Mental Moment-Be Someone Else for A Day
Many times when I work with clients I’ll ask them who their role model, icon or idol is. We’ll talk about why my client idolizes that person and drill down to the specific characteristics the role model, icon or idol has that my client admires. We’ll talk about why my client admires those characteristics and how my client can obtain some of them.
Imagine you are someone else
It is OK to imagine yourself as the role model, icon or idol has that you admire. It gives you the ability to see and feel those characteristics that you admire and perhaps wish you had. It also gives you the ability to see that person positively learning, developing or accomplishing that thing that you want to learn, develop or accomplish. Take every opportunity to watch this person live, on television or video. Watch them do what you want to be better at doing or want to learn to do. See that imagine over and over as you think about moving forward.
Taking on certain characteristics
Not only is it good practice to watch and imagine those things that you want but it’s good to look at characteristics you feel you need to have or develop. For example, I was talking to a client this past week who said that his successful colleagues were narcissistic. I asked my client what he saw as the positives and negatives of being narcissistic. I then asked him if there were any elements of narcissism that he felt he needed to be successful and if so which one. He mentioned one characteristic of narcissism he felt might be really helpful for his success and I suggested that he try it on for a week. We talked a bit about what that might look like and he decided that he would try it and see how it felt.
I am not saying change your personality
In this instance my client noticed that many of his successful colleagues had similar characteristics that he felt he didn’t have. There are certain elements of narcissism that are not at all in my clients nature and some that are not something he has to have 100% of to be successful. And he has characteristics his colleagues don’t have that support him having a much healthier, well rounded life.
If you think there are pieces missing to who you are that get in the way of getting what you want you don’t have to fundamentally change who you are. Using imagery and making some small changes can help get you to where you want to be. Just because you are who you are doesn’t mean that you have to continue to be that way especially if it’s not working.
Happy Saturday!
Dr. Michelle
Photo credit: blackforestcowboy.soup.io
