A Guide To Identity Shifting To Achieve Your Dreams

October 3, 2019

If you want to achieve your dreams but you feel like something always thwarts you along the way, that something could actually be you. That’s right: if you have a specific image of yourself in your head, and that image doesn’t line up with who you really want to be, you’ll struggle to achieve what you want. You will likely encounter lots of struggles along the way. However, you don’t have to let your old identity get in the way of who you want to be any longer. Below, our guide to identity shifting will help you to change your life and achieve your dreams once and for all. Whether you want to own a business, multiple businesses, get a chiseled body, or all of that and more, identity shifting can help you. 

Document Your Wins Every Day

Documenting your wins every day can help you to see what you’re capable of. If you don’t document your wins every day – not even necessarily things you’ve accomplished/achieved, but great things that have happened, you may develop a tendency to focus on the not so great things. Most people do this! When you make a habit of focusing on the good rather than the bad, and highlighting the things you should be proud of, this will be your default rather than negative thinking. 

Change The Stories You Tell Yourself And Others 

Everybody has stories that they tell themselves and others – these stories become the things our lives are based around. You might not think you have any control over what’s going on in your life, but you actually have more control than you think. Start paying attention to the stories you repeat. Do you say you’re always sick? Do you talk about the things that have gone wrong for you in great detail, skimming over the good things? Again, this is something so many people do, and they don’t realize how bad it can be for achieving their goals. Even if it doesn’t feel honest yet, change these stories. You don’t need to lie. Just avoid talking too much about the bad, and do your best to focus on the good. 

Stand Taller

The way you stand and walk can also have a huge impact on your psyche and who you think you are. Pay attention to how you normally stand and walk. Are your shoulders back? Is your head up? Are you taking confident strides? If not, it’s time to start! Avoid slouching, and adopt a ‘power stance’ where you can. It’ll really help! 

Go To The Gym

The gym can be a massive confidence booster. Not only will it release happy hormones and endorphins that help you to focus on the good, it could help you to focus better throughout the day. Plus, you might just notice physical improvements that further change the way you feel about your life and yourself! It can be a massive game changer when you want to identity shift and reach your goals. 

Visualize Where You Want To Be 

Visualization is used by all kinds of people to help them achieve their goals. Athletes use it to smash their personal bests, life mastery students use it to become the person they want to be – it helps your mind to get into the place it needs to be so your reality can follow. This is why people like Tony Robbins love it and talk about it all the time! 

Try to figure out where you want to be in as much detail as possible, but remain open to things happening in a different way (it’s not up to you to figure out the details, but being specific will help you to create those feelings within yourself). You can write it down, answering the following questions to help you:

  • What clothes do you want to wear?
  • How do you want to feel every day?
  • What sort of job do you want to do every day?
  • How much exactly do you want to make? 
  • How do you want to help people?
  • How much time off will you have?
  • What will your home look like?
  • Where will you spend the most time?

Try to create a detailed picture, so detailed that you can see it in your head. You may start visualizing and just see what comes up for you, paying close attention to what feels good. You can add details as you go. Visualizing isn't always something that comes naturally, so when you practice it, you can begin to see and feel things in more detail than ever before.

Come Up With A Mantra And Repeat It Multiple Times A Day

What would you like your mantra to be? You can use your visualization to figure out what this needs to be. It should be maybe one to two sentences, because you’re going to read it in the morning and let it soak in, as well as at night before bed. You can also repeat it throughout the day, as often as you like. However, it’s no good repeating it if there aren't feelings attached to it, which is why it needs to be something that speaks to you personally. As soon as it isn't making you feel anything anymore, you can tweak it. This is to get the new identity you want to sink into your head. 

Also remember that rather than wording it like, ‘I want to be’ you should word it like ‘I am’. This brings it all into the present tense. 

Try CBT

CBT, or cognitive behavioural therapy, can be a great method to help you change your bad habits and replace them with new ones. You can go to sessions in person, or you could even find videos on YouTube. All you need to do is be willing to change, and willing to be consistent. It’s time to get out of your comfort zone and unstick all of those old beliefs that are bogging you down!

Start Taking Steps Towards Your Dreams Now, However Small 

Make a list of the steps you could start taking towards your dreams now, however small they may be, and pick one to take. You might not feel ready yet, but you need to build that momentum if you’re going to get to where you want to be. You might decide to apply for a Merchant Cash Advance, or even just secure your web address. 

Surround Yourself With The Right People

Make sure you’re spending time with people who support you and your goals. The people you spend the most time with will have a huge impact on your mindset. You become like the 5 people you spend the most time with, so make sure they are people who are going to help you! 

Read Self Development Books

Make it a mission of yours to read helpful books. For example, ‘Think And Grow Rich’ and ‘The E-myth Revisited’. There are so many different types you could probably glean a lot of helpful information from, so get started on a reading list now.

Use Other Resources

There are so many other resources that could help you out. Listen to podcasts while you’re on the train, and watch YouTube videos while you make your dinner. Listen to Audiobooks in the gym or while you go about your day. You can make your time so much more effective this way. 

Make Sure Everything You Do Aligns With The Image You Want To Have

Everything you speak, do, or think needs to align with the image you want. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up, as it’ll likely happen when you get started. Just be mindful and catch yourself! 

Learn To Live In The Moment

Living in the moment is key to listening to your intuition and inspiration and knowing what step to take next. It’ll also stop you from worrying about the future! 

Meditate

Meditation is a powerful tool. It can stop you from engaging so much with every thought, and help you to live in the moment. Many people find that with regular meditation, they experience the following benefits:

  • More creativity
  • Calmer days
  • Less anxiety
  • Better health overall

Use Your Gifts As A Guide

Think of the gifts you have and make sure you’re using them. This will help you to make sure you’re on the right track. For example, if you’re a great public speaker, you should probably be using that in one way or another! 

Remember, this isn't about aiming for some unforeseen point in the future. You can’t keep on saying ‘I’ll be happy when…’. The key is to learn to be happy now, in this very moment. Being the person you want to be means feeling like you are that person now, not pretending and waiting for the moment to come. If you do the latter, the waiting will be never ending! If you step into that identity now, your whole reality can shift. Try it and you’ll see!


Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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