Are Your Assumptions Holding You Back?

Last week I watched the Eagles of Philadelphia best the Texans of Houston in professional football match. It was most exciting.
This event may not seem noteworthy to you, but to me it was huge, because I had assumed that I would not be able to watch the game.

Why had I made such an erroneous assumption?

Because it was a Thursday night game, carried only by the NFL Network. I don’t get the NFL Network. To get the NFL Network you need to the special “sports package.” Or so I thought…

On that Thursday, I considered my options for watching this game. I could go to a place that was broadcasting it, but let’s face it: a football game that doesn’t start until after 8:00PM was probably going to run until 11:30ish. On a school work night. And by “place,” I mean, “establishment that serves libations.” Otherwise known as a “bar.” Did I really want to spend three plus hours at a bar on a Thursday night? No, not really.

(Wait, did I just type that? I must be getting old…)

Yup, it was inevitable...

My “plan b” was to go old school and listen to the game on the radio. I had listened to games on the radio before, but only in my car; I had never just sat on my couch and listened to one.

The thought of doing so seemed…weird. I mean, what does one do with one’s eyes while listening to the radio? Do I stare into nothingness? Close them and visualize the game? Have the TV on with the volume off, tuned to some show where I didn’t care what the people were saying, like “VH1’s 20 Best Beach Bodies”? I had no idea…

But that seemed like my only option, so that’s what I did. I turned on the radio and listened to the audio broadcast of the Eagles-Texans game.

It wasn’t a bad experience, though I’ll admit I was a bit disappointed that at no point did Orsen Welles break into the broadcast to tell me about an alien invasion. Yes, in my world, sitting at home listening to the radio is like living in the 1930’s. What can I say? I’m a child of television.

Old. School. Entertainment.

I realize that right now you NPR diehards are aghast at my uncouth, non-refined adherence to a sub-intellectual form of entertainment. If you are one of them, I ask, “Why are you surprised?” I’m the guy who wrote not one, but two articles about MTV’s Jersey Shore (You can read them here and here).

In any case, it was nice to listen to the game, but as I suspected, it was hard for me to just sit and listen to something with no visual stimulus. On a lark, I said to myself, “hmm, I don’t get the NFL Network, but since this is a local game, maybe one of the local channels will still carry it.”

I flip on the TV and scroll through the digital cable guide. As I am doing so, I come upon the NFL Network. “Hey, why not give it a try?”

I click on “view” option and lo and behold – The game appears on my TV!

I sat stunned for a moment, not sure if I was seeing correctly, and then wondered if the channel would suddenly blink out as if my Cable Company just wanted to tease me. “That’s right friend, you could be watching this game right now if you only fork over even more money to our massive cable conglomeration. (Seriously, I wouldn’t put it past them)

But the channel stayed on, and I got to enjoy watching the game on my TV. It was doubly enjoyable because the Eagles won the game. Go Philly!

Not only did I get to watch the game, but I also learned that I actually got a channel I had assumed I didn’t.

And therein lies the important lesson: It’s important to question your assumptions about the things you know to be true.

Because when you assume, you make an ass out of - well, you know how the saying goes...

Sometimes you can be so convinced that things are a certain way that you never bother to revisit those assumptions. What’s crazy is that sometimes those initial assumptions come:

• From only one instance
• From second or third hand information
• From something that happened so long ago that things may very well be completely different now.

A little questioning and testing can go a long way.

This is not to say that you should go back and question everything you have ever learned or know to be true. However, consider the ROI of questioning your assumptions. For example:

• For me, questioning my assumption had a very low investment. Ten seconds to just try the channel. Well worth the effort.
• You’re having a few friends over for dinner. You “know” one of them can’t make it because he has to work that night. However, taking the extra second to add him to the email invite list could head off hurt feeling if it turns out you were wrong. Low investment, high return.
• You saw a job listing that appealed to you, but now it’s not listed anymore.  There’s a little more effort involved in crafting a polite email or making a phone call to see if the position is still open, but the return, if they are still hiring, is well worth the effort.

At the bare minimum, question the assumptions that hold you back from doing what you want to do in the areas of your life that are important to you.

What assumptions are you making right now about your business, your job, your customers, your employees, your relationships, your dreams, etc., that are preventing you from living your life to your fullest?

Sure, some of those assumptions will be correct (many of them will be, in fact), but wouldn’t it be worth trying if even one of them proved false?

Assumptions are an amazing way people block their own path to success. Don’t get sucked in by them – question, question, question!

For, me, my assumption questioning gave me a small victory; I got to watch a football game. For you, the payoff could be much, much more…

***
Learn the 16 simple but powerful principles that will lead to personal and professional success! In this 200 page book, Avish explains how the ideas from improv comedy can make your life easier and more successful. Check it out Improvise to Success! now!
 

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By Avish Parashar. As the world's only Motivational Improviser, Avish uses techniques from the world of improv comedy to engage, entertain, and educate audiences on ideas around change, creativity, and motivation. Connect with Avish on Google+

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