Who will you become in five years?
Will you be the same person you are today, living a similar lifestyle?
Or will you be a radically different person, with contrasting beliefs, goals, and preferences?
According to research, most of us believe that we’ll maintain the same beliefs, goals, preferences, and behavior as our past selves. We believe that we’ll continue to plod along the trajectory our past selves set, destined for the same end-goal.
That belief is flawed, and in some cases, downright wrong.
Our personality is constantly evolving. The person we are today is not the same person we’ll be in five years.
What? That’s silly. I’m me either way, aren’t I?
Think about it this way: are you the same person you were five years ago? Ten years ago? Fifteen years ago?
Of course not. Things in your life have changed: your interests, hobbies, decision-making process, and habits are different than they were a decade ago.
Past you ≠ present you. Present you ≠ future you.
Fundamentally, this means that our personality isn’t permanent. It means that we can choose our personality.
To some, that may sound liberating. To others, it may sound overwhelming.
Today’s guest, organizational psychologist Dr. Benjamin Hardy, literally wrote the book on personality impermanence. During this episode, he shares research on why our personalities aren’t as fixed as we think they are and the strategies we can use to change.
Dr. Hardy is the bestselling author of Willpower Doesn’t Work and Personality Isn’t Permanent. He’s a contributor to Inc. and Psychology Today. From 2015-2018, he was the number one writer on Medium.com.
If you want to rise to the level of your goals, rather than fall to the patterns of your past, this episode is for you.
You’ll enjoy this episode if:
- You enjoyed our interviews with James Clear and Todd Herman
- You’re tired of feeling stuck in a one-dimensional personality box due to labels you’ve identified with or narratives you’ve written
- You believe that you can choose your personality, but have no idea how to form a new one
- You’re intrigued by personality psychology
Resources Mentioned:
- Benjaminhardy.com
- Personality Isn’t Permanent, by Dr. Benjamin Hardy
- Mindset, by Carol S. Dweck
- Atomic Habits, by James Clear
- Man’s Search For Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl
- Triggers, by Marshall Goldsmith
- Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert
- Dr. Ellen Langer, social psychologist at Harvard University
- Big 5 Personality Assessment
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