Modeling - The Master Skill

There are always two or more ways to do something. At the most simplified, there is a hard way and an easy way to do things. Let's say you want to acquire a skill, technique, or set of attitudes for yourself. Again, there's a hard and easy way.

The hard way to do things is to do things all alone. This is the 'rugged individualist' attitude. This method is where someone goes up the same roads that others have traveled before. What results is often extraordinary frustration as we strive to recreate the already made wheel. Incidentally, this is the method we were taught in school. "Do it yourself. All alone. Keep your eyes on your own test! No cheating! Don't help her! Do you own work."

Back to reality. There is an easier way. That way is modeling. Modeling is acquiring a skill, technique, or set of attitudes from another person who has what you want. Suppose a person does something extraordinarily well and you want to do the same. Instead of doing it the hard way, take the shortcut and go model that person's expertise and methods. It's the way smart and effective people do it.

Here's how to model someone. If you have access to your model, schedule a distraction-free meeting with them. Set an outcome for what skill, talent, attitude, or belief you want to get out of the meeting. When you're with the person, begin to ask them how specifically they do what they do. What specifically do they think? What specifically do they believe? What specifically do they tell themselves internally? Find out the answers. Take notes.

Armed with this information, compare these new ideas to what you believed and how you operated before. What are the differences? What specifically is the difference between yourself and them that allows them to get the awesome results? Try out your new beliefs, attitudes, and skills. If you get better results, good. If not, go back to your model to elicit more information. You're seeking the differences between ordinary beliefs and extraordinary beliefs that permit them to excel at what they do.

If you don't have access to your model, get all the material of theirs you can. Suppose you want to be a better persuader. Get as much information as you can from this persuasion model. Get their products, seminars, books, audios, videos, etc. Study them diligently.

After getting as much information as you can out of the products, imagine that you had a meeting with your selected model. This may seem hokey but as you try it, you'll surprise yourself how well it works. Imagine asking the model the same questions as listed above (if you actually had access to the model). Then listen carefully to the answers that come to mind.

What you're doing is activating your all-knowing unconscious mind to let you know the correct answers. You see, you know more than you think you know. It's a matter of activating the information you already know. Keep asking these questions and getting the answers.

Now, with what you learn, implement everything. Practice what you learned. This is the easy way. Modeling is the master skill. When you use modeling, you shave years off your learning curve and gain skills rapidly.

For in-depth information on modeling, see my "The Ultimate Persuasion Formula" course.

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