Your self-concept is made up of various parts, each of which affects each of the others. Understanding these parts enables you to become nearer to your ideal self. When you learn to take charge of the development of a new and positive self-concept, you can then control your destiny for the rest of your life.
The first part of the self-concept is your “self-ideal.” Your self-ideal largely determines the direction in which you are going with your life. It guides the growth and evolution of your character and personality. Your self-ideal is a combination of all of the qualities and attributes of other people that you most admire. Your self-ideal is a description of the person you would very much like to be if you could embody the qualities that you most aspire to.
Throughout your life, you have seen and read about the qualities of courage, confidence, compassion, love, fortitude, perseverance, patience, forgiveness and integrity. Over time, these qualities have instilled in you an ideal to which you aspire. You might not always live up to the very best that you know, but you are constantly striving to be a better person in light of those qualities that you value so highly. In fact, everything that you do on a day-to-day basis is affected by your comparing your activities with these ideal qualities and your striving to behave consistently with them.
Successful people have very clear ideals for themselves. Unsuccessful people have fuzzy ideals. Successful people are very clear about being excellent in every part of their work and their personal lives. Unsuccessful people don’t give the subject very much thought. One of the primary characteristics of successful men and women in every walk of life is that they have very clearly defined ideals, and they are very aware of whether or not their current behaviours are consistent with their idealized behaviours.
Part of your ideals are your goals. As you set higher and more challenging goals, your self-ideal improves and crystallizes. When you set goals for the kind of person you want to be and the kind of life you want to live, your self-ideal rises and becomes a greater guiding and motivating force in your life.
Perhaps the most important thing for you to realise is that whatever anybody else has done or become, you can do or become as well. Improvements in your self-ideal begin in your imagination where there are no limits except the ones that you accept.
What is your ideal vision of the very best person you could possibly become? How would you behave each day if you were already that person? Make a picture in your mind of how you would look and stand, how you would appear to other people. Asking yourself these questions and then living your life consistent with the answers is the first step to creating yourself in your ideal image.
Here are two things you can do immediately to put these ideas into action.
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Dream big dreams – Set big, exciting, challenging goals and ideals for yourself in every part of your life. Allow yourself to imagine a wonderful life ahead.
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Think about how you would act if you were an outstanding person in every way. Create that picture in your mind. Then, practice being this person, as though you were acting a role in a play.
You’ll immediately notice a difference in your behaviour. Practice all of the above.
It is time now for you to take action and to really begin to change your life. Or you could do nothing. It is your choice. I am helping people to become the very best version of themselves.
I have some availability for coaching clients, we just need to fix some dates if and when you want to get started. Get in touch today.
Maggie Currie
Creedence – Confidence for You
International Confidence Coach, Motivational Speaker, Author
Maggie Currie - Multi Award Winning Transformational Coach & Author 