Originally published by Bruce Kasanoff on LinkedIn: Changing the Stories You Tell Yourself
Nothing has a greater impact on your future than the stories you tell yourself today.
"I am... not as smart as my peers" will cause you to shy away from opportunity and to remain quiet, even when you alone are the only person with the correct solution.
"I am... not ready to lead" will stop you from winning a job you are better qualified to handle than those who are ego-driven but not especially capable.
But telling yourself better stories is a delicate art. Most of us can't simply slip in an "I am... a winner!" and have our brain instantly embrace that thought.
In fact, taking control of the stories in your head requires practice and an understanding of human nature. You need to make the process interesting, fun, engaging, rewarding, and effective.
(Most people skip the interesting, fun, engaging, rewarding, and effective parts.)
Amy Blaschka and I just had a blast coming up with dozens upon dozens of stories you can tell yourself. Some are empowering. Others are confidence-builders. But many are simply joyful exercises in unleashing your imagination so that you can envision a better future than you can see when you keep telling yourself "I am... overworked... underpaid... taken for granted... way too busy".
Writing these stories wasn't like writing a typical book. We didn't spend hours in the library doing research. We called no experts.
Instead, we took turns filling in the blank at the end of "I am... _____", and then wrote a passage to spark your imagination. Many days, I woke up knowing how I would fill in the next blank. Other times, Amy's response completely changed my next entry.
I know from long experience that it's very difficult to sit in a chair by yourself and significantly alter your mindset or your path in the months and years ahead. Most of us need a nudge in the right direction, a bit of inspiration, and a way to get going in a brand new, much more rewarding direction.
Please consider this a nudge...