I want you to do this activity. I did this with many different leaders, peppered in an additional activity, and it allowed me to connect deeper with others. It allowed me into their mind, and it allowed me to ultimately see who they want to become. What’s great about this activity is that it allows them to hold themselves accountable to this vision (that’s the goal). 

So, lets do this! 

Sit in a quiet room. Set a timer for five minutes on your phone. Take about three very deep breaths, with a slow exhale each. I would like you to just envision who you will become at your ‘ideal’ level. Do not push yourself to think about anything specific. Allow pictures to show up in your mind. These pictures might consist of what you look like, things you’re doing, or a place. There is no right or wrong answer. Just let it come. Write it down. 

Activity two. 

Set your timer again for five minutes. This time envision yourself walking into a funeral. This funeral is yours. Walk to the casket, and review yourself. Take a seat in this vision, and listen to what the following people say about you. They’re chosen to speak at your funeral. A family member, a friend, and one is from your profession. Write it down. 

How do you feel? What did you see, and hear? Are you proud of what they shared? Do you feel you’d want to make a more positive impact? Why can’t you start modeling this person today? Now? When I did this activity, I saw a totally different version of myself. It was someone that inspired me, and someone that ultimately inspired others. It’s what gave me the push to go on this blogging journey. On the other hand, the funeral activity made me see what I need to do differently. I’m not an overnight change. However, I will tell you that a voice comes in my head daily to be better. That’s what matters. 

When doing this activity with others, it caused reactions ranging from tears to an immediate understanding of where some of their changes need to happen. What I absolutely love about this habit, is it’s about reinventing yourself. Everyone reading this was born with a script. These scripts have been handed to us from family, work, and other peoples agendas. As the book so eloquently states, these scripts are created by people- not principles. Once you understand this, once you better understand your values/principles, and once you envision who you want to be ultimately, it’s now time to create a new script. A script that’s based on everything I just listed. 

You have the ultimate ability to ‘rescript’ the script you were born into. You create this through your given ability to imagine. The beauty of imagination is that you can create things that have never been thought of. You can create versions of things, and yourself that have never existed. The only thing separating this imagination to reality is you. Self-awareness is key in this transformation, as discussed in Habit 1. 

Let’s pause for a moment, and discuss how this also can relate to the business world. Scripting, and Rescripting is about creating something twice. To put it simply, your first version of yourself was created. Rescripting recreates it, so it’s created twice. Stephen Covey discusses (from a different perspective) how ‘Leadership’ is the first creation. In order to be effective in ‘management’, you must first be a great leader. A powerful, strong leader can monitor environmental changes (ie: customer buying patterns, or outside life events- COVID), and can guide teams in the right direction while providing a great support system. The book states that trying to manage without proper leadership is equivalent to trying to organize the deck chairs on a sinking Titanic (let that sink in, no pun intended!). I bring this up because if you end up envisioning a successful, impactful leader for yourself, but you’re not rescripting yourself to hold better values, approaches, and ways to connect a team- you’ll fail. 

OK. So, you decide you’re starting to understand what things you need to start changing. That’s great. Remember that these changes will take an effort always. You’re not going to just change overnight. Currently, I’m rescripting myself still and will be for years to come. I also had to understand that the center of my values had to adjust too. The most common centers for individuals are, money centeredness, work centeredness, possession centeredness, etc. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wanting money. I’m not here to guilt you for that. Good for you. However, I use this as an example for one reason. If you make everything you do, and what you believe in around money- it will ultimately lead to unhappiness and less effectiveness with others. What happens if all of your money is gone? Your values, principles, and what defines you is now gone too. Focus your center on a ‘principle center’. Remember that our own knowledge of what we deem good principle is based on what was taught to us through history. 

As we continue to grow, learn other perspectives, the good principles that we all ultimately know are better understood. Principles ultimately will have consequences. When we abide, and live by good principles, good consequences stem from them. That has been true for many years before us. My general feeling is that once we push ourselves to operate around this (truly), the rest of the good stuff will find it’s way to us (ie: money, work opportunities, etc.)

I made a decision when I was younger. I had a choice. Take the safe way, or go for the gold and break any barrier I had for myself. Well, I went after the gold. I’m still going after the gold. There is something so empowering knowing that you can accomplish anything you decide you want too. You can light the world on fire. You have the ability to use your power to help ignite something so incredible, and amazing. Self work is great, and if you’re genuinely reading this and wanting to challenge yourself- I’m proud of you.