What are you trying to prove???

For the majority of my adult life I have been in search of knowledge and experience, which has been a driving factor for me to have some level of success in multiple careers and different fields. Usually when I get interested in something, I get temporarily (this can be days to years, lol) obsessed with learning and understanding as much as I can. Luckily I have seemed to find ways to learn a lot in relatively short times, but I credit that to my approach. I read, I take courses, I watch videos, I hire coaches/mentors… but most of all I QUESTION!
I have had a lot of amazing mentors in my life. Men and Women with extreme amounts of knowledge and experience in their respective fields. While I’m always open to hear and learn what they have to say, I also take the approach of questioning all of it in the process. I’ve been asked the question “What are you trying to prove?” on more than one occasion. Here is the trick to my answer, I’m always trying to prove myself WRONG. Yep, you read that right, I said “prove myself Wrong.”
Some people can’t seem to understand that answer, but it’s really quite simple. While I may discuss and question from a specific side of a discussion or statement, I’m still always looking for the weakness in my knowledge and what I know. What better way to prove that what you know is correct? If I just dig in my heels and decide I want to argue to be right, I most likely won’t be open to hearing the other side or furthering what I know. However, if I’m hoping that someone/something can prove me wrong, then I will be open to improvement and growth.
How does this apply to someone that’s coming into my facility looking to improve their health and fitness? Let me give an example…
Every week I have potential members who book appointments to come in for a consultation. Many of those individuals are unhappy with how they look, how they feel, their energy, their confusion on nutrition and training, etc. However, once we start to talk more, they seem to have their minds made up on what they need to improve all of that.
As I offer up strategies and solutions, some will argue due to what a friend told them, or what the internet said (which is always true right?), or some magazine article snippet that had ZERO context or backing outside of some writer trying to get their attention and keep their job by supporting the sales of the magazine they write for.
Okay, off the soapbox, but I think you see where I’m coming from. They have told themselves a story and are trying to prove what they know as right, even if what I’m telling them may be more in-line with what they need.
Most of those that come to us and find success, are the ones that are open to being proven wrong on what they knew to that point. They are open to advice and guidance from coaches, they try new things, they shift their paradigms of thinking and shed some of the brain-washing that marketing has made a mess of in terms of health and nutrition.
Does this mean as a coach I’m trying to prove myself right? Not really. I’m hoping that I continue to find the right things to help my members improve their quality of lives and how they feel about themselves, but I’m still constantly trying to prove myself wrong. I test my programs, I keep data on successes and failures, I look to improve!
Maybe there are some things in your life you’ve been holding onto with the intention of proving yourself right. Perhaps it’s time to take a different approach and see if you can prove yourself wrong.