5 Steps to Becoming an Upgraded Version of Yourself By following these five steps, you can overcome your natural reluctance to take on your next big project.
By Ben Angel
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
The following excerpt is from Ben Angel's book Unstoppable: A 90-Day Plan to Biohack Your Mind and Body for Success. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | IndieBound
When people who've been dreaming of starting a business actually decide to take the first steps to making their dreams come true, they can become overwhelmed. Suddenly a state of panic ensues. What if I can't make this work? I don't have the money to get this business off the ground! I don't know if I've got what it takes to do what I have to do! This is a normal part of growing as an individual. But in order to prevent the "snapback effect" of getting thrown back into your old routine and your old identity, we need a new technique to stop it in its tracks.
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This is where progressive overload (PO) comes into play. PO is a technique used in strength training where you periodically increase the weight, intensity, or duration of an exercise to stimulate new muscle growth. You do it gradually over a period of time so your body has time to rest, recover, and grow. Your body adapts to the change over time, so the increase doesn't cause a shock to your system or inflict real muscle damage. I've applied this same technique when I'm in the process of evolving into a new identity. Here's how it works:
1. Choose your next three major projects or goals.
I work in 13-week increments and focus on three major goals in that period. It's short enough to remain excited about the projects or goals and not so long that momentum is lost. Focusing on three goals during this process is manageable. I break each of them down into smaller goals on a weekly basis.
2. Identify the "educational gaps" you need to fill to make this project possible.
For example, online marketing, public speaking, health, well-being, writing, product creation, starting a business, improving a relationship.
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3. Pick your educational resources.
Search for the top podcasts, YouTube videos, authors, educators and experts within these educational gaps and then make a list you can reference. Listen to one podcast per day while showering, driving to work, or going for a walk. Sign up for online or in-person courses. Watch YouTube videos to fill a gap in knowledge and read or listen to books when you're working out. Keep a notebook close at hand so you can jot down ideas on the go or record them on a recording app on your cell phone. Do this for weeks or even months before you start your project. This way, you'll be progressively overloading your brain with new information that will force you to grow, and you'll be primed to bring your project or goal to life. Once your educational gaps are filled, the fear of not knowing how to bring your goal to fruition suddenly disappears, excuses fade away, and you act without needing willpower to overcome fear. That doesn't mean you won't still occasionally be afraid, but now you'll have the techniques to deal with it.
4. Decide who you need to become to reach these goals.
Do you need to be educated, empowered, fulfilled, confident, self-assured, motivated, driven?
5. Do the Quickfire Visualization on a daily basis to prime your brain for the overall direction you are heading in.
Visualize the person you're becoming, the attainment of your goals, and the ease and joy you'll experience along the way. Visualize as well any challenges you may encounter and effectively manage with style and grace. This allows you to grow into the person you're becoming and prime your mind for the changes you need to make, instead of throwing yourself out there, only to return right back to where you started like a boomerang. When I was working on my first book, I would stand in front of the mirror nightly for months before I ever began writing and hold someone else's book in my hands with my eyes closed, visualizing it was my completed book. It mentally prepared me for the work ahead.
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Are you ready to become unstoppable?
Visit areyouunstoppable.com and take your FREE 5-minute online quiz now. By answering a series of simple questions, my software will analyze your results and provide you with a comprehensive report that will indicate your identity type and lead you to the tools and tips you need to close that gap between who you are and who you could be. Take the quiz to get started!
