Your identitIES 🎓👑
You 2.0 | Blank page | Alter Ego
Last week, I explained how to become lucky. This week, I will talk about your identities, as a lucky person for example, but all your other ones too.
Have you found those lucky pennies yet? If you haven’t, maybe there is a belief system in play here that completes the rather scientific explanation of the Reticular Activating System (RAS).
Are you a lucky person? A simple question, but wait, if you are not picturing yourself as a lucky person, how can you be? How can you be what you don’t believe you are?
A couple of weeks ago, I was coaching a senior leader who found presenting to a live audience very challenging. As the conversation developed into a beautiful and safe partnership, we went deep to extract some learnings. Then I asked her “How would it feel to give a successful presentation?” She paused. “You know what? I don’t know! I cannot see myself presenting successfully.” “How do you want to present successfully if you cannot picture yourself doing it?” LIGHTBULB moment! I could not only see her face at that moment, but she then told me that she finally had a successful presentation, after years of fear and failure.
Mid- September, as I was travelling to wet and grey Brussels with a dear friend we got talking about her business. Her challenge was that she was running around like an operator, sorting small issues rather than thinking strategically about what she had to do. As we approached the topic of time management, I asked, “What would the businesswoman you ought to be do?” She paused. We then discussed the importance of her becoming the character she wanted to be but clearly didn’t act in line with it.
Last week, a coachee of mine wanted to get some excitement back from his current job. He liked it but for some reason felt weary. As we partnered, he shared his thoughts. I then asked him, “How would being a storyteller encapsulate your passion for what you do?” He paused. “I really like the idea, as it is what I do.” Suddenly, he reframed what excited him through the lens of this new persona and identity. Half his battle was won!
There might be a misconception that building those identities is faking who we are, and therefore we are not being our true self. This is the opposite. We all have multiple identities. As a French or German person, as a student, as a King, as a dad, as a mom, as a business owner, as a brother, as a lover, as a runner, as a swimmer, as a painter, as a manager, or me writing this letter to you. Whatever you do, carries a need for an identity of some sort.
Those three examples above are not farfetched. People need to design what works for them, what they decide and what they want, instead of being told who or what they should be. Our identities are often imprinted by external factors, but how about we take a proactive approach to it and start with a blank page? What would this person feel, think, or do? How would he act? What would he say? How would he spend his time? Whom would he connect with? What would he read?
Welcome to the you 2.0, the one you decide to be.
How can I serve you? I would love to support you further by serving you and offering you coaching sessions on today’s topic, helping you move forward as you build your new successful identities! Get in touch today for an empowering chat HERE
Question:
What identity will you need to build to be the next version of yourself?