1: Science defines identity as “a well-organized conception of the self, consisting of values and beliefs to which the individual is solidly committed.”
Our identity is based on two things.
First, the story we tell ourselves about ourselves.
And second, the standards or commitments we hold for ourselves.
“Put simply, our identity as a person is what we’re most committed to,” Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in 10x Is Easier Than 2x. “It’s the story about ourselves we’re committed to, and it’s the personal standards we’re most committed to.”
We set our standards based on the level of quality we will accept. “When something is truly a standard, it’s a commitment,” Dan and Ben note, “We are all committed to standards that we’ve set for ourselves, even if we don’t realize it.”
2: To evolve our identity, we simply elevate our standards.
We do so by committing to what Dan Sullivan calls “The 4 C’s Formula:” Commitment, Courage, Capability, and Confidence.
We kickstart the process by making a commitment. As we “commit to a specific standard far above our current capability and confidence,” the authors write, “it pushes us outside our knowledge and comfort zone.”
Thus, the need for the second C: Courage.
As we strive to make this commitment our new reality, we will likely experience loss and failure. Also known as “learning.”
“By adapting and applying our learning,” Dan and Ben note, “we develop capabilities (the third C) and skills we previously didn’t have, which we would not have developed without having fully made the commitment.”
3: In time, our commitment brings about Mastery. This becomes our new standard. We now experience the fourth C: Confidence.
“With a higher degree of confidence,” they write, we “now see and attract bigger and better opportunities, which previously weren’t available to us, enabling us to start the 4C’s cycle anew by making the next level 10x commitment.”
We have become a more evolved version of ourselves. “And it’s completely normal to us, despite the fact that both who we now are and our normal life are unfathomable to our past self,” Dan and Ben observe.
More tomorrow.
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Reflection: What is a project or area of my life where I can experiment with Dan’s 4 C’s Formula?
Action: Do it.
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