I often talk about rebooting images with clients, a slightly more fancy phrase for a holistic mind/body makeover. It’s a tough process for many, and ultimately the advice I seem to give most frequently is to “fake it ’til you make it.” I find that the underlying psychological and mental barriers are a bit easier to work out once self-esteem and identity is somewhat restored.
Here’s the easiest hack I’ve ever come up with in my years of consulting:
Step 1: Think of the ultimate male/female you want to embody. Not necessarily physically, but their personality and attitude towards life.
For example, Robert Downey Jr. from Ironman, Harvey Spector from Suits, Don Draper from Mad Men, Will Smith from Hitch, Brad Pitt from Fight Club, Ari Gold from Entourage, you name it. Everyone’s striving for something different. Maybe even a Frankenstein of a few people.
Step 2: When you come to a situation you’re not sure how to approach, just think “what would _____ do?”