What if I told you there was a way to jack into the Matrix and download the skills of successful people?
Ok\u2026I\u2019ll be honest, we\u2019re not there yet.
But acting as if can still help.
Although it does require a good dose of hard work and imagination, it can fast track your progress…
Let\u2019s see how it works. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I asked you to draw a cat from memory, would you be able to do it?
Unless you’re a trained artist with splendid recall, probably not.
To model an accurate depiction, it would be more effective to copy a cat.
Similarly, when initiating a process of personal change and skill acquisition, psychological modelling can accelerate our transformation.
It’s like tracing your personality onto the outline of success and creating nice straight, firm lines.
Acting as if provides the metaphorical tracing paper we need.
By imagining what a more competent person would do in times of struggle and imitating their probable response, we can improve our own performance.
It can either be someone you know, admire or even a fictional character, as we\u2019ll discover shortly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why do you think all the \u2018How many berries does Elon Musk sprinkle on his porridge’ articles are so popular? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because people want to copy him (weird breakfast routines included), thinking that it will generate the same results.
Elon\u2019s berry consumption aside, embodying the traits of a successful person can help overcome unhelpful tendencies and cement habits central to success.
I\u2019m sure, at this moment, you can think of many gifted people or those who’ve already achieved your desired goal.
You just have to imagine that person and you’re away to the races. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem with any change is that it’s unfamiliar. Two inherent issues emerge: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. You don’t know the steps needed to achieve ambitious or complex goals
2.You don’t know how to act to become the type of person capable of taking such steps<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acting as if can help in both instances. By acting as if and placing another person front and centre you gain psychological distance. Achieving goals isn’t a binary robotic process.
When we don’t know how to progress it\u2019s tempting to play small, taking tentative steps or succumb to complete inaction.
Conversely, someone who’s already conquered a goal<\/a> has overcome their fears and adopted the most efficient solution.
Modelling them, therefore, provides a shortcut, or mental heuristic.
Why re-invent the wheel when you can re-invent yourself in someone else\u2019s image?
Someone more capable of making positive progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\nHow the dark magic works<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Negative emotions are so intense they tend to attract us like magnets. We become so wrapped up in a problem that we lose clarity and focus.
By replacing yourself with a role model during discomfort or uncertainty, you gain greater perspective, permitting more informed, rational decisions<\/a> appropriate to the situation.
Much like a superpower, acting as if you were your role model allows you to temporarily adopt their traits.
With practice<\/a>, their abilities become your abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\nPesky emotions <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Instead, we deal with messy human emotions that stymie progress.
Any time we try something new, fear is a natural byproduct.
Trying to improve your public speaking<\/a> for the first time? Cue the clammy hands and squeaky voice.
Although such reactions are overblown and undermine performance, they\u2019re predictable survival responses.
This is where acting as if you were your role model can help.
The best thing?
Unlike the normal positive thinking platitudes, it\u2019s possible to act in the face of fear while still acknowledging your disempowering feelings. Just as an actor plays a role.
When you put on this mask, your performance improves, encouraging real-world feedback.
And with enough practice, you might even come to embody the traits of your role model for exponential performance improvement.
You really can fake till you make it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n