“Be a person who can lift 130 pounds.”
These words have been rocketing around my head for several weeks now, since they were shared by a trainer I know. They have impacted the way I think about ability.
Let’s talk real quick about Atomic Habits by James Clear. In his book, Clear describes a way to break a bad habit is to articulate said habit ahead of engaging in it. E.g., I used to drink a lot of Dr Pepper. Using Clear’s methodology, whenever I started to reach for a soda, I would literally say out loud, “This is bad for me. I want to be around for my daughters’ weddings.” By the time I was on the second sentence, I’d already begun reaching for a water instead.
Let’s combined Tim Hilley’s words and James Clear’s articulation strategy. In my mind, there’s a subtle but big difference between telling oneself “I can do this” vs someone who says “I am a person who can lift 130 pounds.”
Something in the specific articulation of the act really motivates me internally.
I was teaching my daughter to ride over the weekend and said to her, “You are a person who can ride this bike.” The act of articulating the specific act helped secure the motivation for her, too, I think (along with the vote of confidence of her dad and her own self).
I ask you to try this. When you encounter your next roadblock, challenge yourself by saying, I am a person who can ____________.