This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Alan Fine, founder of InsideOut Development and author of You Already Know How to Be Great, says you can reach your goals by tapping into what you already know.
Can reading self-help books unlock potential?
My instant reaction is that reading on its own isn't necessarily important. But it can be vitally important if people have those "ah-ha" realizations that change their mental states and prompt them to action. It's better to begin with the fundamental mind-set that you are capable of achieving whatever it is you are trying to achieve.
Knowledge then, comes from the inside?
Most people believe that the best way to improve performance is to increase knowledge. A formula that reflects this belief is Performance = Capacity + Knowledge, which is based on an "outside-in" approach. In other words, there is some bit of knowledge "out there" that you don't have. And if you want to get better, you must add knowledge — take a class, read a self-help book or hire an expert. But if knowledge were really all it took to achieve high performance, then all you would have to do is read a book and you would be the expert. The biggest obstacle to performance isn't not knowing what to do; it's not doing what you already know. A different way to look at personal performance improvement is from the "inside-out" approach, which is more about doing what you already know. So in your pursuit of personal improvement, look for ways you can remove your own interference.
What are some key questions that can help remove obstacles or interference?
Whenever you make a decision, you go through four stages by answering the following questions — What is the goal? (Goal), What is actually happening now? (Reality), What are the options for moving from reality to the goal? (Options), and What are the best actions to take? (Way Forward), or GROW. This model helps you create laser-like focus on the critical variables. As you progress and work toward your goals, other questions can help you maintain your focus — What worked? Where did you get stuck? and What would you do differently next time? Using these types of questions can lead to breakthrough performance.
What is the phenomenon you call Decision Velocity?
Every outcome or result is a consequence of some action, and every action is the result of a decision. So decisions lead to actions that lead to results. In physics, velocity is the measurement (based on magnitude and direction) of how fast something is traveling. I use the term Decision Velocity to apply this same concept to performance. Decision Velocity is the speed and accuracy of your decisions. How quickly and accurately you can make decisions has a big impact on results. When you make fast decisions that aren't accurate, all you get are more mistakes. When you make accurate decisions that aren't fast enough, you lose valuable time and opportunities. Peak performers improve by increasing their Decision Velocity.
Dawn House Alan Fine, author