How to Change your Identity Narrative to Make a Breakthrough in Your Life
Do you believe your Identity is fixed?
According to psychologist Dan P McAdams, narrative identity is, “the internalized and evolving story of the self that a person constructs to make sense and meaning out of his or her life”.
In other words — What is the story you are telling yourself?
I have long been fascinated by this topic, as I have met numerous people throughout my training and practice as an executive coach, who see their identity as completely fixed. Suggesting that there may be more to them than they believe is an entirely new concept.
So why are we so stuck in our identity narrative? I believe there are several reasons.
Firstly, it’s a matter of survival. We have spent so long telling ourselves the same story, that the idea of changing it is quite frankly terrifying.
Secondly, it’s a habit. If habits are hard to break, then imagine how hard it is to break a habit that you may have had for twenty or thirty years. Our identity is the core part of us. We don’t think to question it. We’re too busy getting on with the business of life — A big mistake which I’ll be coming back to in just a moment.
