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To become who you’ve always wanted to be, you have to shift your identity into someone who’s ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that come with it.

I have a certain way I do this, and it’s not something I’ve ever seen or heard others talk about.

I used what I call identity templates — people that I know (or know of) who embody some of the new traits that I want to pull into myself. Not all of the traits, but the signature, important ones that I want to identify with.

Let’s go through three of my identity templates and what I get out of them, so you can do this exercise too.

Anthony Trucks

One of my main goals is to grow my speaking career, and Anthony Trucks is a phenomenal public speaker. I know he’s the real deal and someone I love listening to.

I can look at the way he speaks, along with how he’s built his career, and follow his blueprint. I can take the pieces of his personality and create a new version of myself on-stage. Success leaves clues, and if you want to be successful, the best way is to find someone who is a few years ahead of you on the path you want to be on. Anthony is that guy for me in the speaking world.

David Goggins

Physical fitness is also very important to me, and nobody embodies toughness or commitment to the grind like David Goggins. He’s the ultimate badass.

I can look at his mindset, his routines, his image and pick out the parts I want to be. Once again, not everything — if I start cursing a bunch in my content you’ll know I’m copying Goggins too much — but enough to make a difference.

Matt Ragland

I also want to be a great and patient father, and Matt Ragland — my friend and coworker — is simply an awesome, intentional dad.

This one is as simple as: If my son Tyson is getting on my nerves, how would Matt respond in this situation? Or if Matt was watching me parent, would he judge me?

You can look at these people in your life (whether you actually know them or not) as roadmaps to the person you want to become. If I take a little bit of Anthony Trucks, David Goggins and Matt Ragland, I’ll be a well-rounded dad, athlete, and public speaker. If I take too much of any of them, I would become a copycat.

Your exercise:

1. Pick three different goals and identities you have for yourself. It can be the way you build businesses, eat, dress, exercise, communicate, parent, teach, you name it.
2. Identify one person for each of those goals that you look up to. It can be someone you know in real life or follow online.
3. Write down their name and why they’re the embodiment of this goal you have for yourself.

All the best,

Terry Rice