I was listening to the Tim Ferriss podcast with Terry Crews today. It’s a very powerful interview and they cover a lot of really important topics, I recommend you check it out, here is the link to Tim’s podcast.
In Tim’s newest book, Tribe of Mentors, he interviews hundreds of Mentors - world-class individuals and high-achievers - and asks them a bunch of amazing and insightful questions. One question that Tim commonly asks is, “what is the book that you have gifted the most?” Terry’s answer: The Master Key System by Charles F. Haanel
In this interview, they dive a bit deeper into why Terry loves this book so much and thinks that other people should read it as well. Terry believes that one of the principles of the book - Be What You Want to Become - can serve as a guiding principle in anyone’s life and once you understand it, it will change your entire life and perspective.
So what does Be What You Want to Become mean? It means identifying the person you want to become and then acting like you are already that person.
If you want to lose weight and get into good shape you need to start acting like a person who is in good shape - have healthy habits like eating right and working out regularly.
If you want to be an artist you need to start acting like an artist: paint, draw and sketch regularly.
Terry gives the example that if you want to write a book, then you need to start acting like a person who writes books. Write regularly!
It seems like a really simple concept and almost like it’s just another line of self-help guru garbage, but I believe otherwise. I think there’s an epidemic in today’s society where people constantly desire and talk about how they want to be something, but then never follow-through and actually exhibit the characteristics that are required in order to attain the life they want.
I have a friend who constantly says that she wants to lose weight. She’s always talking about this diet and that diet and how she just needs something that will work quickly so that she can just lose the weight and be done with it.
I constantly tell her that she needs to exhibit the characteristics of a healthy person: eat right, workout regularly and think about your health with a long-term perspective. I tell her that she needs to just jump in and do it. She always says that she "ate bad today" so she will "start tomorrow." I constantly remind her that this kind of mentality breeds laziness and inaction. If she really wants to lose weight and become a "fit person" then she needs to adopt the habits of that persona today, not tomorrow.
Thanks for reading! Here's the Question of The Day, don't forget to post your answers in the comments!
QOTD: What is one thing that you’ve always wanted to do or be that you continue to put off? Will you start exhibiting the characteristics needed to do or be what you desire?
I challenge you in this new year to start being the person you want to be rather than just waiting for some magical thing to fall out of the sky.
I’ll share my own answer to the QOTD in the comments below, please share yours as well, I really want to hear your thoughts! Thanks!
-Khaleel