New clothes don’t always fit as well as the ones we’ve had for a long time. I don’t know about you, but it seems like it takes me about two months to get a pair of jean or good shoes broken in. If you’re having trouble getting your ass into gear because you don’t feel good enough or competent enough, it may be that you simply need to assume the mantle of confidence.
What I mean by that is that you may have to decide to think, look and act the part of someone who can do what you want to do. It’s surprising how often people I coach, who at first are unable to answer a question that seems beyond their current level of thinking, are able to answer the same question pretty well if I can get them to answer it from a different point of view. Instead of “what would you do in this situation?” which stymies them, I ask “what do you think [insert relevant expert here] would do in this situation?”
So a little theater can go a long way in helping people think and act much more accomplished than they currently are. When you’re having difficulty solving a problem in your work, your relationship, or your personal development, spend a little time studying someone who’s an expert in that area. Even if you don’t get a specific answer to your problem, you’ll probably soak up some sense of how they deal with problems. Then ask yourself (or get a trusted advisor to ask you) how that expert would solve your problem. You may be surprised at how well the results fit your needs.
If you make a habit of putting on the mantle of confidence every day, sooner or later it will begin to fit you like a comfortable pair of jeans. Hey, those jeans make your ass look really good!
