Part 2
6. Traits – Add Your SQAs
We seldom think about the Strengths, Qualities and Attributes we bring to everyday issues and problems.
I have worked with many elite sports stars during dips in form. I’ll often ask them questions such as, “What do you bring to the team that makes your teammates glad to have you on their side?”
It’s surprising how hard they find it to answer. And with parents, I’m often met with silence when I ask what makes them good mothers or fathers.
The leaders and self-improvers I have coached struggle to list more than two or three of their strengths.
And yet our SQAs are the building blocks of our Identity. And an intuitive grasp of them is the bedrock of mental strength and confidence. And when we Review the SQAs we bring to past problems, we are “using the difficulty” to our advantage. It helps us become mindfully aware of our unique abilities.
Use The Good Times Too
“Use the Difficulty” has been our theme so far. This makes sense as we build confidence, resilience and high performance for pressure moments when you must be at your best.
In your Review diary, you’ll also cover things you’re proud of. These could be times you handled pressure well or everyday events highlighting your abilities.
The SQAs from those positive moments will also help in adversity. So include them in your growing list.
SQAs Lead You On Your High IDQ Journey
As you progress with R&P, a list of your everyday strengths grows. And with continued R&P, your awareness of them moves from your conscious mind to your System 1. And when that change takes place, it generates confidence and resilience and moves you along in your journey to a High IDQ.
So, now, when you Review a past challenge, add to this drill by thinking about the SQAs you showed, even if you weren’t happy with your overall actions or the end result. As I’ve mentioned, this may not come easily to you, and it may help to look at this list of personal SQAs.
Look through each column and pick one from each you used to deal with that challenge. I.e. three in total. If they don’t look natural to you, you don’t have to use any suggestions from this list. Just use it as a prompt if you like.
Your own thoughts and words are the most powerful. So go with what feels comfortable to you. They only need to make sense to you.
Before long, with a good R&P routine, you’ll have 10 or 12 personal strengths that are your regulars. Of course, there is more to add to this list as time goes on. But this is the solid base you’ll build upon.
7. Your Identity
Review is building your unique list of SQAs. There will be a core of repeating strengths. This core gets bigger as you continue the exercise. Think of it like building a list of your superpowers!
Gradually, your System 1 accepts that these SQAs are Lasting, Broad and Self and work for you in any situation. This means you are forging an Elevate Formula style of sifting and sorting of the data your senses are constantly streaming.
Once you start thinking this way, it changes how you see the world around you, because it’s shaping how your System 1 creates your Edited Reality. You become more confident and calm and can tap into your talents when you need them the most.
And as you keep doing this, your sense of who you are grows, and your IDQ score increases. Your Identity is evolving.
Your Evolving Identity: Who Are You?
When you look over your growing list of SQAs, ask yourself, “What sort of person has these qualities?” Then, describe that person as briefly as you can. Finally, write down what you’ve written as if describing yourself. I.e., begin the sentence with “I am …”.
It’s OK if your first ideas vary a lot and are a little clunky. Be patient and let it fall naturally out of Review.
Your challenges reflect the mixture of events you face in your life. And each brings out different aspects of your Identity. After a while, a constant and positive self-image will emerge.
As this consistent self-image emerges, you are begining to build a picture of who you will become with a High Score Identity. It’s this consistent definition of your Identity which comes to represent all your strengths. It will fit all your challenges.
That’s when you know you’ve got it. And it is this sense of self that will come to guide your Edited Reality in every waking moment.
Use Your Identity
As you start to define your Identity, you can bring it to mind when you face a challenge. It’s a new insight into your talents that will empower you to be at your confident best.
‘Deploy Your Identity’ works perfectly with step ‘I’ of CLARITY – Interrupt and Breathe.
When you notice the early warning signs of your limiting or unhealthy reaction to adversity, it’s important to take a step back and breathe. This is where 7-11 breathing comes in. This helps calm your mind and body and keep your System 2 switched on, so you can think more clearly.
At the same time, you can deploy your Identity. This means bringing to mind the qualities that make you who you are. For example, let’s say your Identity statement is;
“I’m a resilient, capable and determined person”.
When facing a testing time, you might start 7-11 Breathing and then rehearse this statement to yourself. As it’s based on your SQAs, it will remind you that you are strong and capable of overcoming any obstacle.
By combining these two steps, you can face any challenge with confidence and clarity. You’ll be able to stay calm under pressure and make decisions that align with your values and goals.
And every time you respond to a test in this way, you are building your IDQ score.
Now Review builds your list of SQAs. Look at good times as well as bad times to find them.
This list brings to the front of your mind what you are truly capable of. It’s like a list of your superpowers and grows your confidence.
In time SQAs become your identity. Nurture this idea of yourself based on your SQAs.
Bring this identity to mind when stressed and breathe calmly using 7-11 when you feel stressed. This gives you control and confidence.
It unlocks your potential and gives your talents wings so you thrive in tough times. Over time, it builds your IDQ score.
Up Next: Preview With FIRST
Preview is a powerful drill for taking on future challenges. This chapter will reveal the 5 simple steps to laser focus and unshakable confidence when adversity strikes.
Click here for Preview with FIRST
Case Study: Ananya’s Review & Preview Diary
Ananya’s Review with CLARITY Part 2
Ananya’s Preview with F.L.A.I.