Fake it ’til you make it
Become the person you want to be
I think the idea of “faking it ’til you make it” gets a bad rap.
There is an interpretation of this saying that says: “Don’t fake it, that’s not right, it’s cheating. You are trying to put one over on people…”
I have always had this idea that if you want to do something, start doing it and you will get better. Eventually, you will become good! This works for things like becoming better at a musical instrument or become a better golf player.
I remember reading this anecdote (I can’t remember exactly where) about a guy that shows up at a local golf course and talks to the pro there about a lesson. The pro says “sure” and off they go to the driving range. Once there, the guy starts trying really hard to hit the ball, and as anyone that knows golf, this is the worst way to hit a golf ball. He keep shanking it and topping the ball and missing it entirely. He gets exasperated and says “See? I can’t hit the ball at all! How do the guys on TV make it look so easy?”.
So the pro says, “You watch golf on TV?”
“Yeah, I love watching those guys.”
The pro says, “what do you like about the way they play?”
“Well, I love how they swing at the ball.”
The pro says, “Show me what they swing like”
The guy relaxes and imitates the pro golf swing. He hits the ball perfectly. After watching the lovely arc of ball, he turns and looks back at the pro with a sheepish look on his face. The pro winks at him.
Faking it ’til you make it works for your personality the same same way it works for physical skills: If you want to become a more generous person, start acting like one. If you want to become a better listener, start acting like one. After a time, the act transforms into fact.
Become the person you want to be