Which Highlight Reel Do You Typically Watch?

If you have ever watched sports of any kind then you are familiar with a highlight reel. That's when they show you the highlights of the game or the individual athlete. If you are just watching the highlights and forming your opinion of the talent of that player, then you would be likely to think that the athlete is amazing and rarely makes mistakes. But that depends on which highlight reel you were watching. Were they all the greatest plays, the most fabulous catches, sinking long putts, etc. Or was the highlight reel actually a low light reel with all the mistakes, drops, missed shots, etc. If you the only thing you knew about that athlete was from that highlight reel, you would form a completely different opinion of their talent and ability.

We also have a highlight reel. Those thoughts and images we keep running through our minds. Which highlight reel are you playing in your mind most often? The good highlight reel with all the great and wonderful things you have successfully done. Or is it all the errors, and failure and saying stupid things?

Many of us have our highlight reel but it is not of all the good things we have done, but rather all the mistakes we have made. We run the reel over and over about where we went wrong. It runs on a nonstop loop. Of course, when we do this, it makes us feel terrible. Of course, we don't like to feel terrible, but we seldom make the connection of the images we have in our heads and the feelings it creates.

Take a look at the image above. When your highlight reel is playing, are you the person celebrating and high-fiving your teammates or the one on the ground defeated?

Let's make sure that your highlight reel is the positive one. Make a list of all your wins; all of them. The big wins and the little wins or anything that you would label as a success. All the times when you stepped up; when you made the deal, had the idea, or just executed at a high level. When you were at your best. Take moment now and make that list. Now for each item you put on your list, take some time and think about it. What was happening then? What did you see? What did you hear? How did you feel? Now with what you see, make it brighter; make it bigger and closer. Whatever you hear, make it louder, and clearer. Whatever you feel, make it more intense. Sit with those images, feelings and sounds and really feel the emotion.

Now that you have created your positive highlight reel, try reviewing your list and seeing those images in your mind for the next 14 days. You can add this to your morning routine or bring it out anytime you need a positive boost.