In my last post, Jenny discussed her dream of being another kind of you. Forrest naively asked, “Aren’t I going to be me?” Jenny replied, “You’ll always be you, just another kind of you.”
Jenny wasn’t talking about an improved same-old-person. She wasn’t referring some new fancy clothes on the same-old-body. And she wasn’t talking about cosmetic changes like a new hair color or some make-up.
No, Jenny’s dream was about becoming someone with a new mindset and new outlook on living. A person willing to gets things done with moxie. A person resolved to take charge of her communications and interact graciously with others. Jenny was talking about a transformed you.
Here are 5 steps you can take to become another kind of you:
1. Identify the Other Kind of You That You Want to Be
This is the big picture goal.
This is the starting point.
We all have our dreams.
Are your dreams identified?
Are they written down?
Do you look at them daily, continuously refine them, and remind yourself of the kind of you you want to be?
2. Identify the Current You
Honest self-assessment is absolutely necessary. Taking a good, long look in the mirror and saying, ‘This is who I am today’ is essential if you’re going to be another kind of you.
In my own case, I’d been dreaming of making the full transition from entertainer to speaker for the past five years. I’ve taken some big steps forward … and I’ve been stuck trying things over and over that eventually I realized just aren’t working. Like Forrest, I can be a little slow at times.
I’ve learned that playing the woulda coulda shoulda game (over and over) is counter-productive. Instead I’m learning to say, ‘I see where I am today, I recognize the parts that aren’t working, and I choose to change my behavior.’ No more woulda, coulda, shoulda … no right, no wrong, no blame, and no guilt.
When you simply admit the truth of where you are, a space opens up to move forward … I had to resolve to function with Gumption in my own life.
3. Declare the New You to Others
Once you know who you want to be and have assessed where you currently are, you’re ready declare it to the world. Or minimally, you need to declare it to someone else. The thing you can’t do is leave your dreams floating around in your mind as thoughts. You need to make a declaration loud enough for others to hear.
A marriage is probably the ultimate public declaration of two people’s love for each other. My blog is a regular form of public declaration.
My friend Scott just declared on his blog his intention to start a new life with Brittany by moving to New York City. Now, that’s a declaration!
A funny thing happens when you make a declaration, whether publicly or simply one-on-one with another individual. Once you declare, your personal level of commitment will spike. You now are obligated to yourself. As a person of integrity, you’re willing to do almost anything to keep your word.
When you fail to declare and only make a ‘mental note’ … it’s easy to back out and say, “I’ll get to it later … or maybe I’ll just forget the whole thing.” Not a winning formula for becoming another kind of you.
4. Allow Your Subconscious Mind to Help You Become the New You
Your subconscious mind will be your best ally in helping you clarify your intentions, making strong declarations, and most importantly, figuring out how the heck you’re actually going to accomplish your dream now that you’ve decided and declared.
In the movie The Matrix, people were able to instantly download skills and abilities into their minds. You can do something similar and profoundly more effective. You can upload your intentions and declarations directly from your conscious mind into your subconscious mind. Once uploaded, the subconscious mind will start to solve problems and offer solutions. These solutions come in the form of inspiration or ah-ha moments.
For me, one of those moments came almost exactly five years ago. I was still living in California and working full time as an entertainer. I was driving west on Interstate 80 just past Winnemucca, Nevada, when it struck me how I was going to move to Montana and pursue my speaking business. From that moment of inspiration, I transformed from a guy wondering how could I do it to a guy who knew he could and would do it.
4. Do the Hard Work Necessary
Change is not complicated, but it does require hard work. You’ve made your decision, you’ve made your declaration, and you’ve had your inspiration … now it’s time to do the hard work. The hard work can be tedious, annoying, and is way too easy to avoid. Things that seem important, maybe even urgent, constantly tempt you into procrastination. These temptations are easy to do and falsely give the illusion of working hard … but they are nothing but time-wasters.
To become a new you, you need to be disciplined, focused, and not willing to take “No” for an answer. Being disciplined, staying focused, and not taking no is the hard work.
How hard are you willing to work to become the new you?
5. Rinse and Repeat
This process isn’t a one-time deal. It’s a continuous cycle. It’s a process of fine-tuning and continuous course corrections. The neat thing is it gets easier after you’ve done it once. And even easier the third and fourth times you try. As it transforms into a habit, being the new you no longer seems like hard work. It becomes a way of life and a way of being.
Are you willing to declare your intentions?
Are you willing to work hard?
Have you decided to become another kind of you?
Next Blog Title: What Do You Do When Your Dream Comes True?
Next Blog Date: September 8, 2011