“You’re a runner, you’ll know the best place to buy running shoes around here”
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There was a slight satellite delay when I heard my former colleague say this
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First I thought ‘who’s he talking to?’
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Then I realised he was looking at me…
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It didn’t quite compute or make sense
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I mean, I went running 3 times a week & entered some short distances races…
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But honestly
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A runner?
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In my mind I didn’t feel like a runner
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I was just someone who went for a run
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Same same right? But also TOTALLY different…
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While I was doing all the things runners do, I hadn’t actually allowed it to become part of my identity
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It was ‘something I did’, not ‘who I was’
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Let’s apply this logic to your business…
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Do you design websites, or are you a web designer?
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Do you coach people, or are you a coach?
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Do you want a 6 figure business, or do you want to be a 6 figure business owner?
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You may have answered ‘well, both!’ – the differences are oh so subtle…
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Research has shown over & over again that people who say ‘I’m a smoker’ find it much harder to quit than those who say ‘I smoke’
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When we allow a behaviour, trait or habit to ‘become us’ it creates a massive change in our mindset…
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Now if you fully take on this identity as ‘a smoker’ but want to quit, your mindset is really going to go against you
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However, if you really start to identify as, say, ‘a successful business owner’ vs ‘owner of a successful business’ then some subtle shifts may begin to happen…
If you say ‘I own a successful business’, then you own a successful business. That’s amazing! But as a statement it’s very factual & pretty un-emotive. It doesn’t have much energy or identity behind it
So let’s try ‘I am a successful business owner’
Boom 💥
The power of ‘I am’
‘I am’ is where the magic happens. Where you really step into, own, embody, whatever term you prefer, YOUR identity within that success
‘I am a successful business owner’ leads to a beautiful cycle of:
💃🏻 You feeling like a successful business owner
💪🏼 Therefore acting like a successful business owner
💰 These actions leading to more success
🎉 Which increases the feeling of success
↗️ Leading to acting more like a successful business owner…
And on and on and on…
Our thoughts and actions are so connected that even that subtle shift in how we perceive ourselves can have a HUGE effect on our identity
And it was true – I was a runner. Seeing myself that way really boosted my confidence, & gave me the push to move outside of my comfort zone to enter a half marathon
So tell me – what ‘I am’ statement can you adopt right now to benefit your business & mindset?
