The Power of Positive Thinking?

So I saw in interesting article in the Men’s Journal (May 2007 – I’m not doing a good job of keeping up with the backlog…).

Anyway, the article was titled “Think Yourself Stronger (how sports hypnosis boosts performance)”.  The essence of the article was that the author was trying sports hypnosis as a way to get over his hatred of running.  Since the author was doing triathlons, which are 1/3 running, it was a problem that was holding him back.

There was a study done with hypnotized subjects riding stationary bikes at a fixed resistance.  However when the riders were told they were riding uphill, their heart rates and blood pressure increased – they were working harder based solely on the power of suggestion.

The quote from the article that caught my attention was: “…In other words: If you think something’s going to be tough, it will be.”

The author was hypnotized into associating pleasant childhood memories with running.  He believed that the process has helped him overcome his hatred of running – I was immediately drawn to how this might apply to a business situation.

What if you really hate sales situations, or the forced mingling and networking?  Although I think hypnosis is a bit extreme, what if you just approached your nemesis with a more positive frame of mind.  What if you thought “Hey – this paperwork isn’t so bad, I bet I can get it done in no time”? or “You know, I really don’t mind working on my marketing plan, it reminds me of my trip to Venice…”?

What business tasks do you really hate?  Do you think a different mindset would make a difference?  Let me know your thoughts.