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If you’re not where you want to be, then you’ve probably hit a wall. And the reason may be: your current self-image is keeping you stuck.

During my career, I worked in the investment business on high-level strategic teams, with CEOs and CFOs on billions of dollars of financial transactions and investments. More recently, and for the last ten years as a High Performance Coach, I’ve been working with successful, high-achieving individuals helping them to advance their careers and lives.

And I’ve seen amazing transformations like my client, a Fortune 100 executive who said: “Elevating my self-image required me to make choices as my future self and has played an essential role in my advancement.”

If YOU want to improve your results, then it’s time to create a new self-image and specifically, of your future self. This might sound counterintuitive because your future hasn’t happened yet. Over my years of studying personal growth and success principles, I’ve learned that creating a new self image of your future self is foundational to your continued success. It’s a vital process I apply in my own life and through which I guide my clients.

Keep reading because in this article you’ll learn six important steps to change your self-image. The first two steps are to help you in understanding, the final four steps are a roadmap to begin the process of change to a new self-image so you can start thinking, feeling and acting like your future self now. That’s how you change your results.

Step #1 - Let’s begin with understanding.

What is self-image? Dr Maxwell Maltz, one of the pioneers in the science of self-image explained in his book, Psycho-Cybernetics, that your self-image is a blue-print or mental picture of yourself. And it’s built up from your beliefs about yourself, and your experiences with other people, especially in early childhood. It’s subconscious, so you act on it as if it’s true. And if you’re like I was, back when I first learned about self-image, you’ve probably never questioned its validity.

For example, when I worked in the corporate world - although by most definitions I was considered very successful: I was a Vice President, earned high compensation, had a nice bank account, and I had a beautiful home and family, and we took wonderful vacations. But professionally I hit a wall at the VP level. And what I didn’t realize then was that my self-image was keeping me at that level. I didn’t know about self-image or even what questions to ask. And I don’t want you to go through the struggles I went through, which is why I’m so committed to the work I do today, to support you in being the most exceptional version of yourself.

Step #2 - Let’s go deeper in understanding self-image.

Self-image is like a mental set-point and it determines the parameters of what you can accomplish. In other words, you can’t outperform your current self-image. And it’s subconscious. Be aware that your subconscious mind controls your habitual behaviour, therefore your self-image literally keeps you boxed in. Do you want to keep generating the same results? You and only you can decide to change, and it starts INSIDE of you. Your success is an inside-out journey. As you elevate the internal picture of yourself, your results out in the world will change to match your inner picture.

Step #3 -  It’s time to get clear about what you want.

The British writer Thomas Carlisle said, “A man without a purpose is like a ship without a rudder.” Imagine a ship adrift out at sea without any direction, maybe traversing thousands of miles of coastline but unlikely to end up in any port. Are you clear about the direction for your career and life, so that you don’t end up adrift or in some random port?

And creating a new self-image requires you to get to know your future self - the you who is achieving what you want. Step 3 is vital. Ask yourself, “what do I want?” And not just any goal but a dream, a vision. What would you LOVE to be doing professionally and personally in one to three years? And write that down. Be as specific as possible. Describe what your port looks like.

Step #4 - Think from your goal.

Unfortunately, most people make the mistake of going after their goals from their current self-image. That’s a mistake. Who you are now is going to get you more of your current results. Dr Benjamin Hardy, an organisational psychologist and author of “Be Your Future Self Now” advises: “think FROM your goal rather than toward your goal.” Step #4 is to identify who you are in the future: the person who’s achieving the goals you’ve described in Step 3.This requires imagination. And it’s thought provoking. Imagine your future self. For example: How do you live? Where do you work? How do you show up at meetings? What are you earning? What are your relationships like?

When I work with my clients, we go really deep here. And let me emphasize - this is not for the faint of heart. But it’s so worthwhile if you are committed to improving your results. I guide my clients through a process where they each research their future self in order to come up with a clear picture of who their future self is.

In my own future self preparation, I researched the life of Mahatmas Gandhi. And specifically, to learn how he trained his mind to approach life from a place of love, not fear.  This is something I personally hold in very high value and studying his life and habits has helped me to be more skilled here.

Step #5 - Write the script of the future you.

Think about a movie you really like. One of my favourite movies is Amadeus, about the life of Mozart, the 18th century composer and musician. The actors are so skilled that I don’t even think of the characters as actors. And that’s because great actors read a script, research the part, study the part, memorize the script, rehearse the role and step into character. Great actors are so good that they become the character. And they are guided by a script. In Step #5, you write the script of your future self. Give yourself a precise roadmap.

And finally Step #6 - Step into character.

Just like great actors, put your heart and soul into stepping into your future self. IT’S YOUR LIFE. When you do it the right way, your script guides you to think, feel and act like the future you. My self-image script guides me everyday. I’ve recorded it and listen to it every morning and evening. So every day I’m planting images of my future self into the rich, fertile soil of my subconscious mind. And the subconscious mind can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined. And day after day, the images of my future self are planted into my subconscious mind. And more and more, I am my future self. And this process has allowed me to grow in ways I never imagined possible and, in so doing, touch thousands of lives.

Stepping into your future self is an exhilarating process.

This process is going to push you to grow and unleash your potential. If writing the script of your future self sounds like something you’d like to do, I encourage you to take advantage of my years of guiding clients in this journey. Schedule a complimentary consultation here and let's get started!