Telling a better story into the future

And using social proof

I’ve talked and written many times about telling a better story.  By now we all should agree that your story is one of the few things that you can and should control.  The story you tell about yourself not only influences the way other people see you but also crystallizes your own view of yourself.

Part of this shaping the narrative is basic copy writing skills and spin.  It is as they say in marketing sometimes ‘polishing a turd’.  (I’m joking, you’re not a turd.  But that is certainly a story you could tell about yourself.  “I’m just a turd.”  I wouldn’t recommend that one.)  What I mean by this is that only a very small minority have an unblemished track record of success.  Life is messy for 99.999% of us.  But, that’s ok – you can still polish that up into a compelling story.

In fact, the more challenges you have, the more tragedy and defeat that you have had to overcome, the better your story.  People tend to leave out the hard bits and gloss over their failings.  In fact those are the exact things that make you human.  They make you believable.  They give you credibility.  Work those things into your story.

In past articles I’ve talked about how you can capture, internalize and tell your story powerfully, to effect.  Let’s assume you’ve done that.  You’ve got a great story about how you got to where you are.  You’ve got a powerful narrative about who you are and what you’ve done.

But that’s the past.  How do you project that into the future.  How do you do it in such a way that you can create a step change?  As Peter Diamandis says ‘how do you go to 10X?’  How do you use your story into the future?  It’s hard to think in terms of step changes because our brains have been conditioned to think linearly.

The first step is probably the hardest: you have to figure out want you want.  You have to be able to answer the question “Where do I want to be in 10 years?”  What does that look like?  What type of people are doing 10X what you are doing?  Who are they?  Who do they spend time with?  What do they look like?

That’s a hard step and may take many months to get to.  It involves self-awareness.  It may involve coaching and mentoring.  Be careful who you take coaching from because they may be stuck in your old story and you are about to create a new story.  They may not be able to make the leap.

Now that you know what you want to do in 10 years you can start creating that story.  Unlike your history story this future story has no bounds.  It does not have to be grounded in reality. I does not have to be constrained.

In ten years what does that you look like?  What are they doing?  How do they spend their days?  Who do they interact with?  What are they accomplishing?  Create that future story.

Once you’ve got that story created start telling it.  As you are telling your future narrative you are also selling your future narrative.  Just like your existing narrative changed the way people look at you and changed the way you look at yourself this future narrative will begin to transform your reality.

This will not be without challenge.  If you have set your sights high enough you will lose some of your existing support structure and necessarily have to grow a new one.  This means people and systems will try to pull you back and try to muddy up your future narrative.  This is part of the birthing process.  It can be painful but it produces new life.

“Wait a second, Chris!” you’re thinking, “You’re telling me to fake it until I make it!”

Well.  Yes.  A little bit.  But not in a flighty or buffoonery way.  You are not just assuming the future narrative you are working towards it.  You use it as a compass.  You attract the support and building blocks necessary as you go.  You are not saying “I am” You are saying “I will become”.  This will create momentum in your world.  This will give you a true north to judge your daily actions against.

How can you leverage social proof to solidify your future narrative?

With today’s amazing media tools and networks it is easier than ever to create a future narrative and draw people to it.

You can create a social and online presence that epitomizes your future self.  In an aspirational, authentic way.  You declare “Here is what I am going to do!” and broadcast that story widely.  Like-minded individuals will rally to your cause.

As those like-minded individuals aggregate around your future narrative you can leverage them for social proof.  They become your references. They believe in your story, your mission and they will help spread your circle of influence.  They will help you.

Look to cultivate those people, ‘fans’, ‘tribe’, whatever you call them.  Leverage them to build the social proof for your future narrative.  Remember, you are always telling the story.  You are always selling the story.  The story begins to turn into reality.

Through this process you will continue to hustle and learn and grow.  You will be pointed to new information.  You will make new relationships.  You will change your approach.  You will gather new toolsets that enable the narrative.  Without this hard work and hustle your future narrative is a day dream.

If you wake up every day telling and selling that future narrative.  If you believe it.  If you make it your mission.  If you tell and sell every day as you’re working towards that future narrative something will happen. It probably won’t be exactly the way you told it or envisioned it but something bountiful will happen and you will grow and benefit.

Lastly, don’t get caught up in the “arrival fantasy”.  Your future narrative is not an end point.  It is a mile marker on your road.  When you get there, when you arrive at that future narrative you’ll be already thinking about the next one.  There’s no stopping.  This isn’t a game anyone wins.

We live in abundant times.  You can do anything you want as long as you are willing to want something.  You control the narrative of your life.  Past, present and future.

Get busy telling your story.