It’s just true that any mature person is trying to make the biggest choices for their life based on their strongest beliefs. It’s also true that how we live our lives, how we respond to adversity is a reflection of what’s in our heart Identity and how we think Mindset through the lens of our Core Values strongest beliefs.
In the Mental Conditioning Process, this is the formula to aim your life properly: Identity + Core Values + A Great Routine = A Vision that will work for your life.
Now, I love to shoot, so I'm going to use a gun analogy, it will surely offend someone, but I will keep coming forward and lay this out in a way that makes me happy. I definitely could have explained this in simpler terms, but I had so much fun writing this!
In simple shooting terms, If you have trained with a reliable rifle that has trustworthy sites so that you can aim it properly, hitting your target is possible. If the bullet finds its mark, it’s said “the bullet flew true.” I think that this definition of the truth applies in all areas of our lives. If it’s true, then it works, you can hit what you're aiming at.
Let’s plug my gun analogy into the Mental Conditioning Formula for creating a Vision or plan for your life.
ESTABLISHING YOUR IDENTITY- Understanding your Personal Identity is like owning a reliable rifle. From your personal experience, you understand your rifle design. Your rifle is a tool you know well because you maintain it, you train with it, and you know it’s capabilities.
Understanding your Personal Identity is knowing why you were created and being prepared to live your life intentionally with purpose. Understanding your Personal Identity means you understand the way your heart is wired, and you know how it works. It means you are secure in the knowledge that you are enough and that you are prepared to operate in adversity. You know you can count on yourself, and the people you are responsible for know they can count on you. Being secure with your Personal Identity means you can live your truth under pressure and you are capable of supporting the truth in your life reliably.
For me, being clear and secure with my own Personal Identity is like owning my Daniel Defense rifle. I understand how it works, I consistently train with it, and I know if I aim it correctly, I know it will reliably respond. I know who I am as an individual, I know I am reliable, and I know I can support and use my Core Values to aim my life intentionally.
ORGANIZING YOUR CORE VALUES - Core Values are like the sites or optic on a reliable rifle. Without sites or a scope, hitting your target (goals, motivation, habits, etc.) consistently is unlikely. Core Values are the lens you use to consistently re-aim your life. Doing the work to organize your Core Values, defining them, putting them into language that's meaningful and authentic to you personally is vital. Your Core Values need to be actionable, not just some cool words you write down. They must represent your personal strengths, your emotional weaknesses, and the ideals you are reaching for.
When you have done the work to establish your Personal Identity and connect that to solid Core Values, then you have the foundation or platform to reliably aim at a Great Routine and work intentionally to become 100% of the person, athlete, family, team, or business you were designed to BE.
Having a clear understanding of your Personal Identity and staying connected to your Core Values is like owning a reliable rifle with good optics/sites. When it comes time to shoot, under pressure, in the best or worst of conditions you know you can get on target and stay on target consistently.
A GREAT ROUTINE- This is the target your aiming at! Never underestimate the importance of a Great Routine! When I talk about creating a Great Routine, I’m talking about creating mindset tools, setting goals, and getting and staying motivated, including controlling your emotions and using momentum in your favor. Developing a process and becoming excellent with the X’s and O’s, in the system you use, is the last part of the Mental Conditioning equation to develop a vision and a plan that will work for your life.
Here is the problem! Many people are principally focused on developing a Great Routine without doing the foundational work to establish their Personal Identity and Core Values. To use my gun analogy, it’s like trying to hit the target with an unreliable rifle with no sites. They end up frustrated when they don’t hit their target or reach their goal. They struggle with staying motivated when their emotions betray them. The struggle to be present and live or train consistently is real! Finally, many people limit themselves by staying one dimensional. You must develop a Great Routine for your life physically, mentally, and spiritually.
If you're going to be successful in your personal life and reach your potential in business or athletics, knowing how to bridge the gap between your personal identity and your business/athletic identity is a requirement. Anyone who is successful in their interpersonal relationships and excellent in business or performance has formulated answers and developed perspective for their life physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Using my gun analogy: They have developed a working platform (reliable rifle) of Identity to operate from. They can accurately aim their life through the lens (scope/optic) of their Core Values, and they have created a Great Routine or (target) to aim at in all the important areas that make us human beings. S&H
Identity + Core Values + A Great Routine = A Vision that will work for your life.
Keep Coming Forward!
Jim Hensel
