Mind Gym by Sebastian Bailey

agreed that there were people more senior than him who weren’t great presenters either. They’d succeeded either by joining up with someone who was a more proficient communicator or by writing papers that were widely shared and published. The consequences of being a poor presenter were actually less serious than Sean had initially assumed.
Step Five: Your Wasted Thoughts
    When all the arguments presented in steps one through four have been tried and found wanting, the last resort is to ask yourself, Is there any use in holding on to my perception? For Sean, the value in seeing himself as a bad presenter was, well, zero. For that reason, it would be well worth his effort to change his view. The only way his self-belief about being a bad presenter could be helpful is if he uses it as a prompt to take action and therefore become a better presenter.
Step Six: Your Call to Action
    Challenging the way you look at a situation is probably the single most powerful thing you can do when it comes to altering your beliefs and trying to change from a pessimistic to an optimistic viewpoint. It is certainly possible that Sean, by simply thinking differently about his capabilities, could become a more confident and effective presenter. Perhaps if he grew less bothered by his lack of polish, he could gain authority in his subjects. But thinking differently is not the only thing Sean could do. He could tackle his perceived weaknesses head-on. He could be coached to answer difficult questions more effectively; he could spend more time anticipating the questions that might be asked and so prepare some answers; and he could develop some standard techniques for questions he doesn’t know the answers to. No doubt, there is plenty more that Sean could do to become a better presenter.
    When you change your perspective of a situation by arguing with yourself, you will then be ready to quash pessimistic habits ( I am not good enough and there’s nothing I can do about it ) and, instead, do something positive ( I am capable. Now let me get on with it and do something to make me even better ). Next, you need to decide what sort of change to make and when to make it.
The Six Steps: Your Summary of the Disputation Process
    In the previous six steps, we charted the “argument” Sean had during a Mind Gym workout. As a result, he
       •   considered himself a perfectly adequate presenter,
       •   appreciated that the level of his presenting skills wasn’t as critical to his future success as he had previously thought, and
       •   knew what he could do to become a better presenter.
    This argument happened between two people—Sean and the Mind Gym coach—but it could just as easily have happened in Sean’s head. It is a process any of us can use when we have a pessimistic or negative assumption we want to challenge or change.
Win Yourself Over
    The tone of the “inner voice” you have an argument with is up to you, though the tougher and firmer that voice, the more likely it is to win any argument. Imagine, for example, that your inner voice takes the persona of a courtroom attorney or a character from one of your favorite crime shows—a cop or judge who wouldn’t let you get away with any shenanigans. Always be sharp but fair and don’t let yourself dodge questions or responsibility. If you’re going to have the hardest argument you’ll ever have, you might as well do it properly. You can handle the truth.
ARGUING WITH YOURSELF: A SUMMARY OF THE SIX STEPS
1. What is your belief?
This will be a pessimistic view. If you are already thinking optimistically about a situation, then you don’t need to argue with yourself about it.
2. What evidence is there to challenge this view (i.e., the case for the prosecution)?
Work hard to unearth all the evidence against this view. Imagine you are Columbo and Sherlock Holmes rolled into one.
3. If the evidence isn’t enough, what alternative explanations are there to explain the