Is your self-concept out of date?

Self-concept – the way you see yourself – may not be something you think about consciously, but it is a key factor in your ability to internalise your success and create results every single day.

If deep down you still see yourself as a trainee or junior associate, for example, you’re going to have a hard time getting promoted to counsel or partner. Even if you do get promoted, you’ll struggle to internalise the success.

If you’re wondering why your imposter syndrome won’t go away, despite all you’ve achieved, the answer is an outdated self-concept. You’re progressing to a new level in your career with the old version of who you are.

Most people think their view of themselves will change when they get the promotion or achieve the next goal. But promotion doesn’t fix self doubt. It aggravates it.

The way to avoid this is to work on your self-concept so that you become the new version of yourself ahead of time. It’s what I do each time I want to achieve big goals and the results have blown my mind.

To hear me talk about self-concept, it’s importance and how to use it to create extraordinary results, listen here:

Here’s how working on your self-concept can do the same for you:

If you want to be a partner*, start seeing yourself as one. Show up to every day as one. Eat, breathe, think and communicate with the same quality of attitude and attention that a partner would have.

This will have two incredible effects. The first is that the results you produce when you show up this way will help others believe in you as a partner and make it easy for them to promote you. The second is that you will be prepared for partnership when they do. Your self-concept will be so firmly established that you won’t question your right to be there. You won’t struggle with who you are and whether you can live up to other people’s expectations. You’ll already know because you’re already there.

If you are a lawyer who struggles with Imposter Syndrome, your task is to work on your self-concept. If you don’t want to do it alone, I’m here to help.

* This message applies just as well if you are already a partner, and you want to be a more successful one, and to any other goal or result you want to create in your life or work