Inspired by Atomic Habits #atomichabits by James Clear and The Alter Ego #alterego by Todd Herman, I am committed to finding and breathing life into the unstoppable super hero inside. I know she's in there and with the consistent habit-building of doing new things way outside my comfort zone, her appearances are more frequent.
I finished reading Atomic Habits today as part of my #75Hard program. As a result, I've implemented many of the tips suggested and love the book. Specifically, one of my habits is to set a timer for 10 minutes, 3-5 times per day and act "as-if" my goals are achieved and the unstoppable me is present. It's a great homework assignment, like a fantasy meditation a few times a day! A flood of good feelings and happy chemicals course through my brain each time I do it. My brain doesn't know the difference between a daydream and reality. Why not feed it some good stuff?
Now, on top of my own atomic habits, I'm adding an Alter Ego. I heard a podcast this week with Todd Herman on the Angie Lee Show #angielee and was blown away by his suggestion to create an Alter Ego to get big stuff done. It's a personality separate from the quiet, introverted, skeptical or afraid parts of us that are uncomfortable with growing a new identity and speaking up. He said many famous people have alter egos--one was Martin Luther King. #martinlutherking He wore glasses because they made him feel more distinguished, so he wrote his speeches with them on. I'll admit, I always wanted to be Wonder Woman #wonderwoman with a golden lasso and even stand in a super hero pose #superheropose for a minute or two before I take on a hard task. Weird, I know.
I thought it was malarkey to stand in that super hero pose, but based on a 2012 Harvard study, when you stand like a super hero for five minutes before doing something difficult, you'll perform better. I found that when I took one minute to stand like Wonder Woman before each of my radio interviews, it helped me to perform better. I was less nervous. So there you go.
Can't wait to dig into The Alter Ego Effect: The Power of Secret Identities to Transform Your Life. I'll report back with who my current alter ego is asap. In the meantime, do you have a super hero or alter ego that you use to get tough stuff done? Who is it? Leave a comment, I'd love to hear about it.