Self-Authoring

Jordan Peterson has recently returned to Social Media and will soon be releasing a follow up to his first book, 12 Rules for Life, with his second book, 12 More Rules for Life.

He is a clinical psychologist who certainly influenced by own decision to return to University and complete a MSc in Psychology, and is somebody who can make quite technical theories easily understandable through his excellent communication skills.

Almost all of Peterson's lectures are available online , and the majority of them accessible through YouTube. Among the wealth of information available, one topic which really made an impact on me was the discussion around Self-Authoring.

This is a practice you can undertake within your personal life and relationships, and with your business ,or career, prospects. It's been useful to me in helping to shape the life I want for myself, but I have also noticed it's impact when working with business owners & their employees.

I'd recommend listening to the available discussion around it, and Peterson is offering an online paid service if you wish to take that up with him thereafter, but below is a synopsis of the stages involved in the process.

First, for personal or business, take time to write out your ideal-self / business in 3 to 5 years. Assume you could have everything you wanted including;

• The relationships you keep.
• Your ideal financial affairs.
• Your stage in life...major achievements, landmark business events etc.

As you do this, think about the process' and behaviours that would be necessary and visualise completing them.

Afterwards; reverse the exercise and consider the process' and behaviours you have now which are not contributing towards your ideal scenario, and the impact these would have if chronic, or out of control.

A useful example I have found in Learning & Development for business would be to look at a daily activity log. Considering what could be achieved if only for installing the right process and behaviours, and then projecting a future based on current daily outputs and behaviours, asking is it realistic for anything to change if you don't?

In our personal lives, we can ask the same questions about our routines. There may be issues that are difficult to confront, but an essential part of the process is being willing to hear some home truths and accept they are real.

After completing the exercise you will have two contrasting realities, and both will be completely in your control. Although a work in process, alot of the changes you may need to make will already have came to you.

The choice is your own to make, and hopefully the negative vision of the future is one bad enough to justify the effort required to achieve the positive. Assuming it is, I would then recommend some further popular reading from Tony Robbins on changing "Should" to "Must" , which will require further self exploration and some more difficult confrontations.

Peterson's course on Self-Authoring is available here:

https://www.selfauthoring.com/future-authoring

Tony Robbins' speaks about changing Should to Must, here:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tony+robbins+should+must

And as part of my business and personal coaching, I am able to talk in more depth and help apply these practices to your business or personal goals.

Give it a try and see what you think.