1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: Today's tip is that when you are learning a new skill, 4 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: you can motivate yourself to continue in a positive direction 5 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: by changing your language. The skill isn't something you do, 6 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: it is who you are. It makes a bigger difference 7 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,640 Speaker 1: then you might think. Today's tip like another this week 8 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: comes from Whitney Johnson's new book Smart Growth. In this book, 9 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: Whitney explores how people learn and change and achieve their goals. 10 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 1: Learning any new skill can be challenging. You have to 11 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: keep working and practicing even when the rewards aren't readily apparent. 12 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: But fortunately, a very simple language change can help. Whitney 13 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:10,639 Speaker 1: suggests that instead of saying you do the particular skill, 14 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: talk about it as part of your identity. So I run, 15 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: or I go for a run or anything along that 16 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: becomes I'm a runner. I cooked new stuff from my 17 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: family becomes I am a home chef. In another episode 18 00:01:29,319 --> 00:01:31,760 Speaker 1: this week, I talked about my daughter learning to play 19 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:35,399 Speaker 1: the trumpet. She should tell people that she is a 20 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:41,279 Speaker 1: trumpet player rather than that she plays the instrument. Now, 21 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 1: with some skills we might feel like a fraud announcing this. 22 00:01:45,959 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: At the beginning, a trumpet player should at least theoretically 23 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: play some notes, and as we discussed, it takes a 24 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: few months to get past the breathy phase and into 25 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: controlled notes and finally into recognizable tunes. Calling yourself a 26 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:07,840 Speaker 1: trumpet player in this phase might seem like a stretch, 27 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: and yet the language matters. Whitney points to studies finding 28 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: that people who said I am a voter voted at 29 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,799 Speaker 1: a rate that was eleven percentage points higher than people 30 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: who said I vote. Identities are powerful. When we identify 31 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,720 Speaker 1: as something, we are more likely to adopt the behaviors 32 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: that are congruent with that identity. When something is just 33 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: something we do well, we could not do it. Since 34 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: pretty much everything comes down to sheer volume of time 35 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: spent practicing, the more we adopt the congruent behaviors, the 36 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 1: better off we will be. So try changing your language. 37 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: I don't just record a podcast. I am a podcaster. 38 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: I don't just write books. I am an author, I 39 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 1: am a singer, I am a runner. What identities would 40 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,919 Speaker 1: you like to adopt? Try changing your language to who 41 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: you are, not just what you do and you might 42 00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: be more likely to keep the identity that you are 43 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: trying on. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening, 44 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: and here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody, 45 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 1: I'd love to hear from you. You can send me 46 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with 47 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod 48 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: that's B the number four, then Breakfast p o D. 49 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast 50 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: podcast at iHeartMedia dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled 51 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: out with all the letters. Thanks so much, I look 52 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production 53 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 54 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,000 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 55 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.