The Power of Your Ideal Self
Jan 27, 2024
Did you know you are in a competition right now?
It may not feel like it, but you are actually an athlete playing a sport…
That sport is life.
This may sound cliche, but the analogy is apt.
Life is a sport. There are:
- Players and teams
- Winners and losers
- Offense and defense
- Coaches and referees
The thing is, our competition is not some external person or team.
Our competition stares back at us in the mirror.
It is us. WE are our greatest competition.
In today’s article, I will teach you how this competition plays out, who the players are, and what training you need to win.
Let’s get some!
Life is a Game - Do you Want to Win?
Life is absolutely a game.
Sometimes we win and sometimes we lose.
Hopefully, by the end of our life we have stacked a ton of wins and have learned from our losses.
At every step in our life, our greatest competition is ourselves.
We have this other side of ourselves that is fear-based… that wants to keep us safe. It wants us to stay stagnant, protected, predictable.
From here on out, I will refer to this version of ourselves as “The Opponent.”
We may feel like another person is out to get us, and that is occasionally true. However, it is the opponent who guards our actions.
It is not the words of other people that hurt us.
It is the Opponent who confirms what those voices say.
It is not the risk of action that holds us back.
It is the Opponent whispering fears in our minds.
There is a way to fight against this Opponent.
The Opponent has a nemesis… The Ideal version of yourself.
The Ideal whispers who you can be.
The Ideal motivates you to take action.
The Ideal knows what you really want.
With training, you can strengthen the Ideal.
You can build the Ideal into a formidable player who attacks the sport of life.
This version of you will not build itself. Training must be done.
There are three training regimens needed to strengthen the Ideal.
The Ideal Takes Action
The Ideal version of you takes action.
It does not wait.
It does not procrastinate.
It is willing to take risks and accept vulnerability.
As humans, we naturally hear the Opponent talking to us during decision making time.
There is a simple training regimen you can adopt to build the Ideal’s ability to act. It involves using 2 rules:
Rule 1: The 5-minute Rule
When you need to do something that will take you 5 minutes or less, do not put it off. Just do it. Do it now. Take the 5 minutes and complete your task. No need to procrastinate when it will only take you 5 minutes.
Rule 2: The 2-Second Rule
When you think the words, “I should,” take action within 2 seconds. If you wait longer than that, the voice of the Opponent will become louder and louder. After 2 seconds, the Opponent and the Ideal will have an argument over the decision to take action. Avoid this conversation entirely by taking action within 2 seconds.
The Ideal version of ourself takes action.
Leverage these two rules to help overcome procrastination and delay-justification.
The Ideal Has Grit
Things will get challenging.
We will find obstacles.
The Opponent will remind us, “see I told you so. Look at all these challenges. You never should have started.”
But the Ideal doesn’t listen.
the Ideal persists.
Developing grit requires a regimen of purpose.
As Nietzsche has told us, when we have a strong why we can bear almost any how.
To strengthen our Ideal, we must become clear with our why.
Use these steps to develop your why:
Step 1: Ask yourself what you DON’T want
Usually, people start by setting goals. But without starting with why, we don’t give ourselves the foundation upon which we WANT to take action. Most of us know what we want, but this does not trigger the pain-avoidance motivation we need to decide to take action. Start by asking yourself what you don’t want. What are you trying to avoid? What actions are you taking that are on the side of the Opponent? What does that version of you feel like?
Step 2: Ask yourself what you want
Now that you know what you don’t want, and you feel the pain associated with the Opponent, think about what you do want. What life do you want to live? What kind of person do you want to be? What things do you want to feel? These positive things align with the Ideal. Think about them, list them, and feel them.
Step 3: Think of the impact you want to make
Clayton Christensen writes about this in his book How Will You Measure Your Life. People care about having an impact on something larger than themselves. It may be family, a company, a cause, or something else. The Ideal strives to have an impact on more than just yourself. When you identify this larger purpose, you hold yourself accountable to other people. This is a positive motivator for the Ideal.
The Ideal Plays the Long Game
What good are your actions and grit if you cannot perform them over time?
Would you be satisfied only playing the game of life for a month? Or do you want to continue playing as long as you can?
To keep playing for the long run, you need energy, focus, and health.
Just like an athlete must be in great physical condition for their sport, the Ideal must be in great condition to play the game of life.
How are you taking care of your body and mind?
Fitness is an investment in the Ideal… in your future self. Prioritize these 3 things to build your fitness, focus, and energy.
1 - Exercise
This is a requirement for building energy. Your body is the vehicle which delivers your actions. Build it and train it to become a powerful machine of action.
2 - Fuel
Food is your fuel. The Opponent will tell you to eat delicious foods that taste great but weaken your body. Be careful of indulgence. Where can you upgrade your eating to ensure that machine of yours is getting the best fuel for performance?
3 - Recovery
Sleep enables our body and mind to recover from the day’s intensity. The Opponent will tell you to stay up, sacrifice your sleep, and get more done. But it’s a trick. The Ideal wants to ensure you show up each day recovered and ready for action. Prioritize your sleep and you will see your mental and physical energy increase.
The Wrap Up
You can win at this game of life.
You have a version of yourself that is on your team, pushing you to become more and achieve more.
This version I call The Ideal.
The Opponent is the version of you striving to keep you safe.
But growth does not happen in safety. When we play it too safe, we only end up with regret.
Use these steps and tools to develop the Ideal.
You can win.
And I’m rooting for you to crush it.
Clark
Whenever you are ready, here’s how I can help you:
I’m offering free consultations to help you get on track to leveling up your life and leadership.
If I can help you further, we can talk about that as well.
If you want to get the ball rolling to upgrade your life, book a call with me using this link: https://calendly.com/clarkmasterson/30-minute-consultation