The Pygmalion Effect – Act As If
By Mark Ottobre – Enterprise Fitness Owner and Founder
One of my secrets weapons to training champions is to treat all clients as champions. From how hard I’d train them to how seriously I took their questions on the simple things. I would always make a point to speak as if their goal is only a matter of time.
As a trainer and coach, this has always made sense to do. I wanted my clients to get results and figured, the more seriously I took their goals, the more seriously they would too. Years into my career, I learnt that there was actually a psychological phenomenon for this called The Pygmalion Effect.
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The pygmalion effect refers to situations where the teacher or coaches’ expectations of a student, client or athlete’s performance becomes a fulfilling prophecy; students perform better or worse than other students based on the way their teacher or coach expects them to perform (1), (2).
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So how does this apply to you?
See yourself as the person who can win and achieve your goals, because usually, they are the only ones that do. Most people play the game of life just wanting not to lose.
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If you want to be a champion in any endeavour, you need to play to win. Playing to win means you take responsibility, you stop looking for shortcuts and take on the identity of someone who can win. Diets and quick fixes are by nature temporary and short-lived – the path for those playing not to lose. To be a winner in health and fitness, adopt a permanent mindset.
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I encourage all clients to live by this simple affirmation: I’m a healthy person, who eats healthy foods that build and nourish my body. In that, there is no end date, and it’s the beginning of acting as if your goal has already been achieved.
References:
1. Weaver, J., Filson Moses, J., & Snyder, M. (2016). Self-fulfilling prophecies in ability settings. The Journal of social psychology, 156(2), 179-189. Available at: https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26214717/
2. Boser, U., Wilhelm, M., & Hanna, R. (2014). The Power of the Pygmalion Effect: Teachers’ Expectations Strongly Predict College Completion. Center for American Progress. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED564606
If you would like to work with one of our professional coaches to improve your performance and achieve your goals faster, reach out today.
