Once you are committed, one of the most powerful ways to ensure your commitment involves asking yourself, daily or in a new moment, “Who would I need to be or become to bring this into reality?” Some of your answers to this question will change daily and moment-to-moment. Some of the answers will remain constant.
For example, when my coach Jeff, committed to reaching the summit of that 23,000-foot mountain in Argentina, he knew he would need to be the person who “showed up” for the training in the nine months before he climbed.
Transformation: My coach, Jeff Patterson, inspires me as I commit to my own transformation.
On summit day at one particularly challenging point in the climb, he asked himself who he would have to be to reach the summit. As he took one step and then ten or twelve breaths and another step and ten or twelve breaths, he heard the answer, “patient.” That is how he made it to the top of the mountain that day: patiently.
Read more about his amazing journey.
When one of my clients asked herself who she would need to be to be a great mom and wife, get a new job and start a new business, she realized she would need to be “ a grown-up.” As she continued to check in with herself about who she needed to be in individual moments, she received guidance that she’d need to be truthful, calm, resolved.
When I changed my investment structure for working with my private clients from having them pay monthly to paying up front for the year, I intuitively knew I would need to be clear and confident. As I talked with the first clients about the purpose of this structure, I recognized I needed to be present and slowed down. I also found that who I needed to be varied with the person in front of me. I had to be soft and clear with one person and direct and challenging with the next.
The shortest route between you and all you desire involves asking yourself daily or moment-to-moment, “Who would I need to be to bring what I am committed to into reality?”
Excerpted from my forthcoming book, “Thriving Work: 90 days of daily practice for transforming you and your small business.” Copyright 2011.
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