your own personal belief. The belief that you are capable of the most the most amazing business success, the most energetic levels of vitality, the highest levels of financial freedom,  in fact whatever you desire, first begins when you believe you are capable of achieving it – just like team GB.

The life you are currently living is a product of your past thinking, just as the future you create is based on what you believe now, and what you believe to be possible. When a pebble is thrown into the middle of a pond, the ripples do not appear at the edge of the water instantly, they radiate out from the centre. Your belief works in just the same way. The thoughts you have today do not always instantly come true, sometimes you need to hang onto your belief for quite some time before you begin to see the changes in your success and the ripple you’re waiting for is created.

Think about one of the most famous records to ever be broken. Timed foot races by men were first recorded from the 1850’s and in 1886 Walker George set, what at the time everyone believed, to be an unbeatable record of 4.12 second for a mile run. Over the next 50 years the social ambition for a human man to run a four minute mile became an obsession with numerous athletes who attempted and failed to break through the perceived impossible barrier.

Roger Bannister became the first man to ever do so on 6^th May 1954 at Oxford University. However, after only 46 days Australian John Landy equalled the record. Over the later part of the 20^th Century 17 more seconds were shaved off the record and today the 4 minute mile has become the benchmark by which all amateur athletes are measured.

So why did the record stand unbeaten for 60 years only to be broken twice in 46 days? Simply because it was widely accepted belief, until Roger Bannister proved everyone wrong, that it was physically impossible for a man to run a mile in under 4 minutes. After that everyone’s belief changed, however Roger believed it was possible before he had actually proved it could be done. So what could you achieve, even if you’ve never personally achieved it before?

Remember your present circumstances are merely the manifestations; through your actions, behaviours and choices, of your past thinking. Therefore in order to change your future you must focus on the possibility and then live in a way as if it’s already true.

Most people fail, and their belief deserts them just before the moment of breakthrough, just as they are about to achieve the success they want. Success does not discriminate – it simply rewards those that keep on believing. The stronger your belief the faster it will happen.

So if you accept that your results are as much down to what you believe to be possible, as down to your skills and talent then here are 5 questions to ask yourself to challenge your perceived levels of success ;

·         How many more sales appointments could you generate this week?

·         How could you reduce your working hours yet increase your income?

·         How many more sales could your business generate before the end of this month?

·         How could you attract the perfect people, resources and customers to take your business success to untold new levels?

·         What are you truly capable of?

Michael Jordan acclaimed as the world’s greatest basketball player of all time, when once asked “Who’s your greatest competition?” famously responded “I’m only ever in competition with myself”. He only ever focused on himself and his own performance and whatever level he achieved in his sport, he kept pushing his own boundaries. He didn’t limit his own capabilities to the standards of those around him – instead he focused on breaking through his own perceived limitations and instead set the standards by which everyone followed.

So while everyone around you maybe complaining about the credit crunch, or that the market is dead as everyone is on holiday – focus on what you can achieve and make this next week your best week ever.

Set your own standards, break your own records, focus on running your own race, clearing your own high jump or swimming your own lengths, whatever you are currently achieving I guarantee you have more in you. Go on – break your own record.