Roles can be dangerous! Especially if you're not conscious of them.
A role is essentially a character you're playing in the game of life.
Roles Can Be Dangerous If They Are Unconsciously Assumed
A policeman is a role. So is a fireman. Or a doctor.
An infinite number of other roles exist: pizza delivery person, gas station attendant, chemical engineer.
Helper.
Mom.
Brother.
Those are all roles, too.
All fine...as long as you are conscious of them and what they are.
Why Roles Can Be Dangerous
You see, roles are filters, too.
Your RAS is filtering millions of bits every moment, paring them down to just a few hundred to show you.
These are the "important" bits of information.
The things that are "interesting." Your RAS, guided by the beliefs you have about your roles, has filtered out the "boring" bits.
What you may not have realized until now is that your few top preferred roles are likely unconsciously blocking you from succeeding in other roles.
Let's look at an example.
How Roles Can Be Dangerous
A recent discussion in a Facebook group for new entrepreneurs lead to a fine person sharing they were a "security professional." They took this role very seriously. And that's commendable: protecting other people is a highly valuable goal and I have a lot of it in myself as well.
But here's the problem. When he comes home from his 'day job', where he's been performing the role he has built up as massively important to his self-esteem, sense of identity, sense of success, and has to instantly transition into the role of 'business owner'—
What do you think happens?
What do you think happens when he's confronted with the need, say, to learn about pro forma income statements? After all, he has to be able to do some financial planning.
That's a key part of his new business, and the role of 'business owner'.
But the role he's familiar with, comfortable with, safe with rears its head and says, "Hey wait a minute. Why are we looking at this? Financial planning has nothing to do with protecting people. You're a security professional. This is boring. Stop it."
And whammo—he's shut down in the new role.
If you aren't conscious of your roles and choosing which to highlight and move into with all your energy, you'll beat yourself.
>> Jason Kanigan is a business strategist and coach. To uncover your many roles, limiting beliefs, and comfort zones so that you can proceed into new projects with maximum energy, book a call with Jason. <<