A year ago, to this very day, I learnt a life lesson that has been so valuable to me this year and has helped unlock the key to many personal and professional challenges not just for me but also for many of my clients. I hope this lesson can help you too.
Last November, super talented US T.V star Cedric the Entertainer flew into London and I agreed to pick him up from the airport. I had previously met him on a trip to Europe where we hit it off immediately (so, no I was not stalking him).
For those of you who don’t know, Cedric is a self-made man who found his talent early in life and worked tirelessly to hone his skills to become one of the most recognised and successful personalities on the Hollywood entertainment scene. His work ethic is unparalleled, but what impressed me most about him was what goes on behind the scenes. Like many successful people Cedric has an aura of successful expectation about everything he does. This means that he walks into situations expecting them to work out and the powerful thing is that they usually do.
I was looking forward to spending a car journey from the airport to the central London location. We had some light banter where we talked about everything from politics to life visions and values. Then we began to unpack the secrets of his success, and it turns out that he has an uncanny ability to Method Act. There are a few well-known actors such as Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks who are known as consummate Method Actors which in essence means that they get so into the characters they play, that they truly become that person and hence when placed in specific scenarios they don’t rely heavily on remembering their lines because they are just “acting naturally”. It was during this discussion with Cedric that it suddenly hit me!!
WHO do I need to be Vs What Do I need to Do
Many people put so much effort into “rehearsing their lines” by writing goals, studying a situation, and planning WHAT they need to do but we often forget the key element is WHO do we need to be.
In 2019 I decided to focus all of my efforts on the WHO. I ask my clients to think about WHO it is they need to be to create the results they are looking for or WHO does the company need to be to attract the clients they need?
This question may seem innocuous but it has been the key to unlocking a huge chest of resource treasures that have helped me and many of my clients and friends grow and push in 2019.
So, this January instead of starting with the questions of “What shall I DO this year?” try asking “Who do I want to BE this year?”… then go ahead and just Be.
Thanks again to Cedric for being a true inspiration by walking your talk and sharing your philosophies with a brother!!
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